SUPPORT

THE PARTNERSHIP

OUR WORDS HEAL is a caring coalition of people dealing with and healing from trauma, and the organizations and advocates committed to helping them and amplifying their voices.

We are continually seeking new partners to exchange ideas, build expertise and expand the community of stakeholders—all to further, deepen and enrich trauma healing and the promotion of health equity and well-being.

OUR BEGINNINGS

Planning started in 2015 with Drs. John Rich and Ted Corbin—both physicians and pioneers in trauma healing for young survivors of violence. Their work focuses on reframing the national narrative around trauma in underserved Black and Brown communities by shifting from criminal justice responses to healing-centered approaches.

Based in Philadelphia when this work began, both are now part of Chicago's Rush Medical College. Dr. Rich is the director of the Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity, a MacArthur Fellow and author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time. Dr. Corbin is an award-winning physician, professor and chair of Rush's Department of Emergency Medicine.

As we’ve started expanding to other cities, Dr. Charles Moore—a professor at Emory University’s School of Medicine and director of their Urban Health Initiative—has played a key and increasing role guiding our growth and evolution, especially in Atlanta. He is also the founder of Health Education, Assessment and Leadership (HEAL), a nonprofit focused on educating the community on health issues.
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This work has involved a strategic collaboration with community members most impacted by trauma and the creative agency Mighty Engine.
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Together, we've envisioned, created and continue to develop and expand OUR WORDS HEAL.

EXPANSION PLANS

We’re expanding OUR WORDS HEAL to Atlanta. Joining us are community partners Atlanta Public Schools, Artist Demetri, Compassion Center of Georgia, Dancer LeRoy, Gangstas to Growers, Notes for Notes and Walk with a Doc.

We’re also exploring opportunities to bring this effort to Chicago in the coming year.

Want to bring OUR WORDS HEAL to your community? Reach out to us.

KEY PARTNERS

CENTER FOR NONVIOLENCE
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

We work to promote health, nonviolence and social justice through trauma informed practice, research, professional development, and advocacy for policy change. Our flagship program is Healing Hurt People, an innovative, hospital-based intervention designed to heal the wounds of trauma in young victims of urban violence.

STRATEGIES FOR JUST COMMUNITIES

Strategies for Just Communities (SJC) is a collaborative created by Dr. Ted Corbin, Dr. Charles Moore and Dr. John Rich to build safer, healthier communities across the nation. SJC partners seek to prevent violence by promoting healing-centered approaches to trauma and increasing investment in community-led initiatives in underserved communities.

MIGHTY ENGINE

The strategists, designers and developers at Mighty Engine are committed to advancing vital causes through collective impact and systemic change. Their psychological, culturally-competent approaches fuel novel community-led solutions.