Clara works alongside medical and nursing staff in the Stroger Hospital Trauma Unit and assists patients and families as they arrive newly injured – helping with immediate needs and providing support for coping with trauma.
Antonio talks about what inspired him to do the work he does and the importance of establishing safety in order for participants to begin healing from their traumatic experiences.
DJ’s injury from gun violence left him with a spinal cord injury and confined to a wheelchair. DJ worked with HHPC Trauma Intervention Specialist, Jennifer Duran, who helped him recover physically and emotionally as well as adjust to the new challenges and life set ahead of him. (Opening and closing music written and performed by Darryll Ballard, Jr.)
Dantrell is an HHPC graduate, and currently a SELF group leader for the program. He talks about HHPC and the Project Fire program that offers a safe space for the participants to hang out with each other and a creative resource for healing and self-expression. (Opening and closing music written and performed by Dantrell Blake.)
Deshon talks about how HHPC helped him overcome his desire to get revenge on the person who injured him, and how the program helped him achieve goals he had never previously thought were possible.
Carol explains the origins of Healing Hurt People Chicago and what makes the program different than other violence intervention programs. She also explains the SELF model – therapeutic tools for healing from the emotional trauma that often comes with violent injury.
Healing Hurt People Chicago (HHPC) is a hospital-based violence intervention program that helps people impacted by gun violence recover from trauma and provides medical advocacy for patients. Through trauma-informed care, Healing Hurt People Chicago helps to equip participants with tools to heal and move forward positively in their lives.
As a former HHPC Trauma Intervention Specialist Tre provided trauma-informed care to violently injured patients who came in through Stroger Hospital. He reflects on families and participants in their communities and the broader issues of community violence.
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