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UH Hilo and Joyful Heart Foundation staff at recent Heal the Healers retreat in Hilo.

Student Health and Wellness Programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is among six organizations selected to join the Joyful Heart Foundation’s Heal the Healers Hawaiʻi project.

The initiative, funded by the Atherton Family Foundation, supports a series of training and technical assistance sessions to train and support staff working with students who have experienced trauma.

The program also seeks to strengthen organizations to counter vicarious trauma through policies and procedures. Vicarious trauma refers to secondary traumatic stress often experienced by professionals helping trauma survivors.

Staff at recent Heal the Healers retreat in Hilo

University staff who provide direct support services to survivors of child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and sexual assault are invited to participate in the Heal the Healers Hawaiʻi project.

“We are thrilled about our collaboration with Joyful Heart Foundation,” says Sulma Gandhi, program director for UH Hilo Student Health and Wellness Programs. The programs at UH Hilo provide holistic care that integrates education and prevention efforts with medical and mental health services.

“The first (Heal the Healers) session gave our team skills and tools to effectively respond to vicarious trauma,” explains Gandhi. “This further enhances our capacity to support students who are survivors of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence and child abuse and neglect.”

For the full story, see the UH Hilo Stories article.

From UH Hilo Stories

—By Susan Enright

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