CFAR is leveraging decades of mental health expertise to offer systemic trauma services to help reduce trauma among those impacted by community violence in Philadelphia through our Together Through Trauma (TTT) program. TTT was launched in late 2021 with funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD.)  Under TTT, therapists provide trauma services using evidenced based practices such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for children and Prolonged Exposure (PE) for adults. In addition, TTT staff delivers community workshops to help educate and support those who have experienced trauma due to violence in the community, as well as staff trainings geared towards community partners around the impact of trauma and how to engage families in a trauma-informed way. TTT has continued to grow the services (therapy, workshops, and trainings) with more partners thanks to additional funding from PCCD and other sources. TTT is also working to develop innovate ways to deliver the programming through unique partnerships. In 2024, TTT has partnered with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) to pilot a project that embeds an on-site therapist to deliver TTT programming to help support the success of the CEO participants.

Currently, the TTT program:

• Offers trauma therapy services on a virtual platform to those impacted by community violence. Referrals are made by community partners and spots are limited.
• Provides community workshops for partner organizations that work with communities impacted by violence by request.
• Provides staff trainings for partner organizations that work with communities impacted by violence by request.
• Participates in outreach events to educate the community about TTT programming and trauma by request. Resources are available to or partners as well.
• Provides contracted in-house programming of individual therapy, workshops, and staff trainings.

CFAR has expertise in understanding how trauma impacts individuals and communities, and developed TTT to help teach communities that talking about your trauma, and understanding how trauma impacts you, are the first steps in regaining control and minimizing symptoms of post-traumatic stress. The more individuals talk about their trauma, the more likely it is that they will help break the cycle of intergenerational trauma. The goal is to provide education to help build skills to reduce the chances of developing symptoms of PTSD and encouraging community members to have healthy communication and shared experiences in which they can utilize one another as a support. TTT strives to create a community of healing instead of a community of silence in which people are alone in their pain. In today’s world, our community is too desensitized to violence because it feels normal. It is happening around us every day. TTT programming helps children, teens, adults and families cope with trauma in a health way to help prevent retaliation and desensitization to gun violence trauma.

We are looking forward to continuing the growth of the TTT program to meet the overwhelming demand for trauma services in Philadelphia. If you are interested in supporting the growth of this incredible program, click here to make a donation today. For more information about TTT, contact us at 215-537-5367 ext. 212 or ttt@cfarcounseling.org.