The ReCentered Project
ReCentered offers an opportunity for entire organizations—survivors and staff together—to reflect on their programs and make environmental changes of even greater trust, respect, safety, and support. TCFV has developed a process for conducting the ReCentered: Trauma Informed Assessment Project with interested domestic violence centers.
Request Assessment
Terminology
Speaking of Recentering
The first step in recentering your program is understanding the essential terms that drive this survivor-focused approach.
Empowerment-Based
Empowerment-based advocacy is rooted in advocates working alongside survivors. Advocates assist survivors in making their own informed decisions and in gaining a greater sense of agency and power in their lives.
Survivor-Centered
Survivor-centered—or survivor-defined—advocacy, is a way to work with survivors to meet their needs, as they see them. Advocates are partners with survivors, companions on each survivor’s journey rather than limited to merely providing pre-determined social services from a standard list.
Trauma-Informed
Trauma-informed approaches recognize that survivors have varied experiences of trauma that can impact their physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological and spiritual wellbeing. Trauma-informed programs seek to create environments and services that promote safety, choice, trust, dignity, connection, cultural responsivity and healing.
Outcomes of the Project
– New methods of incorporating survivor input into program design and policy decisions –
– An understanding that rules reduction can lead to a stronger, more effective structure in the program –
– Improved mechanisms for staff feedback about domestic violence center operations –
ReCentered by the Numbers
110+
Interviews &
Listening Sessions
275+
Survivors
200+
Staff
*ReCentered Statewide Report (2020)
PRINCIPLES
Focusing on Fundamentals
PRIORITIZING SURVIVORS
The foundational principle of ReCentering your program is to understand and respond to the self-stated needs of survivors and to create services that uphold the dignity, safety, and voices of survivors.
UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA & MENTAL HEALTH
A starting point in creating survivor-centered, trauma-informed programs is understanding trauma, trauma responses, and ways to promote healthy coping and healing among survivors.
PROMOTING WELLNESS
Promoting and implementing strategies for advocate wellness is a vital part in the recentering process. The wellness of advocates and other family violence program staff is interwoven with the wellness of survivors.
RECENTERING MENTAL HEALTH
When we better understand the links between domestic violence, trauma, and mental health, we can provide more trauma-informed and survivor-centered services. The training sessions listed here offer a range of content related to the intersection of trauma, mental health and domestic violence.
Optimize your Outreach
Survivors of domestic violence in marginalized communities often experience extensive barriers to safety. Help your program increase accessibility and better engage communities by utilizing our awareness and outreach tools.