Advocacy

Dr. Tara Gill Discusses Unseen Effects of Chicago Violence on WTTW's Chicago Tonight

On March 30th, 2017, WTTW's Eddie Arruza took a closer look at the lingering mental health effects resulting from chronic trauma and violence with a leading panel of experts which included Dr. Tara Gill, a clinical psychologist Lurie Children's Center for Childhood Resilience.

Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act of 2017 Is Introduced

On Wednesday, March 29th, 2017,  Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Danny Davis introduced the Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act of 2017. This new bill will improve training and coordination so that more children who have experienced trauma are identified and supported with the right care. To learn more about this new bill and how you can get involved, please read the latest in the Chicago Sun Times.
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Chicago Tribune Speaks with Dr. Cicchetti About New Trauma Legislation​ 

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New legislation supported by Illinois members of Congress and Dr. Colleen Cicchetti and aimed at helping identify and aid children who have experienced trauma was introduced Sunday, March 19th, 2017 at a press conference held at the University of Chicago. The Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act would create a federal task force and expand Medicaid coverage for child trauma services, while increasing mental health care in schools. Visit our Facebook page for photos from Sunday's event. 

You Are Not Alone: Supporting Dreamers and Families of Undocumented Status​

On January 24th, 2017, CCR hosted a live Facebook event addressing the potential repeal of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), including a Q&A session with a panel of experts. Mental health and legal resources were discussed and included in the presentation. Watch the presentation and download the PowerPoint presentation on our YNA resources page

We encourage people to reach out to affected youth and families and let them know they are not alone and that there is still a movement to safeguard their rights. In addition, for undocumented youth at this time, it is important to validate their concerns, noting that threats made to immigrant rights are serious, and to refrain from making promises we cannot guarantee. However, we want to remind them of the slow speed of political processes, the debate and discourse that will ensue with political and community groups championing immigrant rights, and the uncertainty about how repealing an executive order will translate into actual enforcement of immigration policies.

Congressional Briefing: Public Policies to Improve Coordination, Prevention, and Response to Childhood Trauma

On Thursday, December 1, 2016, Dr. Colleen Cicchetti, childhood trauma prevention expert, participated in a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., hosted by U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Dick Durbin entitled, "Addressing Childhood Trauma: Public Policies to Improve Coordination, Prevention, and Response Congressional Briefing."