Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • In Appalachia, Crafting a Road to Recovery With Dulcimer Strings

    To help those struggling with opioid addictions, an apprentice program in Kentucky uses art and music taught by local artisans to provide participants with a path forward. After learning various skills as part of the program, a local instrument company also considers the new apprentices for hire as part of a “recovery-friendly” employment movement.

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  • Art Helps Returning Citizens ‘Cross the Threshold'

    Performance art provides a healing outlet for formerly incarcerated individuals. In New York City, the Ritual4Return program encourages participants to express the transition in their lives through art. Using an artistic expression helps individuals cope with the experience of incarceration and encourages them to reflect on crossing the threshold into the next stage of life. The program operates with the support of grants from universities, foundations, and private donations through a Kickstarter campaign.

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  • Ruff justice: Meet the dogs helping put child rapists behind bars

    A practice in Johannesburg is making the courtroom and trial process less scary for sexually abused children by letting them play the role of court officials alongside therapy dogs in a pretend court. The Teddy Bear Foundation, responsible for this role play activity, wants children to be less scared but also prepared for their day in court when it comes.

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  • Rock-a-Bye Mama

    Past and present traumas can make it difficult for new mothers to bond with their babies. A program at Carnegie Hall uses songwriting and music to support mothers in this process in prisons, intensive care units, high schools, and other places.

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  • To Confront Effects of Trauma, Start with Self Care

    Building resilience and self-care into daily life promotes long-term wellbeing. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Catalyst Initiative works to support the emotional and mental wellbeing of underserved groups by promoting culturally relevant approaches to self-care. Catalyst funds organizations that serve Indigenous communities, communities of color, as well as other programs that encourage people to practice mindfulness and self-care as a way to heal from trauma and stress associated with economic, personal, or social issues.

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  • NYC: Where the Police Offer a Free Art Class Instead of Prosecution

    Since 2015, Project Reset has diverted potential criminal cases to programs that change behaviors without imposing punishment or staining people's records with criminal convictions. Art classes, behavioral therapy, and restorative dialogue have made 16- and 17-year-olds in the program significantly less likely to commit new offenses, while 98% of those admitted to the program have completed it. Offered in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx, the program helped the Manhattan district attorney nearly cut in half the number of prosecutions of low-level misdemeanors and violations.

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  • How a theatre ensemble helps people with dementia

    A theater company in Germany is using specially-designed plays to help improve the emotional state of those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The carefully selected ensemble uses period pieces, music, and audience interaction as a way to increase engagement and has seen individuals respond to this methodology.

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  • At This Camp, Children Of Opioid Addicts Learn To Cope And Laugh

    Building connections and learning to cope can help to break the inter-generational cycle of addiction. The nonprofit Eluna operates a camp in Dayton, Ohio, for children whose families have been ravaged by addiction. In addition to receiving the support of adult mentors, the children also engage in activities designed to teach them skills to manage their emotions. With funding from government subventions and private donations, Eluna plans to open several more camps nationwide.

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  • The Art of Surviving

    Producing art restores dignity and a sense of purpose to victims of violence who suffer from disability and chronic pain. In New York City, the Open Doors collective empowers patients at hospitals like the Coler Specialty Health Center on Roosevelt Island, encouraging them too engage in community theater, poetry, music, graphic design, and other projects. The approach of contemplative care aims to help the shooting survivors cope with their pain through artistic expression.

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  • In Chicago, Police Violence Survivors Heal Through Song

    Communal healing represents reparations in action. The Chicago Torture Justice Center, created in 2015 through a Chicago City Council reparations ordinance, advocates for wrongfully imprisoned Black men, as well as for victims of violence and torture at the hands of police. At the community center, area nonprofits like the Old Town School of Folk Music, lead workshops like the Freedom Songbook. The program uses protest songs as a way to encourage resiliency and healing in survivors.

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