Our growing knowledge about the effects of trauma on young people’s behavior and coping skills is transforming the field of juvenile justice. The link between exposure to trauma and subsequent system-involvement is so strong that it has set into motion new interventions for vulnerable young people considered at-risk of arrest. “Trauma-informed” care is now an accepted and widely used term for injecting this knowledge into mental health, rehabilitative, and educational treatments.
Yet, despite the growing use of this knowledge base by adults, young people themselves are often wholly unaware of what trauma looks and feels like in themselves or in their friends. Many have no idea when or how their fear, confusion, or sense of powerlessness gets activated, or what to do when it does. Rather, their hyper-vigilance and “fight or flight” impulses can put them in extreme jeopardy when dealing with authority figures, particularly officers, who frequently misinterpret these traumatic responses as belligerence, hostility, and intentional disrespect. This creates a toxic dynamic between law enforcement and young people that can quickly escalate into use of force and arrest.
To discuss game versions, prices and packages contact us at:
info@strategiesforyouth.org
or 617.714.3789
Our teens really enjoyed the game, and already mentioned how they will carry what they learned over to their everyday lives. They really internalized the information.
SFY trains agencies with trauma-informed and trauma-responsive social workers and other mental health providers to facilitate and lead Trauma Jeopardy games with groups youth. Training includes strategies and resources to support youth responses. Game leaders are provided with a Game Leader Guide and materials to distribute to youth during the game.
Our ultimate goal is to equip young people with the self-awareness and coping strategies they need to avoid unnecessary engagement with the justice system. Each suite of games focuses on:
Morgan Stanley named SFY a recipient of its 2023 Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Award for our trauma-focused Jeopardy games. One of only five organizations selected out of 700 applicants from across the country, SFY will receive multi-year support to launch and implement both programs.
Through its engaging and popular game format, SFY will empower youth in schools, detention centers and community-based programs to recognize trauma and ultimately develop healthy coping strategies to disrupt the “trauma to prison” pipeline.
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