University of Minnesota
Report date
June 2017
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
Promoting self-awareness and self-care
Self-reflection and self-care were central parts of the learning that Trauma Recovery Project participants engaged in and the ongoing personal and community healing strategies that they pursued. The importance of addressing one’s own trauma and healing in order to to be effective in helping others was part of each Work Groups’ conversations. Learning and sharing strategies for self-care was formally (through events and trainings) or informally (in their own lives and in group norms) embraced as central to healing. At the 2016 Ripple Effect Mapping activity, several TRP members discussed the painful process of deepening self-reflection and facing their own trauma over the course of the project. One person observed that “putting it all on the table allows you to be alone with your thoughts without the need to self-medicate.” Others pointed to the difficulty of “facing,” “owning,” and “standing in” one’s own truth, which means “you are not looking at what other people are doing, you are looking at yourself.” These powerful, profound reflections provide a glimpse into the very personal transformations these individuals have begun together.
Self-reflection and self-care were central parts of the learning that Trauma Recovery Project participants engaged in and the ongoing personal and community healing strategies that they pursued. The importance of addressing one’s own trauma and healing in order to to be effective in helping others was part of each Work Groups’ conversations. Learning and sharing strategies for self-care was formally (through events and trainings) or informally (in their own lives and in group norms) embraced as central to healing. At the 2016 Ripple Effect Mapping activity, several TRP members discussed the painful process of deepening self-reflection and facing their own trauma over the course of the project. One person observed that “putting it all on the table allows you to be alone with your thoughts without the need to self-medicate.” Others pointed to the difficulty of “facing,” “owning,” and “standing in” one’s own truth, which means “you are not looking at what other people are doing, you are looking at yourself.” These powerful, profound reflections provide a glimpse into the very personal transformations these individuals have begun together.
Building on existing community resources and assets
Setting out to build on what was already happening in North Minneapolis rather than to create something new, the TRP took shape through relationships and connections to community elders and leaders of key organizations. UROC-TRP members guided groups to self-reflection, surfacing existing knowledge in the group, and “widening the table” to include additional perspectives as they shaped their path forward. This was also a pragmatic choice, given the lack of time and money available. For many groups, this was a long and uncertain process of sharing their knowledge and experiences, discussing what was and was not being done, and creating strategies to end trauma and promote healing. In addition, the UROC-organized trainings invested in the people connected to the TRP and provided decentralized and neutral ways for them to interact. Finally, TRP members leveraged their skills, relationships, resources, and time to respond in myriad ways to the urgency of the Jamar Clark shooting and its aftermath. These responses took place via existing connections in the community and mobilized “many pathways to healing.”
Setting out to build on what was already happening in North Minneapolis rather than to create something new, the TRP took shape through relationships and connections to community elders and leaders of key organizations. UROC-TRP members guided groups to self-reflection, surfacing existing knowledge in the group, and “widening the table” to include additional perspectives as they shaped their path forward. This was also a pragmatic choice, given the lack of time and money available. For many groups, this was a long and uncertain process of sharing their knowledge and experiences, discussing what was and was not being done, and creating strategies to end trauma and promote healing. In addition, the UROC-organized trainings invested in the people connected to the TRP and provided decentralized and neutral ways for them to interact. Finally, TRP members leveraged their skills, relationships, resources, and time to respond in myriad ways to the urgency of the Jamar Clark shooting and its aftermath. These responses took place via existing connections in the community and mobilized “many pathways to healing.”
Forming connections
Participants brought to each of the shared learning spaces their own personal and professional connections that they looped in or leveraged in the TRP process. For the Culture, Families and Learning work group, forming connections with Northside elders created a foundation upon which they built and expanded their circles approach. The Faith Leaders leveraged their connections to provide trauma-informed training content, to deliver those trainings broadly, and to begin conversations in their own and other faith communities. The Practioners work group’s convenings provided a place for connection and sharing of healing strategies across institutions including corrections, state offices, faith communities and behavioral health practitioners. The work group focused its efforts on leveraging the knowledge shared at these events for broader use (i.e. videos) and to shape healing strategies (i.e. Psychological First Aid) that relied on connections within and beyond the TRP. Importantly, work group members seemed more comfortable forming connections individually and on their own terms rather than in large-group settings.
Participants brought to each of the shared learning spaces their own personal and professional connections that they looped in or leveraged in the TRP process. For the Culture, Families and Learning work group, forming connections with Northside elders created a foundation upon which they built and expanded their circles approach. The Faith Leaders leveraged their connections to provide trauma-informed training content, to deliver those trainings broadly, and to begin conversations in their own and other faith communities. The Practioners work group’s convenings provided a place for connection and sharing of healing strategies across institutions including corrections, state offices, faith communities and behavioral health practitioners. The work group focused its efforts on leveraging the knowledge shared at these events for broader use (i.e. videos) and to shape healing strategies (i.e. Psychological First Aid) that relied on connections within and beyond the TRP. Importantly, work group members seemed more comfortable forming connections individually and on their own terms rather than in large-group settings.
