Building Resilience in our Communities

Enhancing regional quality of life through collective impact and resiliency training for mental health and trauma

Full Project Name:Building Resilience in Our CommunitiesPrimary Community Organization:Great Rivers United WayPrimary Academic Partner:Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, Family MedicineAward Amount:$250,000

Award Date

July2024

Project Duration:24 months

Project Summary:

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly impact health and well-being. ACEs, such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, are linked to higher risks of chronic diseases, mental health disorders, substance abuse, and interpersonal violence later in life.

Working with community health workers and focusing on trauma-informed care and resilience-building strategies, this project will aim to mitigate these adverse effects of ACEs, promote healing, and improve overall health outcomes in western Wisconsin's rural communities.

Partners: La Crosse County Health Science Consortium, Great Rivers United Way-Better Together, Great Rivers United Way-Great Rivers HUB

Project Updates:

Updated the adverse childhood experience (ACEs) protocol for all community health workers (CHWs) within the Great Rivers HUB's network and completed training on how to implement these improvements
Engaged with numerous stakeholders in Trempealeau, Monroe, and Jackson counties and conducted regular meetings
Complete six one-on-one participant interviews with community members to assess community readiness to implement and expand upon this work
Conducted preliminary analysis of interview data, which highlighted a multifaceted and evolving landscape in the area of mental health and trauma within these communities
Identified a total of 4,251 participant needs following CHW screening and successfully addressed 3,490 of those needs thus far