WS Chronicle

Crossnore Communities for Children is pleased to announce the receipt of a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation for $258,060. This grant will continue to support the efforts of the Center for Trauma Resilient Communities (CTRC) to create a Trauma Resilient Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. CTRC is a division of Crossnore Communities for Children and supports organizations as they embed and embody the science of trauma resilience.

“Creating a trauma-resilient Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is an ongoing process to create a profound paradigm shift in knowledge, perspective, attitudes, and skills that deepens over time,” said Brett Loftis, co-founder of the CTRC. “The Center has been working in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County since the spring of 2020, and this grant award will continue the planning process and knowledge development of trauma resilience here.”

The overall goal of the project is to reduce the occurrences and impact of adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress among young children. The systemic change necessary to do this will require an ongoing process to strengthen organizations, the community, and the impact of systems by integrating trauma resilience into programs, structures, and culture. 

“Becoming trauma-informed and trauma resilient is a process, an ongoing journey. The community and its organizations are constantly under pressure and are part of stressful systems, so becoming trauma resilient needs to become part of daily practices, policies, culture, and climate,” Loftis continued. “We start by creating shared knowledge, shared language, and shared understanding across systems and community because that ensures children and families presenting with significant trauma histories are appropriately and consistently treated and supported at every point of service.”

CTRC will work in partnership with many organizations in the community. CTRC brings a trauma-informed lens to this work providing clarity and consistency for the collective and collaborative work throughout the county. These partnerships will facilitate conversations and create the next steps for creation and implementation of a Trauma Resilient Winston-Salem/Forsyth County.

For more than 100 years, Crossnore Communities for Children has worked to help each child find their way home. Crossnore serves children and families in western North Carolina through foster care and adoptions, outpatient and school-based therapy services, family preservation, and Youth Independent Living. For more information about Crossnore Communities for Children, please visit www.crossnore.org.