Tell your legislators to help fight trauma today.
Email them and tell them to cosponsor the RISE From Trauma Act
The Resilience Investment, Support and Expansion (RISE) from Trauma ACT
Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Capito (R-WV) introduced the Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion from Trauma Act or the RISE from Trauma Bill this week in the Senate. This bipartisan legislation that would authorize more than $4 billion over 8 years to fund coordinated programming in communities, training for teachers and other educators on trauma-informed practices, workforce development programs to bring more public health staff into schools and communities hit hard by violence, the Children Exposed to Violence and Substance Abuse Program at OJJDP, and a new training center for law enforcement on addressing children and youth’s trauma in ways that de-escalate conflict and connect children and youth to appropriate services.
Representatives Davis (D-IL 07) and Gallagher (R-WI 08) have introduced the companion House bill for RISE with minor changes, most notably omitting a specific authorizing number and substituting “such funds,” and including 5 additional minority serving institutions in Section 204 b(A).
As an organization focused on preventing violence and trauma, FUTURES strongly supports this bill.
The CDC just released the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) which reports out concerning health and wellbeing statistics for our country’s youth. According to the CDC:
- Witnessing Community Violence, Gun Carrying, and Associations with Substance Use and Suicide Risk Among High School Students
One in 5 high school students witnessed community violence which was linked to being more likely to report carrying a gun, substance use, and suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among High School Students There were significant increases in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among female students with 30% reporting that they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the last 12 months, 23.6% reported making a suicide plan, and 13.3% reported attempting suicide in 2021.
- Dating Violence, Sexual Violence, and Bullying Victimization Among High School Students Almost 1 in 12 students experienced physical teen dating violence, about 1 in 10 experienced sexual teen dating violence, and approximately 1 in 5 students experienced bullying.
Preventing trauma in childhood can reduce the risk for mental health challenges, risky behaviors including drug use, negative health impacts caused by trauma, and even reduce the risk for victimization later in life. We cannot wait to begin addressing and preventing trauma, we have to do so now.
