Project Summary:
This project builds on STRYV365’s successful pilot of a trauma-informed program, funded by an AHW Seed Grant, aimed at addressing the mental health needs of youth in under-resourced Wisconsin communities. The relationship between trauma, resilience, and mental health is especially pronounced in these communities, where youth face significant stressors such as poverty and limited access to supportive resources.
STRYV365’s approach empowers youth and the adults who support them with trauma-informed strategies to foster long-term positive outcomes and resilience. STRYV365 proposes expanding this program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGC), targeting underserved youth in the greater Milwaukee area.
The project will take a three-pronged approach:
- offering direct services to youth through social-emotional learning (SEL) opportunities,
- providing a train-the-trainer program to equip staff with the tools to support youth, and
- evaluating to measure and share the project’s impact. By embedding SEL into daily activities, the project will give youth the skills to manage adversity and increase access to resilience-building opportunities.
The train-the-trainer component ensures that staff can effectively support youth, creating a sustainable model that extends beyond individual participants to entire communities. This collaboration, involving STRYV365, MCW, and BGC, will ensure that SEL tools reach youth in need, equipping them to break the cycle of trauma and build emotional resilience. The project advances health equity by providing critical mental health support in communities that have been historically underserved. By integrating trauma-informed practices and SEL into the fabric of these organizations, the project creates lasting change and supports positive mental health outcomes for youth. Rigorous evaluation will ensure that lessons learned are applied and potentially replicated across Wisconsin.
Community Partners: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee