Healing

Page Contents: The Khadafy Washington Project | Counseling ServicesSTART: Screening & Tool for Awareness & Relief of Trauma

 

On the streets of any city like Oakland, people die by the gun. Others will be shot, stabbed or beaten, and survive. These wounded, and the survivors of the killed, are desperately in need of care, of emotional, financial and practical support, to help them heal from the trauma violence leaves in its wake and return to our community whole.  

Khadafy Washington Project

The Khadafy Washington Project (KWP) sends crisis responders into the immediate aftermath of each Oakland homicide to support families and friends of the victim. In 2022 that included 133 families of homicide victims, including some outside of Oakland.

Named for the murdered son of its founder, KWP provides emergency financial assistance, relocation services, urgent help applying for victim compensation and planning funerals. Additionally, KWP staff and Youth ALIVE! counselors hold regular healing circles for the families of victims of violence. In 2022 they supported 26 family members in 13 Circle of Care healing sessions. “Seeing mothers cry is the worst. There is nothing  you can say or do to make them feel better, but I love the fact that I can support them and give them some sense of relief no matter what that looks like,” Lanisha Jones, Khadafy Washington Project Crisis Responder said.

Counseling Services

Youth ALIVE! mental health counselors take their therapeutic services into the field, meeting survivors wherever they feel safe and comfortable. Counselors provide community-based services in partnership with our Intervention Specialists, who are trained in recognizing the symptoms of trauma that occur in survivors of violence. Youth ALIVE! counselors assist each client in creating their own road map to healing. In 2022 YA! counselors provided 1,192 hours of service to 121 clients.

For people who have grown up in violent neighborhoods, the traditional 50-minute therapy session is not always the best approach. By bringing therapy out of the clinic and into the community, Youth ALIVE! has seen an increase in the number of clients engaged in active therapy from about 5 percent of clients to 35 percent. All of our clients are eligible for this crucial and free service in their quest to heal their trauma after violence.

“[We] know that while hurt people can hurt people, healed people have the power to foster healing in others. It is such an honor for me to guide our participants and their families in healing from trauma in two different languages,” said Mental Health Counselor Angelina Gutierrez.

START

START (Screening & Tool for Awareness & Relief of Trauma) is a tool Youth ALIVE! developed with a group of young men recovering from their own gunshot wounds, to help identify often missed symptoms of trauma and to offer some relief. START isn’t just for gunshot survivors, young people experience all kinds of trauma and may benefit from the exercises START recommends.

Not a replacement for counseling, START interviews are brief guided conversations lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Conducted by a trained, caring adult, to identify possible symptoms of trauma, to give people with symptoms tools for coping in those moments when grief and trauma emerge. START is free of charge to Youth ALIVE! clients and partner agencies as well. Take a look at the START website, START2HEAL, to learn more.