Contacts: Tracey Smith
Director of Community Health and Programs, IPHA
tsmith@ipha.com 217-522-5687
Heather Proctor
President, Illinois Light Initiative
heatherjproctor@outlook.com 217-801-4345
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR0301 Trauma Informed Policies Resolution
SPRINGFIELD, IL
June 1, 2021
State Senator Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas, 20th Legislative District, State Senator Doris Turner, 48th Legislative District and The Illinois Light Initiative in conjunction with Illinois Public Health Association, released the following statement on Tuesday:
“As individuals and leaders of Illinois, we understand we must heal to move forward from the current trauma of Covid-19. We recognize that all individuals not only experience trauma from situations such as a pandemic but also because of ongoing social injustice practices.”
“The effects of trauma exposures on humans are detailed in research over the last two decades from the evolving sciences of neuroscience, molecular biology, public health, genomics, and epigenetics revealing that experiences such as a community trauma, individual trauma, and pandemic trauma results in significant impacts at the micro, meso, and macro health system levels.”
“Being trauma informed recognizes the presence of trauma and the role that it plays throughout someone’s life resulting from past traumatic experiences. Trauma is the response a person has to a deeply disturbing or stressful event that affects an individual’s ability to recover and impacts them mentally and/or physically. On an organizational level, being trauma informed changes organizational culture to emphasize respecting and responding to the effects of trauma at all levels in a person’s life, including what experiences or trauma they have had that affects their identity, relationships with others and their world view. Healing in all policies is a must. Community healing will only occur when we acknowledge the historical harms done to individuals.”
“Today marks a historic chapter in advancing our state and improving the physical, mental and emotional health of individuals in Illinois. This resolution allows for Illinois to join 13 other states in declaring itself a Trauma Informed State and to declare itself a Healing Centered State. We call on all individuals and leaders in Illinois to realize that trauma exists and has widespread effects, recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma, and to respond proactively and resist re-traumatization to allow for healing to begin.”
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