MOBILE — Educators, law enforcement professionals and community organizations recently came together for the USA Health Center for Healthy Communities’ Building Safer Spaces Workshop, a three-hour interactive training focused on restorative justice and trauma-informed care.
The workshop was part of the Building Safer Communities Collaborative, an initiative funded through a grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The program serves youth referred through the Strickland Youth Center who are on informal probation, pairing them with community health workers who identify their needs, connect them and their families with services, and develop individualized plans aimed at long-term success.
Lynette Parker, a research manager for the Center for Healthy Communities and an experienced restorative conferencing facilitator and trainer, led the restorative justice portion of the training. Participants learned principles centered on repairing harm, accountability and giving people affected by wrongdoing an active role in resolving conflict. They also practiced a restorative process known as the Restorative Circle, which encourages dialogue, understanding and collaborative problem-solving.
“I’ve seen the relief, validation and healing that someone who has been harmed by a criminal act can experience when they have the opportunity to tell their story, see the understanding from the one who caused that harm, and have a voice in how they want to move forward,” Parker said.
One of the collaborative’s central goals is building a trauma-informed network of stakeholders who can help keep youth at high risk of victimization or gun violence involvement safe. Attendees included representatives from community-based organizations, Williamson High School, LeFlore High School and the Mobile Police Department.
“All of society has a role to play in helping youth feel safe,” Parker said. “The program partners with local community organizations to provide volunteer and prosocial experiences for the justice-involved youth in the program.”
The workshop also featured trauma-informed care training led by the Center’s Community Health Worker team, teaching participants strategies for recognizing the effects of trauma and responding in ways that foster safety, trust and resilience.
Parker said justice-involved youth may have experienced violence, family instability, food or housing insecurity, and other challenges that can affect their ability to cope and self-regulate. “They express the need for safe places where people help them process what they are experiencing and guide them to recognizing their truths,” she said.
Through the Building Safer Communities Collaborative, community health workers continue building those safe spaces while connecting youth and families with resources aimed at strengthening relationships, building conflict-resolution skills and addressing social needs.