Philadelphia’s professionals are learning how to respond to children who have traumatic stress symptoms through a drama based trauma prevention training.

During October and November 2007, BuildaBridge

, is implement in SW Philadelphia a drama based training in responding to trauma in youth. The program, an eight week creative and interactive training, is dedicated to teachers, child care providers, youth workers, parents and older youth working with children of all ages in the most disadvantaged communities of Philadelphia.

The classes use a performance-integrated curriculum to teach steps for recognizing trauma in children and youth, building resiliency through practical healing responses , and using resources for referral and treatment.

As described by Nathan J. Corbitt, President and Co-Founder of BuildaBridge, “The Healing Place uses dramatic presentations with professional actors to teach assessment treatment of childhood trauma. The program has been developed using all aspect of the Department of Behavioral Health/Mental Retardation Services System Transformation Priority Areas: involving peers and contextualizing content for youth culture, partnering with professionals in the behavioral health care system, working in the immediate context and providing referral services and training parents and teachers for the holistic development of themselves and their children.”

Participants will develop an awareness of possible traumatic events, identify trauma related symptoms, learn how to use reading, drawing, and other techniques to support traumatized children, became aware of support treatment resources and develop skills for caretaker self-awareness and self-care.

The Healing Place is part of BuildaBridge’s Create! Opportunity Program, a series of arts-integrated education trainings to teach life skills to people in shelters and transitional homes.