Whether dealing with COVID-19, wildfires, storms, or other disasters, life as we know it has been disrupted in many ways over the past year. With recovery efforts underway, including $4 billion recently allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act to address mental health challenges, suicide, and substance misuse, states and local communities have an opportunity to set the course for healthier and more equitable development in the wake of COVID-19. 

While catastrophic events can create disruptions and contribute to trauma across populations, they often highlight the resilience of communities and can propel leaders to address long-standing inequities magnified by the disruption. This peer learning forum will focus on what equitable recovery looks like in the current context, and how building resilient communities can help prevent suicide and trauma. We will discuss how communities have leveraged existing partnerships, momentum, and strategies to advance change in this moment. We will share examples of steps local municipalities have taken to strengthen their social, physical/built, economic, and educational environments to improve wellbeing and promote health equity. Come prepared to unmute your microphone and interact with other participants!

Download the presentation slides here.

Download the resource list here.

Watch the webinar recording here.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Howard Pinderhughes, Director of the Sociology Doctoral Program at the University of California, San Francisco
  • Deborah A. Moore, Deputy Director, Houston Health Department
  • Sheila Savannah, Managing Director, Prevention Institute 

Objectives:

  • Use the Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience (ACE|R) framework to think about equitable community-level recovery and systems change that supports wellbeing in the long term.
  • Identify actions agencies and organizations have taken before or during periods of disruption such as the COVID-19 pandemic to create protective environments, strengthen economic supports, and advance other suicide and trauma prevention strategies.
  • Discuss what actions are needed moving forward to further community wellbeing, prevent suicide and trauma, and intentionally address racial and other inequities.

This webinar is part of PI’s Adverse Childhood Experiences and Suicide Prevention Rapid Response Training & Tools. Through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention Institute has partnered with the National League of Cities and Dr. Howard Pinderhughes, Director of the Sociology Doctoral Program at the University of California, San Francisco, to offer training and tools to local government and their partners in supporting their communities.
 

This project is supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 6 NU38OT000305-02-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the CDC.