Wendy Ellis is the Project Director of the Building Community Resilience collaborative at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. The collaborative is testing and implementing a model based on her research in designing a strategic process for child health systems to align resources, programs and initiatives with community-based partners to address adverse childhood experiences and adverse community environments. The strengths-based approach is aimed at building the infrastructure to promote resilience in vulnerable communities by improving access to supports and buffers that help individuals and communities thrive
Building Community Resilience is done by bringing multiple entities together, from a variety of systems, to address the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). The purpose of creating these collaborative groups is to build networks that will improve child and family well-being, and also to create well-being for the communities they live in that may be facing adverse events such as poverty, pollution, and lack of resources.
Connecting organizations – like Alliance members and community organizations, along with larger systems such as child welfare, health care, education, juvenile justice, and law enforcement – creates a powerful community network that can advance changes we need.
The advantage for the Alliance is that every member touches children who have had adverse experiences and trauma in their lives. Your programs create child well-being in many ways. Being part of this system to Build Community Resilience is a natural fit that will generate benefits for your mission and generate the outcomes you want.
The BCR project is a George Washington University led national collaborative focused on improving the health of children, families, and communities. Oregon, through Trillium Family Services, is one of only 5 locations in the country who are supported by GWU research, resources and a grant. The Alliance now has an opportunity to become a significant part of this project!
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