Key lessons learned
Invest in a process and communication infrastructure to support work groups and facilitate documentation
For UROC to maximize its role as a convener of participatory processes and to fulfill its needs for documentation, additional process and communication infrastructure are needed. Communicating about process--particularly organic, contextually situated, and deep process--is inherently difficult. However, UROC and its partners have already utilized many forms of facilitated dialogues that serve to both guide and capture collaborative conversations. In entering into projects and partnerships, UROC could have at its disposal a facilitation and synthesis toolbox that includes numerous experienced facilitators (i.e. World Cafe, TOPS facilitation, ripple effect mapping, visual arts, listening circles, or truth telling circles). Over time, with experience, and/or drawing upon partners’ recommendations and preferences, this toolbox could be expanded to include strategies that are responsive to a range of cultures, groups, and organizations.
For UROC to maximize its role as a convener of participatory processes and to fulfill its needs for documentation, additional process and communication infrastructure are needed. Communicating about process--particularly organic, contextually situated, and deep process--is inherently difficult. However, UROC and its partners have already utilized many forms of facilitated dialogues that serve to both guide and capture collaborative conversations. In entering into projects and partnerships, UROC could have at its disposal a facilitation and synthesis toolbox that includes numerous experienced facilitators (i.e. World Cafe, TOPS facilitation, ripple effect mapping, visual arts, listening circles, or truth telling circles). Over time, with experience, and/or drawing upon partners’ recommendations and preferences, this toolbox could be expanded to include strategies that are responsive to a range of cultures, groups, and organizations.
Begin with trust building
Process cannot compensate for a lack of trust. Several TRP members acknowledged the lack of trust as inhibiting the process. While trust within work groups certainly developed and some relationships between members of different work groups formed, trust across the groups was slow to develop or not realized. Each of the work groups had insights or ideas about trust and collaboration. Walking through the Map for Group Process, the Faith Leaders asserted that all knowledge is equally valuable and they raised questions about how conflict would be dealt with--important starting points for ground rules. The Researchers work group had a wealth of insights on trust building, namely that trust is a relationship and cannot be transferred from person to institution. A Behavioral Health Practitioner recalled that participating in a facilitated group conversation about each participant’s motives and interests as well as assumptions about others in the group had been a trust building exercise in another project and called for an intentional and collaborative process of shaping the project’s mission and vision from the outset.
Process cannot compensate for a lack of trust. Several TRP members acknowledged the lack of trust as inhibiting the process. While trust within work groups certainly developed and some relationships between members of different work groups formed, trust across the groups was slow to develop or not realized. Each of the work groups had insights or ideas about trust and collaboration. Walking through the Map for Group Process, the Faith Leaders asserted that all knowledge is equally valuable and they raised questions about how conflict would be dealt with--important starting points for ground rules. The Researchers work group had a wealth of insights on trust building, namely that trust is a relationship and cannot be transferred from person to institution. A Behavioral Health Practitioner recalled that participating in a facilitated group conversation about each participant’s motives and interests as well as assumptions about others in the group had been a trust building exercise in another project and called for an intentional and collaborative process of shaping the project’s mission and vision from the outset.
Readiness to partner on research
Hopes for collaborative research were initially set aside as the Researchers' work group doubled down on trust building and worked toward making their own research practices more trauma-informed. The later connection in which the Researchers used their mini-grant to help validate Kente Circle's (BHP) practice model was an important sign of readiness to partner on research. The Youth Participatory Action Research Projects did involve community-university partnerships that developed prior to and during each project. Collaborative conversations, research, and writing about the TRP and its parts could offer valuable learning, contributions, and deepened partnerships.
Hopes for collaborative research were initially set aside as the Researchers' work group doubled down on trust building and worked toward making their own research practices more trauma-informed. The later connection in which the Researchers used their mini-grant to help validate Kente Circle's (BHP) practice model was an important sign of readiness to partner on research. The Youth Participatory Action Research Projects did involve community-university partnerships that developed prior to and during each project. Collaborative conversations, research, and writing about the TRP and its parts could offer valuable learning, contributions, and deepened partnerships.
