INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 2, 2020 – A new training is now being offered at Eskenazi Health that is aimed at equipping community professionals with skills proven to aid in alleviating trauma and secondary trauma. The need for such skills have been heightened recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In partnership with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), the Hoosier Heartland Healing Collaborative was announced in September 2020 and is funded, in part, by the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.

Participation in this important and impactful training program are now available for free to engage everyone in the community through workshop groups. These groups are available for individuals who need assistance with coping with stress and anxiety, brought on by trauma. Professional organizations and community groups are also encouraged to provide these group workshops for their constituencies.

The program consists of two parts for trainees. Individuals will first go through the Professional Training Program and then follow that up with the Advanced Training Program. After the two-part training, individuals will be able provide people who are struggling with stress, anxiety and depression with instruction in basic stress- and trauma-relief services through mind-body skills groups, self-care workshops and in other appropriate settings.

Over the past decade, residents of Indianapolis have experienced substantial challenges related to violence and addiction. Where violence and addiction are present, the consequences ripple throughout the community resulting in chronic, multi-generational trauma. Systems of support – health care providers, corrections staff, educators, faith leaders and other community leaders – often find themselves in a position where they lack the skills to work through their own secondary and personal traumas, leaving them at risk for many of the same challenges faced by their patients, clients, students and parishioners. Using CMBM’s evidence-based model, the HHHC will teach participants how to use self-care and group support as tools for stress- and trauma-relief along with how to build resilience. The program is available to local partners from heath care, education, corrections, religious institutions and other nonprofit community organizations.

To request to participate in one of the community groups or to arrange for one of these offerings to be presented to you or your organization, please contact Megan Hider, Eskenazi Health Mind-Body Program supervisor, at megan.hider@eskenazihealth.edu. More information on the program can be found at: https://www.eskenazihealth.edu/programs/hoosier-heartland-healing-collaborative.

Hoosier Heartland Healing Collaborative is being made possible, in part, through a grant from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation. Herbert Simon Family Foundation is a private non-operating foundation. Established in 1999, the foundation has been providing support for organizations in hopes of creating more equitable, sustainable and vibrant communities with an emphasis on Central Indiana. In 2011, Herbert Simon Family Foundation expanded its board to include the second generation of the family and engaged CICF’s philanthropic services, including strategic charitable advising and grant-making counsel. The foundation provides grants in Central Indiana in the areas of: Arts & Culture, Basic Needs, Environment, and Social Justice.

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CONTACT: Tom Surber
Phone: 317.880.4793
Cell: 317.402.9327
Email: thomas.surber@eskenazihealth.edu