More than ever, people are talking about trauma, but not enough about trauma healing. Far too many are still unaware or left out of the conversation. And the people leading the conversation are generally not those healing, and helping others heal from trauma.
The OUR WORDS HEAL was designed to change this, and offer a space that allows everyone to share and learn about how sustained traumatic stress impacts our communities, bodies, minds and spirits.
Most importantly, we want to celebrate and honor how we heal.
How We Got Started
The campaign started with Drs. John Rich and Ted Corbin, both pioneers in healing the trauma wounds of young victims of violence in oppressed, underserved communities.
Fundamental to this work has been to change the conversation around violence—from one focused on trauma and criminal justice to one focused on healing and social justice.
Dr. Ted Corbin is a practicing emergency room physician and the co-director for the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice. He is also a professor and Chairperson of the Department of Emergency Medicine at RUSH Medical College. Additionally, he is an award winning physician and a contributor to conversations about post-traumatic stress among young survivors of violence.
Dr. John Rich is a professor of health management and policy and co-director for the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the Dornsife School of Public Health at Drexel University. He is also the director of the RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity in Chicago, a MacArthur Fellow, published author and frequent contributor to the conversation around sustained trauma resulting from violence in underserved Black and Brown communities.
Join and help shape our conversation.
Across the city, people and organizations have been embracing and partnering with our campaign as we seek to: amplify community voices and first-person stories; ask thoughtful, thought-provoking questions; and seek to inform and affirm trauma healing in Philadelphia’s oppressed communities of color.
LEAD SPONSOR:
THE CENTER FOR NONVIOLENCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Changing the narrative about young people who survive violence.
We work to promote health, nonviolence and social justice through trauma informed practice, research, professional development, and advocacy for policy change. Our flagship program is Healing Hurt People, an innovative, hospital-based intervention designed to heal the wounds of trauma in young victims of urban violence.
PARTNER SPONSOR:
THE HIVE AT SPRING POINT
Empowering young people to unleash their potential.
This life-saving conversation on trauma healing is funded by The HIVE at Spring Point.
PARTNER SPONSOR:
PHILADELPHIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Protecting and promoting the health of all Philadelphians.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health and Our Words Heal are partnering on a series of neighborhood-based messages around trauma healing and reduction of gun violence. Learn more about their work here.
PARTNER AGENCY:
MIGHTY ENGINE
For an idea to change the world, it first must be heard and understood.
The strategists, designers and developers at Mighty Engine are committed to advancing vital causes through collective impact and systemic change. Their psychological, culturally-competent approaches fuel novel community-led solutions.