Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating the Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma program: Amplifying and Empowering Youth and Community Voice in the City of Lawrenceville

Abstract Information: In May 2020, following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, youth and residents of Lawrenceville, GA protested and demanded action. City leaders convened conversations with youth organizers who expressed a desire to learn how they can engage in their community and partner with law enforcement and city leaders to affect change. From these discussions and data describing the needs for improved access to behavioral health care, social services and workforce opportunities for youth and their families, the City of Lawrenceville convened key partners with expertise in these areas and together, they designed programs that supported the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) initiative. The ReCAST program aims to increase civic engagement among youth, improve youth and community relations with law enforcement and city leaders, incorporate and demonstrate a commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and equity (DEI) practices and policies in city government, and build community resilience. To achieve these goals, the city partnered with Impact46 whose mission is to help cities connect with key stakeholders to implement people-centered programs to build resiliency, Families First, who strives to strengthen families through social support and behavioral health services, and the Georgia Center for Opportunity whose work aims to lift individuals and families out of poverty through workforce readiness initiatives. To empower youth voices, Impact 46 and the city co-created the Lawrenceville Legacy Leaders (L3), an Advisory Council composed of 39 youth ages 14-18. L3 members participate in leadership and DEI training, design, lead, and evaluate activities for youth and residents on mental health and civic engagement and connect with community leaders. L3 members participate in paid internships through Impact46’s Summer of Impact (SOI) program to enhance their skills and connections. Evaluation results suggest that L3 members and SOI participants have gained valuable leadership and workforce skills and feel empowered to engage in their community. To amplify community voices, the city convened an Advisory Board of residents, partners, and staff, and a DEI Council composed of city employees. The Board and Council meet monthly and provide input into program design, implementation, and evaluation. To improve community relations, city employees were trained in implicit bias, and law enforcement officers were trained on restorative justice, effective policing, and trauma-informed services. City leaders, law enforcement officers, and L3 members have held activities focused on strengthening relationships and furthering community voice. Evaluation findings indicate that efforts have improved relations and that youth have learned valuable leadership and civic engagement skills and officers and employees have gained knowledge on how to provide inclusive, trauma-informed services. In this session, panelists (a city representative, I46 staff and L3 youth member and evaluator) will discuss how youth and community voices informed the design of ReCAST, how youth, community members, and city employees are collaborating to improve community relations, and how the evaluation process amplifies participants’ voices and provides data that continually informs implementation. Participants will gain valuable information about designing, implementing and evaluating public-private partnerships addressing social and cultural change.