PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia will provide a new service in response to the gun violence that’s devastating communities and claiming young victims.
Sheldon Robinson coaches basketball at Tustin Recreational Center in Overbrook. He recalls talking to two young men wounded in a shooting that injured four Overbrook High School students.
“I asked them both, did they ever talk to somebody about what happened, how do you feel? Did you ever seek counseling? The reply was, ‘What is that?’ That broke my heart,” Robinson said.
The new program, Together Through Trauma, hopes to provide that missing piece – healing trauma – by making it more accessible. They will have full-time counselors at six rec centers in communities heavily impacted by violence to conduct one-on-one counseling for trauma survivors and hold workshops on trauma recovery for larger groups. There will also be mental health education at 24 summer camps.
It will be paid for with a nearly $1 million state grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Nearly every official on hand for Friday’s grant announcement used the phrase “hurt people hurt people,” to describe the potential for the counseling not only to help individuals but to break cycles of violence. And, almost every one of the officials had a story about a shooting and its impact, which Dr. Greg Allen of Overbrook West Neighbors, said goes far beyond the actual victims.
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“This opportunity represents a real chance to address how our children and families respond to and cope with these losses.”
State Senator Vincent Hughes says the hope of the program is not just to help the individuals receiving counseling, but to break the cycle where violence-induced trauma leads to more violence.
“Really, in the end, it’s these investments in communities like this that’s going to change the dynamic that’s going to change the trajectory.”
Services can be found at the following locations:
• Feltonville Recreation Center, 231-37 East Wyoming Avenue, 19120
• Mallery Recreation Center, 100-70 East Johnson Street, 19144
• Tustin Recreation Center, 5901-29 West Columbia Avenue, 19151
• Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center, 2551 N. 22nd St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19132
• Mander Playground, 2140 N. 33rd St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19121
• 8th and Diamond Playground, 800 Diamond St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19122