Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Children & Families

Instructors: Arturo Zinny, PhD, MA, LPC, Assistant Clinical Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice

Dates: Monday, June 22-Friday, June 26

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST

Format: In person

Community violence, with gun violence as its most devastating manifestation, is a pervasive public health problem across the US. Black and Latino youth disproportionally experience violence. The resulting mental health consequences, including PTSD and depression, often go untreated, especially among impoverished youth. Untreated mental health challenges related to violence can derail youths' healthy development, often resulting in poor outcomes across settings. Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) were designed to prevent reinjury and retaliation among youth. More recently, HVIPs have shown promising outcomes for improving mental health outcomes for children who experience community violence through the inclusion of trauma-focused evidence-based treatments and peer support services. This course is designed for people interested in learning the fundamentals of violence intervention and potentially pursuing a career in the field.

Learning Objectives:

1) Participants will learn about the prevalence, associated factors, and root causes of community violence (firearm violence) and its devastating consequences for children and families in the US.

2) Participants will learn about the mental health challenges in children associated with violence, PTSD, depression, and disrupted attachments.

3) Participants will learn about evidence-based and promising practices to improve mental health outcomes for children who experience violence.

4) Participants will learn about the different pathways, e.g., practice, research, policy, to careers in the violence prevention and intervention field.

This course is designed for students, community members, and professionals interested in learning the fundamentals of violence intervention and potentially pursuing a career in the field.

Continuing Education Credits*: 1.5 CEU or 15 CPH

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Host or Publisher Drexel Urban Health Collaborative Summer Institute