Expanding Trauma-informed Care from Hospital to Community
When someone experiences violence, the journey to safety often begins in an unexpected place — an emergency room. In those first chaotic hours, a compassionate, informed response can make all the difference between fear and hope.
That’s the vision behind Capital Health’s VICTORY program — Violence Intervention for the Community Through Outreach Recovery — a hospital-based initiative that connects victims of violence with ongoing care and community support. This fall, Younity is proud to partner with VICTORY to strengthen that continuum through a new series of trauma-informed trainings.
Under a new Memorandum of Understanding, Younity’s Crisis Response & Prevention Team will deliver a four-part training series designed to help VICTORY staff respond to survivors of domestic and sexual violence with sensitivity, accuracy, and care.
The sessions — led by Varonda N. Kendrick, Response Teams Coordinator, and Sheilagh Mescal Gunstensen, BScN, MA, Training Specialist — include:
- Understanding Domestic Violence – what to say (and what not to say) when someone discloses abuse, and how to make warm, safe referrals.
- Responding to Sexual Violence – recognizing the unique needs of survivors and fostering a trauma-informed environment.
- Recognizing Strangulation – identifying high-risk indicators and connecting survivors to lifesaving resources.
- The Impact of Trauma – how trauma affects the body and mind, and how compassionate care fosters safety, empowerment, and resilience.
These conversations will equip VICTORY’s outreach specialists — who meet survivors in the hospital or shortly after discharge — with the tools to offer meaningful support and link patients directly to Younity’s counseling, housing, and advocacy programs.
“We do better together,” says Kendrick. “Every time we link arms with another organization, our community grows stronger and survivors have more paths to healing.”
This collaboration marks an important step in strengthening Mercer County’s network of care. It reflects Younity’s commitment to building bridges across healthcare, social services, and community organizations — ensuring that survivors are met with compassion, understanding, and a clear path to safety, no matter where their journey begins.
Together, we are stronger than abuse.
