Today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. Over the past several years, Chanje Movement has prioritized and implemented mental health care into the daily routines of life at Chanje Lakay. The children at Lakay have experienced intense personal trauma due to abandoment and abuse. They’ve also experienced the collective trauma of living in a gang war zone. They have experienced more hurt in their short lives than most of us adults ever will. And we know that healing that trauma and caring for their mental health is critically important to providing them with hope for a better future.
As a Christian organization, our hope is first and foremost in the redemptive and healing power of Jesus. The kids are regularly taught this hope through scripture reading, prayer and spiritual discipleship. Many of the staff at Chanje Lakay, including the psychologist Mr. F, are Christians who pour into the spiritual lives of the children in the same way that many of you have poured into your own children.
At the same time, we are aware of the clinical care that is needed to treat such deep-seated hurt. We currently have a full-time psychologist on staff and we are working to hire a full-time social worker as well as contract with a specialist that could assist in the area of trauma care. Chanje Lakay has a counseling room that provides a calm quiet place for therapy sessions.
One particular trauma care initiative we are excited about is training the staff in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). TBRI is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. We have plans to provide in-depth training for all our staff where they can learn to implement this approach not just in desiginated therapy sessions, but in their holistic care of the children. If you’d like to learn more about TBRI, this short video from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU gives a great explanation.
Our constant prayer is that by the grace of God and with the tools He has given us, the kids at Chanje Lakay can not only heal from their trauma, but also become cycle breakers who who help end systemic abuse and trauma in their families and communities.
