This spring, the Campaign worked with U.S. Representative David Trone, a member of the House Trauma-Informed Care Caucus, to submit a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter. This letter, signed by 22 U.S. Representatives in total, advocated for $100 million to be dedicated to trauma-informed programming, including funding to make schools trauma-informed in response to emerging needs of children and young people during (and, presumably, following) this pandemic, as well as funding to support the mental health and wellness of first responders, health care workers, and their families.
This letter seems to have been influential and impactful as the letter’s recommendation that House leadership be attentive to concepts related to trauma and resilience ultimately was included in the House-passed HEROES Act. The National Trauma Campaign network played a major role in circulating this Dear Colleague letter to Congresspeople and their staff around the country. Great work–thank you for your dedication and engagement!
We still need your help bringing trauma awareness to the federal government. We are hopeful that some or all of these ideas will be included by the Senate in its own COVID-19 response bill. Please continue to advocate to your 2 U.S. Senators and reach out to the Campaign Core Team with any questions, thoughts, or requests for support!