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Mandel School’s Megan Holmes discusses using rec centers to address trauma in youth

Cleveland rec centers partner with CWRU to address youth trauma, mental health

Cleveland 19 NewsMegan Holmes, associate professor and founding director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, explained the findings of a five-year study focused on transforming the city’s recreation centers and how they handle youth trauma and mental health. “Today, we consider neurobiology,” Holmes said. “How a child responds to a stressful, potentially traumatic event is the body’s normal response to an abnormal situation. Activities, whether it’s bouncing a ball or connecting with people who care, are important elements of healing. The staff are all trained to respond in an approach that doesn’t call out the child in a negative manner.”