Wellsville, October 19, 2020 - Ardent Solutions, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been chosen as the recipient of a new grant from the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York entitled Co-Creating Well-Being: Supporting Children and Families Through Trauma.
As one of thirteen agencies selected, this new initiative is a multi-year, three-phase initiative sponsored by the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York (HFWCNY) to see what is possible when we create solutions with children and families impacted by toxic stress and trauma, rather than for them.
“Collaborating with the Trauma-Informed Communities throughout Allegany County (TICTAC) Coalition, Ardent Solutions will use the funding to build resources and awareness in our community that address trauma and to improve service delivery for those impacted,” explained Helen Evans, Associate Director at Ardent Solutions, Inc.
Trauma is a pervasive problem. It results from exposure to an incident or series of events that are emotionally disturbing or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being.
“Our project will help organizations that serve young children and their families who may have experienced trauma to be more trauma-informed. By embracing the core principals of a trauma-informed approach to care the project will help transform how people experience services,” continued Evans.
Working with The Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC), Allegany County will be the home to a Trauma-Informed Care Champions Program. Later this fall, thirty (30) individuals will apply to become a TIC Champion and participate in a year-long, intensive educational program. During that time, individuals will learn about the core principals of trauma-informed care including to encourage safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and humility and responsiveness. Then, participants will assess their own organization’s policies, procedures, and environment to discover ways to improve services for those who may have been impacted by trauma.
“The Co-Creating Well-Being Advisory Council, providing oversight to Ardent Solutions on the grant, is excited to launch this program,” stated Evans. “Representatives from Allegany County Department of Social Services, Ardent Solutions, Clarity Wellness, ACCORD Corporation, ITTIC, and Allegany County Community Services have joined forces to make this opportunity available. We look forward to releasing the application and beginning this journey in early 2021.”
“We are proud to support this innovative project to bring trauma-informed care practices to organizations throughout Allegany County,” said Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD, president of the Health Foundation. “Developing a network of Trauma-Informed Care Champions will help ensure more care providers are able to effectively address trauma and better support children and families in the region.”
For further information on the Allegany County Trauma-Informed Care Champions Program or to join the Trauma-Informed Communities throughout Allegany County Coalition, please contact Helen Evans at 585-593-5223, ext. 1011.
