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It takes a village to heal a traumatized child

It’s often said that it takes a village to raise a child, but according to the speakers in this episode, it’s also up to that village to help heal that child of trauma.

In this episode, Dr. Benjamin Danielson challenges trends that praise resilience in the midst of traumatic life conditions, without improving those conditions. Then, Dr. Shawn Ginwright confronts systematic trauma and suggests practical solutions.

Dr. Danielson is senior medical director of Seattle’s Odessa Brown Children's Clinic. In his youth, he spent time in the foster care system and then in a low-income neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

He argues that the concept of health goes beyond traditional healthcare. He challenges healthcare providers to do more to promote health in the wider community beyond their medical practice.

Dr. Shawn Ginwright is a national expert on youth development. He is senior research associate for the Cesar Chavez Institute for Public Policy at San Francisco State University. His latest book is “Hope and Healing in Urban Education: How Activists and Teachers are Reclaiming Matters of the Heart." In 2010 he published “Black Youth Rising, Activism and Radical Healing in Urban America.”

This event was held at the Washington State Convention Center on January 31. It was presented by the Northwest Children’s Foundation Forum.

Listen to the full version below:

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