Giving Voice to Trauma and Resilience

Mental health

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study (CDC, 1995) guides our understanding of the correlation between exposure to adversity in the home, trauma, and poor health outcomes. For students in the Pasadena Unified School District where we educate about trauma responsive care, trauma often manifests as anxiety, depression, or disruptive behavior, making it difficult for students to concentrate, retain information, and participate fully in their education and social network. Unresolved trauma can significantly impede healthy emotional and psychological development and create long-term mental and physical health issues. By addressing these early exposures, children can work through the trauma to support academic success, emotional development, healthy social relationships, and long-term mental health. Through this initiative we will provide a creative and expressive way for students to learn and talk about trauma, identify resources, and find pathways to heal from those experiences.

Young & Healthy, in partnership with Boston Court Theatre and Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), seeks funding to develop and implement Giving Voice to Trauma and Resilience. Our innovative initiative will equip students with the tools to learn about, process, and talk about their lived trauma experiences. Our pilot centers on the principle that arts education can help disrupt the impact of trauma and create a path to self-expression and healthy connections. By fostering a safe and supportive environment, we will harness the powerful art of storytelling and offer participants the tools to navigate their emotional landscapes, foster resilience, and build a supportive community. We will start with 10 PUSD high school students. Combining elements of drama therapy, creative writing, and performance art, they will bring their voices to their lived experiences of trauma and resilience and acquire skills to articulate and process those experiences. They will learn the science behind trauma and participate in workshops, individual and group sessions, and consult with a mental health professional as needed. The pilot, designed to promote mental health, emotional resilience, and community building among youth, will culminate with students telling their stories at community showcases. An implementation guide will capture the lessons of this pilot and be disseminated throughout LA County with replicable trauma-informed strategies to give voice to more students’ life experiences.

The CA Master Plan for Kids’ Public Health reports 284,000+ youth have major depression; 66% of youth with depression do not receive treatment. Our year-one project success will be measured by our ability to take an arts-based approach to teaching the first teen cohort about the impact of trauma on their mental health, demonstrating an increase in the use of coping mechanisms and reducing the stigma of seeking mental health care.
Storytelling is a life skill that will serve students well in the classroom and strengthen peer and family communication. With storytelling competencies, they will begin to vocalize their lived experience, setting a path to healing. Longer-term, distributing our storytelling program will enable more county youth to learn about the impact of trauma and mitigation strategies, exposing more students to the power of telling their trauma stories, normalizing mental health struggles, and building a community of understanding and support.

Our pilot builds on our school-based mindfulness and mental health resiliency work. Success rests upon four objectives. Emotional Resilience: Students will develop coping skills and emotional resilience through storytelling and artistic expression. Community Building: A sense of community and mutual support will help them flourish. Outreach: They will promote mental health awareness, reducing the stigma of mental health. Creative Skills: Their creative writing, public speaking, and performance skills will blossom.
Students and artists will measure success by qualitative observations, Mental Health: Students will report improved emotional well-being. Communication Skills: Artists will observe students’ enhanced communication and storytelling abilities. Empowerment: Students will report greater confidence to share their stories and advocate for themselves and others. Community Engagement: Students will identify stronger connections with the community through interactive storytelling.

Each partner organization has a distinct and crucial role. Young & Healthy spearheads the project, providing expertise in trauma-informed care and mental health support, coordinating the overall program, ensuring students have access to necessary resources and professionals. Boston Court Theatre offers its arts education expertise, facilitating drama therapy, creative writing, and performance art sessions. They help students transform their trauma into expressive storytelling and performances. PUSD identifies and enrolls high school students to participate in the program, integrating it into the educational framework and providing ongoing support. Together, the organizations create a comprehensive, supportive environment that fosters emotional resilience and community building among youth.