Community Healing Project

About the Community Healing Project for Crime Prevention & Intervention

The Community Healing Project for Crime Prevention and Intervention is a prevention project aimed at addressing trauma as a root cause of youth violence and gang involvement. The project supports development of mental health literacy and resiliency in youth 12-24 who have been exposed to community violence. Through peer support certification and trauma informed community workshops, youth learn about trauma, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and hypersensitive flight/fight responses.

The City of Toronto partners with community agencies to deliver the project across the city. Communities are identified based on community need and data collection.

Supported by a coordinator and peer mentors, youth participants go through training to be certified in peer support and then deliver workshops in their communities to their peers. A case manager supports employment, education and service navigation. By the end of each cycle, participants leave with an increased knowledge and use of coping mechanisms to avoid violence, self-care strategies, awareness of local and current mental health support services, have an increased life-long resiliency to trauma, capacity for transformative change, and an increased sense of control in triggering situations. Fifty youth from twenty communities are engaged in two cycles of training each year.

CHP has been working in communities to support youth mental health literacy since 2014 and on December 20, 2018, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security & Organized Crime, announced that the City of Toronto will receive $6.76M funding from the Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF) as part of the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).

Over the five-year funding period the project will certify 250 young people in peer support and provide workshops to 1,350 young people in Neighbourhood Improvement (Areas NIA’s).

Read The Community Healing Project: Year 1 in Review.

For more details on the progress of the Community Healing Project, please read CHP Year 2 in review evaluation reports.

For additional information on how the City is working to combat community violence, please read the Toronto City Council adopts steps to immediate address gun violence and the City of Toronto applies for federal grant to fund programs to curb gun violence news releases.

Community Healing Project Advisory

Purpose

As part of the National Crime Prevention Community Healing Project, the City of Toronto will engage 11 Torontonians as part of the second term of the Community Healing Project Advisory (“CHPA”). The purpose of the CHPA is to guide and inform the Community Healing Project and formulate next steps. Over the course of their term, advisory members will work together to provide oversight and monitoring and evaluation to guide and support sustainability planning and project implementation. The CHPA will be supported by City of Toronto and project staff in their function.

Mandate

Through ongoing engagement with the Community Healing Project, the CHPA will:

  1. Provide guidance to National Crime Prevention Community Healing Project program evaluation, sustainability planning, and implementation of program enhancements and/or improvements.
  2. Contribute insight, analysis, and information to the Community Healing Project’s policy and service planning.
  3. Participate in the evaluation and monitoring of the National Crime Prevention Community Healing Project.
  4. Support partnership development with communities vulnerable to violence and crime, community leaders, organizations and institutions to advance positive outcomes for the project and the participants of the project.

Eligibility

  • Be over the age of 16 at the time of application
  • Reside in Toronto
  • Have demonstrated advocacy, lived and/or work experience in areas of youth violence prevention, youth-serving sector, and/or mental health sector

Assets

  • Experience in evaluation and/or policy development and/or
  • Priority given to people who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) with lived and/or work experience in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIAs).

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying please forward your resume and letter of intent (500 words or one page) to Brandon.Hay@toronto.ca.

In the letter of intent please include:

  1. Why you are interested in joining the CHPA
  2. What you would like to gain and/or learn during the two year term
  3. What skills would you bring or offer to this committee, that will support the work of the advisory

 

The deadline to submit is Wednesday,  March 9, 2022 at 4 p.m.

Only individuals invited to be interviewed will be contacted.

 

For more information please contact:

Brandon Hay
Community Development Officer
Brandon.Hay@toronto.ca
437-288-7194

Composition

The membership of the CHPA will consist of 11 Torontonians with diverse lived and work experience. In selecting members for the advisory, consideration will be given to ensure representation from:

  • Former project participants of the Community Healing Project from various NIA communities
  • Key youth stakeholder groups (resident led and grassroots groups and coalitions, community agencies, mental health system, educational systems, and social service sector)
  • Policy development and/or evaluation subject matter experts
  • Post-secondary students with experience in governance and administrative skills
  • Parent or caregiver of a child and/ or children living in an NIA community

CHPA Membership Terms of Service

All CHPA members will commit to:

  • A two-year term, inclusive of four advisory member meetings per year.
  • Participate in virtual and/or in-person meetings and trainings as scheduled during the course of the membership
  • Ability to dedicate 15-25 hours annually, on evenings and weekends, including meetings and other advisory responsibilities
  • Attend project events, as needed, outside of member meetings
  • Engage with various partners, youth stakeholders, and participants, as required
  • CHPA members can leave the CHPA at any time by providing advanced written notice

Benefits of CHPA Membership

  • Training and skills development opportunities
  • Food gift cards (for virtual meetings and virtual workshops)
  • Honorarium (on an as needed basis)
  • Childcare reimbursements (on an as needed basis)