On Wednesday, August 2nd, the Peace and Justice Institute's Resilience Network hosted a Why PACEs Matter training for the Office of the Public Defender, 9th Circuit, as part of an ongoing initiative to improve criminal justice and public safety responses in the Central Florida Community.
The audience was made up 120 participants, including attorneys and social workers, who completed the training and received CLEs as part of their summer professional development. Learning outcomes included:
- Raise awareness within the court system about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma-Informed Practices
- Understand the impact of ACEs, trauma, and toxic stress on health, behavior, learning, and or community
- Share strategies and protective factors that help to prevent ACEs and build resilience in ourselves and in our clients
- Define what it means to be trauma informed
- Apply the knowledge to a real life case study
The training comes a few months after the Resilience Network hosted its' Annual Conference titled "Moving Toward a Transformative Approach: From Punishment to True Discipline" where local leaders discussed the importance of having ACEs informed courts.
In addition to this training offered in partnership with the Public Defender's Office, similar training was also offered between September 2022 and February 2023 to State Attorneys and Victims' Advocates at the State Attorney's Office (Ninth Judicial Circuit). In September 2023, PJI will be training Judges from the Ninth and Tenth Circuits of Florida. Training will also be provided in October 2023 for School Resource Officers, in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a trauma-informed care approach in the criminal justice system can help to avoid retraumatizing individuals, increase safety for all, decrease the chance of an individual returning to criminal behavior, and support the recovery of justice-involved women and men with serious mental illness (or SMI).
If you are located in Central Florida and would like to join the Resilience Network, complete this form.
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For more information or workshop inquiries, contact us at resilience@peacejusticeinstitute.org
Blog Image is a photo of Moot Courtroom at Barry University School of Law in Orlando, where the above mentioned workshop was hosted / Image Source.
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