For many of us, the collective trauma of COVID-19 and racial injustice, including the white supremacist, anti-Black murders in Buffalo on May 14th, has greatly impacted our mental health and wellness. Our collective grief, pain, and anger can feel at times like too much to bear. But we know that just as all forms of violence are interconnected, so too must be our response to it. We must remain in solidarity, connected through our humanity, to uproot anti-Blackness.
For Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, we're highlighting the power of connection in nurturing mental wellness. Community connectedness, a social determinant of health, plays a key role in promoting well-being, resilience, and healing from trauma.
"The onus of being resilient is often put on the affected and most underserved, including girls and gender-expansive youth. How can we transform our systems and institutions to shoulder the burden of resiliency and healing so the weight of recovery relies on a better ecosystem of support rather than on the mindsets and habits of our girls?" - Uniting Isolated Voices: Girls and Gender-Expansive Youth During COVID-19
This issue of the PreventIPV newsletter highlights the role of community connection in promoting mental well-being. Resources feature strategies for trauma-informed community building, community care, and healing justice.
