CHICAGO - The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), through its Office of Mental Health and the Community Safety Coordination Center, is partnering with the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) offer trauma-informed mental health skill-building trainings in communities most impacted by violence.

Chicago often experiences an uptick in violence during the summer, and the impacts of violence extend well beyond the immediate victim to family members, friends, neighbors, and other community members. Efforts to reduce the effects of community violence on individuals include education about the prevalence of toxic stress and protective benefits of strengthening relationships between community members, including youth, impacted by violence and trauma.

These hyper-local trainings, designed to address the root causes of violence, will equip community members and organizations with tools to support those affected by trauma. Participants include street outreach workers, victim services providers, faith leaders, mentoring and youth-serving staff, hospital personnel, community members, Chicago Public Library staff, substance use and mental health providers, domestic violence agencies, educators, Chicago Police Department officers and staff, and community-based organizations.

The program was first launched in 2022, when CDPH and CHJS trained 250 individuals across 10 cohorts. This summer's sessions will leverage the healing benefits of sport and focus on relationship-building, creating psychological safety, and managing stress through sport-based activities.

Participants will learn strategies to build relationships, create trust and psychological safety, and use evidenced-based activities to help manage stress and emotional dysregulation. Each local series of trainings will convene in person for two 3-hour sessions at a location within the community. In addition, a virtual training option is available.

Training Schedule:

• Austin: July 24 & 31, Austin Public Library, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Greater Garfield Park: July 25 & August 1, Garfield Park Conservatory, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Greater Englewood: August 6 & 13, Harper High School, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• Virtual Option: August 8 & 15, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m

For more information or to register, visit our Mental Health Skills Building Trainings page or go to chicago.gov/AllSafe .

About the CDPH Office of Mental Health

The Office of Mental Health works to strengthen Chicago's mental health safety net system and ensure all Chicagoans receive care when and where they need it, regardless of ability to pay, immigration status, or health insurance. It directly operates and funds no-barrier mental health services along the continuum of care and implements large-scale mental health equity initiatives through prevention and promotion.

About the City of Chicago Community Safety Coordination Center

The Community Safety Coordination Center (CSCC) works across City departments to implement a coordinated, community-led approach to address the root causes of community violence. Its work is focused on the people and places most impacted by community violence and includes near- and long-term strategies to create safe spaces, support residents in addressing their individual and family needs, and promote a culture that leads towards community wellness and safety.

About the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport

As a national nonprofit organization, the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) engages with sport at every level. From community centers and juvenile detention facilities to major college athletic conferences and professional leagues, the CHJS team puts a premium on neurobiology research and teaches coaches to deliver healing-centered sport experiences while protecting, nurturing, and embracing athletes for every bit of who they are. Throughout the past several years, CHJS has worked closely with the CSCC to tailor trainings to align with the CSCC's violence reduction strategy.

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