Providers are encouraged to adopt a trauma-informed lens and to use knowledge of trauma and its impact when making decisions about all aspects of their relationships with clients and how they run their programs. This is important to do year round, but is heightened during the holiday season because of its many triggers, such as songs, scents, and rituals. There is also pressure to conform to certain familial and social expectations, increased alcohol presence, and more interactions with family and friends. For those experiencing homelessness, the holidays may also remind them of what does not exist in their lives—a home in which to celebrate. This blogpost offers providers tips for recognizing and planning for holiday triggers of trauma.

Despite reduced COVID-19 casualties, the pandemic has substantially impacted social determinants of health. Inadequate housing, unemployment, poor nutrition, and poverty can have lasting impacts on one’s physical and emotional well-being. The Healthcare Association of New York State and the State University of New York at Albany are hosting a monthly Understanding and Eliminating Minority Health Disparities webinar series which examines COVID-19’s impact on racial and ethnic inequities affecting New Yorkers. The next webinar on December 14, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET will discuss the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on social determinants of health and the value of partnering with communities to achieve the most effective interventions.

The Administration for Children and Families will host a webinar on December 13, 2021 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET as part of a series of webinars on topics related to implementation and coordination of early childhood programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This webinar supports participants in learning about approaches to building and improving facilities for early care and education in tribal communities. During the webinar, participants will hear an overview of issues related to building and improving facilities for early care and education, followed by a panel highlighting innovations and promising practices being implemented in tribal communities. Participants will discuss highlighted strategies with peers and hear about resources they can use in their own communities and programs.

The Dibble Institute will host a webinar on December 8, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET to introduce the Me & My Emotions website. Me & My Emotions supports teens’ social-emotional learning while increasing their resilience. Webinar objectives include supporting participants to understand who Me & My Emotions will benefit and ways to promote it; how the website is organized and what content is covered; and how Me & My Emotions can support teens individually as well as in classrooms and youth organizations.

The Urban Institute will host a webinar on December 14, 2021 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, which will discuss how to better understand the strengths of rural communities and to leverage their assets. The webinar will begin with remarks by Xochitl Torres Small, Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, followed by a demonstration of a new typology and dashboard with national data on rural census tracts and peer groups that support asset-based rural investments and capacity building. After the demonstration, a panel of rural stakeholders will discuss the opportunities and challenges of identifying rural assets and using an asset-based investment framework.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the YouthBuild program. The program funds organizations to provide a pre-apprenticeship program model that encompasses education, occupational skills training, leadership development, and high-quality post-program placement opportunities to opportunity youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who left high school prior to graduation and also have other risk factors. The YouthBuild program simultaneously addresses multiple core issues important to youth in low-income communities: affordable housing, leadership development, education, and employment opportunities in in-demand industries and apprenticeship pathways. Applications are due by January 21, 2022.

The National Association of Social Workers will host a webinar on November 30, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET with a focus on the emotional wellness of students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other trauma experiences. The discussion will include the presentation of analogies to help students learn to cope with issues of loss and grief, as well as school-wide activities that promote traumatic growth and resiliency. Participation in the webinar counts for one continuing education credit within the Social Work Online Continuing Education Institute. A participation fee is required.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is accepting applications for grants for the Domestic Violence Prevention (DVP) program. This IHS grant supports development and expansion of DVP programs by incorporating prevention efforts that address social, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of victims. The grants facilitate integration of culturally appropriate practices and trauma-informed services for tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations (UIO) serving the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. This IHS program promotes prevention efforts that address domestic and sexual violence, including sexual exploitation/human trafficking, Missing and Murdered AI/AN people, and child maltreatment. Applications are due by February 2, 2022.

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), the Alliance National Parent Partnership Council (ANPPC), and the Children's Trust Fund Alliance will host a networking webinar on November 11, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. ET to share resources developed by and for parents. This webinar will include a discussion from ANPPC, which has developed a series of parent-to-parent infographics that share strategies on how they use strength-based protective factors in their everyday lives and how parent groups have defined the protective factors. In addition, the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance will discuss the Alliance Resiliency Project, a flexible funding model to support families during the pandemic, and CSSP will present new resources and opportunities related to Strengthening Families.