UIC Urban Youth Trauma Center

PBS show on "how trauma gets passed to the next generation":

NOVA PBS Official 18 likes, 2 comments. "Trauma's Echo: Genes, Brains, and Your Lifetime Impact | NOVA | PBS"

Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil visited the Habilitative Systems Inc. (HSI) violence prevention team to provide the Hip-Hop H.E.A.L.S.! "Rap-tivism" training to prepare HSI's youth violence prevention ambassadors for civic activism and leadership to celebrate National Youth Violence Prevention Week ( )

UYTC is celebrating and supporting National Youth Violence Prevention Week this week (April 27th - May 1st, 2026)!

The UIC Urban Youth Trauma Center team presented a poster at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference in Chicago on the importance of promoting resilience through trauma informed, restorative and healing centered practices, and shared information about the impact of a training and implementation partnership with a community organization proviging after school programing to children.

Lived experience experts promote community healing by fostering trust, reducing stigma, and informing trauma-informed policies through their firsthand knowledge of challenges like mental health struggles, homelessness, or systemic injustice. They act as peers, mentors, and advisors who validate others' struggles, provide empathetic support, and co-design effective, user-centered services. The UIC Urban Youth Trauma Center team, in partnership with SISTAMoms provided a workshop at the MidWestern Psychological Association Conference in Chicago to provide guidelines for partnering with Lived Experience Experts to support healing from trauma.

Week is about: 1)Focusing on making the world a safer place for everyone, especially children; 2)Learning how to be kind, respectful, and understanding with each other, so we can all feel safe and happy; 3) Recognizing when you or others might be struggling and seeking support; and 4)Remembering how important it is to everyone with respect.

The UIC Urban Youth Trauma Center has developed a coloring book for children with strategies that can be used by children to participate in violence prevention.

Last week, as part of Week, the UYTC team joined SISTAMoms at an event that emphasized Economic empowerment and financial support as ways to increase financial autonomy for vulnerable individuals, which reduces the need for survival-based, risky behaviors. The event featured featuring Dr. Natalie D.A. Bennett, Director of Women’s Leadership and Resource Center at the University of Ilinois at Chicago. During the event, particpants shared in peace circle format how they would participate in violence prevention efforts in the community.

In recognition of National Youth Violence Prevention Week 2026, the Urban Youth Trauma Center is emphasizing information and resources to promote restorative practices.

https://www.cdcfoundation.org/blog/national-public-health-week-2026

It's National Public Health Week This year's National Public Health Week is built around the theme of Ready. Set. Action!

In celebration of women's history month, our team would like to highlight two articles that look into the impact of this holiday. Thank you to the women of the world who make the world a great space.

Special shout out to our staff Dr. Suarez, Giselle, Viviana, and Yvonne for their contributions to our ongoing work!

https://www.history.com/articles/womens-history-month

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/03/01/international-womens-history-month-2026/88897493007/