Reflections on the community innovation process
The TRP has been a large undertaking with multiple partnerships and layers. The positioning of the project onto the innovation map is different for each layer. Within each of the TRP groups, the community process was very successful working as defined in the diagram through inclusive, collaborative, and resourceful pieces of the process. There has been an increase in collective understanding, a generation of ideas, and for some groups a testing and implementation of solutions. These groups include the faith leaders, practitioners, and YPAR research. The solutions to working with trauma in different community settings (churches, schools, the neighborhood) have changed. We do not yet know the outcome for community. What we were not able to innovate was at the layer of work across groups. We learned this collaboration is more complicated. Specifically, not “all partners were willing to share ownership and decision making as they pursue an innovation together.” This was a surprise, but did keep the process from working at the top layer of innovation. The innovations for the TRP can best be stated as a process that has led to a sustainable effort and accessible dissemination.
Progress toward an innovation
Many Pathways to Healing
In the spring and summer of 2016, work groups deepened their efforts to utilize the tools at their disposal to address trauma. The grant funds, in combination with additional work group clarity about their roles and goals, professional development opportunities, and the immediacy of the Jamar Clark shooting drove the work forward. Professional development trainings on navigating intercultural conflict styles and practical techniques for self-care were well-attended. Furthermore, an overall TRP evaluation method called Ripple-Effect Mapping (REM) brought work group members together in March of 2016 to share key highlights, connections, learnings, and challenges they experienced through the process. The REM exercise surfaced learning, fostered connections across work groups, and gave some participants a better sense of how their work related to the broader TRP. Each work group focused on building more trauma-informed citizens/lay people and fostering healing first for oneself and then with others. The approach that each group took was the innovation and each group has carried that through in their healing strategies.
In the spring and summer of 2016, work groups deepened their efforts to utilize the tools at their disposal to address trauma. The grant funds, in combination with additional work group clarity about their roles and goals, professional development opportunities, and the immediacy of the Jamar Clark shooting drove the work forward. Professional development trainings on navigating intercultural conflict styles and practical techniques for self-care were well-attended. Furthermore, an overall TRP evaluation method called Ripple-Effect Mapping (REM) brought work group members together in March of 2016 to share key highlights, connections, learnings, and challenges they experienced through the process. The REM exercise surfaced learning, fostered connections across work groups, and gave some participants a better sense of how their work related to the broader TRP. Each work group focused on building more trauma-informed citizens/lay people and fostering healing first for oneself and then with others. The approach that each group took was the innovation and each group has carried that through in their healing strategies.
What it will take to reach an innovation?
NA
What's next?
Four clear initiatives within the three stakeholder groups with an identified lead organization continue to reduce trauma and practice multiple paths to healing. The Behavior Health Practitioners (NorthPoint Health & Wellness), continue their efforts to develop a community care response team. Members will undergo additional training throughout two-year commitment. The Faith Leaders (Proverbs Christian Fellowship) are focusing efforts to address youth trauma by sharing tools to prevent and reduce the impact of youth violence and equip youth to be agents of change in their lives. The Culture, Family and Learning work group (Cultural Wellness Center), hosts weekly healing circles, offering a space to address pain and resurface healing practices and rituals. The North Star project (Liberty Church) engaged Northside residents in community visioning around wellness and over the next year will analyze data and draft next steps. UROC has shared the work of the TRP to contribute to the Resilience in Communities After Stress & Trauma (ReCast) strategic plan. The work of the TRP stakeholder groups will move forward in coordination with this new City of Minneapolis initiative.
If you could do it all over again...
Even before the grant period, the TRP used an organic engagement process, guided by the work groups, with less emphasis on a structure and framework from UROC. Establishing a more robust communication infrastructure between work groups would have been beneficial to establishing a foundation of understanding and trust. The grant-funded trainings were an asset that provided a safe place to build trust by being with one another and learning together. Creating more common metrics across groups to track progress, challenges, and learnings, along with a commitment to come together, would allow the learnings to be more comprehensive. More leads within groups and UROC staff would help with attrition and make a clearer connection of learnings for community, academic and funding audiences. Having the AmeriCorps VISTAs was crucial to TRP’s success. Holding a more explicit and intentional discussion about self-interest and positional, institutional, religious, and financial power may have facilitated trust building. Thankfully, continued interactions and communication over time enabled the groups to build trust and to lift up different ways of knowing.
One last thought
The TRP relied on bold and dangerous conversations to break down barriers in order to forge authentic connections. It demanded self study, required self awareness, and challenged faith leaders, health practitioners, University researchers and community members to seek out alliances, pursue connections, and initiate difficult conversations. As much process as project, the Trauma Recovery Project followed an unpredictable, yet transformative path that rewarded its participants with a trauma-informed lens through which they do their work. It also offers a new model of how academic faculty and staff can work with communities on issues of complexity and sensitivity toward mutually beneficial goals. The complete story of the Trauma Recovery Project is documented in the attached Pathways to Healing: The University of Minnesota Urban Research Outreach-Engagement Center’s Trauma Recovery Project Report report.