Community Health Framework— Social Determinants of Health & Health Equity: Get to the roots of community concerns to solve problems. Prioritize populations where there is data evidence and lived experience that demonstrate disparity in access to and results from strategies and resources invested.
Prevention Science and Positive Community Norms Framework— We focus on exploring the possible, finding solutions and engaging in positive psychology, process and positive social norming. Focus on our strengths, grow stronger what we already have and focus on what we want!
Community Capacity Framework— Strength and Asset based perspective with the belief in the abundant community: we have enough to do something toward positive change! A culture of collaboration, a value of authentic relationship building and a belief that we need one another because EVERYONE has gifts, talents, and treasures to share underlie capacity building. A community’s resilience is important— rarely can an individual achieve their highest level of resilience and hope without being in a safe, healthy, and caring environment. Healthy, connected communities have the capacity to provide the skills and opportunities families need to increase hope, heal the impact of trauma, and support children who will thrive.
NEAR Sciences: Neurobiology, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Resilience, and Hope— humans are made for relationship to people, creatures and environments. Our brains and other systems in our bodies adapt for survival with living beings in environments. Exposure to trauma is remembered in the body and expresses the impacts in our behavior (social-emotional responses) and in our physical and behavioral wellbeing. Building Resilience and Raising Hope result in increased ability for individuals, families, neighborhoods, communities and societies to thrive.
Conversations Matter—Talk is Action: we bring people together to reflect on and understand the future they hope to create, to select pathways through collective action toward the future and rise to leadership to advance the community building work together. We value methodology used in the Art of Hosting and Liberating Structures.
Wellbeing Matters—We promote wellbeing in community. We must model and support our staff in creating and holding wellbeing. We aim to work hard, but not burn out. We aim to fan our professional passions, yet elevate our families and selves to a place of priority. We learn how together. We are not perfect— we celebrate progress. We support one another in life.
All our programs and projects work to model and incorporate these frameworks.
what can I do?
learn:
- know your ACEs & Resilience scores (English)
- know your ACEs and Resilience scores (multiple languages)
- attend local trainings on building Resilience
- learn about the impact of toxic stress on the developing child
- enroll your families in evidence-based parenting courses that help families connect, communicate, and manage conflict with confidence and compassion:
act:
- consider how ACEs may link to your life choices and how they impact interactions with children you love.
- talk to your healthcare and behavioral healthcare providers about how ACEs have impacted your own health and wellbeing.
- be compassionate to yourself and others—ACEs likely impact us all. Respond kindly to behaviors that trigger your stress- they may be associated with trauma in both you and the other individual.
- be a safe and caring adult to a child. Do your best to reduce exposure to ACEs for children in your life.
- have fun as a family! Make time to play, laugh, talk, and eat meals together.
