Peace4Tarpon : A Trauma-Informed Community Initiative

What is Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care?

• Trauma can result from experiences of violence; physical, sexual, and institutional abuse; neglect; and disasters that induce powerlessness, fear, recurrent hopelessness, and a constant state of alertness. These experiences can be dehumanizing, shocking or terrifying, singular or multiple compounding events over time, and often include betrayal of a trusted person or institution and a loss of safety. Unresolved trauma becomes a societal issue when victims' lives spiral into situations of substance abuse, incarceration, or homelessness.
• Trauma-Informed Care is based on the understanding that the impact of violent experiences and damaging relationships affects the survivor's physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and ecomonic well-being.

What is Peace4Tarpon?

The City of Tarpon Springs is spearheading a community initiative called Peace4Tarpon that works to address trauma and reduce its impact on the community by making Trauma-Informed resources available to the public:

• An extensive trauma-informed webliography has been prepared by the Behavioral Health Education and Training Academy, which is a County of San Diego Mental Health contracted program of the Academy for Professional Excellence, a project of the San Diego State University School of Social Work. [Click here to download list]
• The Tarpon Springs Public Library has prepared a brochure of Trauma-Informed Community Resources containing an annotated bibliography of recommended books in the library and selected websites on preventing or helping children with difficult or traumatic experiences. [Click here to download brochure]
• DVDs are available that discuss an overview of trauma-informed care. They are available through the Tarpon Springs Library, the Tarpon Springs Human Resources Department, or any City department head.

Peace4Tarpon has partners throughout the city that include local schools, public service organizations, churches, and all departments of the City government. This broad-based support is so unusual for a city, that Mayor David Archie was invited to Washington, DC to present at the federal level what the City of Tarpon Springs is doing.