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Trauma-Informed & Healing-Centered Practice Through the Arts Guidebook

How might the arts and arts education sectors join efforts to advance the healing and transformation of students and communities?

The Trauma-Informed and Healing-Centered Through the Arts Guidebook, was designed to provide arts partner organizations and teaching artists with sector-wide assistance, thought partnership, and capacity building in understanding, implementing, and advancing trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches and competencies into organizational and programmatic practice.

Through a series of video trainings, guiding questions, recommendations, assessments, and a myriad of additional tools and resources, this course guidebook will share replicable strategies for sustained practice, change, and transformation for healing in and through the arts.
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Why join!? Learn from our collaborators about why this project is important.

Guidebook Collaborators

Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative

The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a broad range of multi-sectoral stakeholders committed to expanding the understanding of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their impact on the health and well-being of Illinois children, families, communities, and systems. 

Illinois Collaboration on Youth

Since 2009, ICOY has provided technical assistance and training to youth service providers, clinicians, and community programs throughout Illinois. We have adopted a public health approach to our trauma-informed education and training to strengthen youth-serving organizations’ trauma-informed capacity, working directly with hundreds of agencies and communities to build and sustain trauma-informed policy, practice, and culture.

Chicago Growth Mindset

Chicago Growth Mindset (CGM) creates the opportunities for people to cope with life’s demands by providing comprehensive Mental Health services to individuals, families and building positive workplace cultures in professional settings. CGM staff are diverse in background and thought, a bilingual group of experienced and caring mental health professionals with a broad range of affordable counseling services that address the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. Our vision is a society where everyone can achieve mental wellness with dignity, respect and where emotional wellbeing is the foundation of a healthy community.

Institute for Therapy Through the Arts

Institute for Therapy through the Arts provides creative solutions to life’s challenges whether they be emotional, physical or neurological. Creative Arts Therapy is the clinical use of expressive art forms by a credentialed professional to promote optimal functioning of one’s physical and emotional health. People of all ages can benefit from our therapies including those with developmental challenges, Autism, mental illness, emotional distress, neurological disorders and histories of trauma.

Learning Objectives

Recognize the importance of implementing trauma-informed and healing centered practices and principles 

 Implement trauma-informed and healing-centered principles into pedagogy and practice

Understand the role of the arts, arts organizations, and arts educators in addressing, mitigating, and preventing trauma and promoting healing, resilience and thriving

Discuss with others and participate in our online forum, share thoughts and ideas, and increase connection with other learners

Interpret and draw connections among strategies and arts-specific ideas to integrating and implementing trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches