Buffalo, NY - On March 4th, 2016 over 90 community leaders from across the 8 counties of Western New York (WNY) met to discuss the need for trauma-informed legislation and policies in New York State. Organized by a team of fellows from the WNY Health Foundation, the event drew a diverse crowd with participants from a wide cross-section of professions, including educators, police officers, behavioral health professionals, medical providers, and legislators.
The morning began with a brief introduction to trauma-informed care and this history of trauma-informed care initiatives in WNY followed by a panel discussion. Panelists included experts in medicine, social services, and law enforcement, as well as a community member who has personal experience interacting with helping professionals. Each panelist discussed the impact that trauma has on the community and on specialized systems of care. They highlighted the need for trauma education and a comprehensive trauma-informed response both within and between systems of care. All participants were provided with an educational packet about trauma-informed care that was developed by the team of fellows, including a trauma-informed care white paper and a sample list of trauma-informed policies and initiatives from across the country. After the panel discussion, participants brainstormed in small groups about trauma-informed policies and legislation they want to see enacted throughout NY. The conversations were lively and generated over 100 original ideas of trauma-informed policies. People left the event excited and energized for next steps.
The fellows, in collaboration with the Trauma-Informed Community Initiative of WNY (TICIWNY), plan to harness the momentum generated during this event and move forward on formulating and passing local trauma-informed legislation and policies. Due to the energy of this policy briefing, TICIWNY has a newly established legislative committee that will be meeting for the first time in the April.
Attached are a copy of the white paper created by the WNY Health Foundation fellows team and a list of sample TIC policies and initiatives.
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