New ReCAST Chapter Begins

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Highlights

ReCAST Cycle I officially closed on September 29, 2023. Over the past five years, ReCAST has promoted trauma-informed care and resiliency strategies within the community to support youth violence prevention, racial equity, and access to services.

More details can be found on the ReCAST Cycle 1 Recap page. Alternatively, check out the video below which provides a quick summary of ReCAST activities from the past few years.


A new cycle of ReCAST grant funding was awarded to the Mecklenburg County Department of Public Health in December 2022 and will focus on expanding the collaboration between ReCAST and the Office of Violence Prevention.

Continue to visit the website for more updates about ReCAST Cycle II!

Register Today! “The Power of R” Series Now Open

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Highlights

Organizations within all sectors play a key role in promoting healthy communities. Join this free series to gain trauma-informed tools for your organization and learn skills necessary to become a champion for trauma-informed. Links to register are listed below!

Sept 26, 2023 | 3:00PM – 4:30PM

Module 1 – REALIZE: Expanding Trauma Awareness

*REGISTER HERE*

OCT 31, 2023 | 2:00PM – 3:30PM

Module 2 – RECOGNIZE: Understanding the Deeper Impacts of Trauma

*REGISTER HERE*

Nov 28, 2023 | 2:00PM – 3:30PM

Module 3 – RESPOND: Building a Toolbox for Trauma-Informed Champions

*REGISTER HERE*

Jan 30, 2024 | 2:00PM – 3:30PM

Module 4 – RESIST RE-TRAUMATIZATION: Sustaining a Culture of Safety and Healing

*REGISTER HERE*

Feb 29, 2024 | 2:00PM – 3:30PM

Module 5 – REFRAME: Building the Case for Trauma-Informed Champions

*More Details Coming Soon*

Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Monthly Awareness

Since 1949, May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. Just as a good diet and exercise are needed daily to support physical health, a consistent routine can help to support mental health and wellness. For some people, this routine includes therapy and meditation. For others, it involves spending quality time with friends and family.

Everyone’s path towards mental health and wellness will look different. If you are looking for a place to start or new tools to add to your toolkit, check out the resources listed below!

resources for families

  • ParentVOICE – Mental Health American of Central Carolinas
    • Support for families navigating the education, child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice systems.
    • Information on support groups for parents/caregivers and youth also included.
  • Family-to-Family – NAMI Charlotte
    • Free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. Click the link to register!

resources for community advocates

  • Virtual Listening Circles – ReCAST Mecklenburg and Resources for Resilience™
    • Connect with others in the community and learn concrete stress-reducing tools.
    • Upcoming sessions on May 17th and May 26th.
  • Resilience Tools Today Workshop – ReCAST Mecklenburg and Resources for Resilience™
    • Resilience tools and resources to help address trauma, toxic stress, and anxiety that leads to dysregulation in everyday life.
    • Upcoming session on May 20th – Spanish translation available.

Other Resources In Charlotte and Beyond

Supporting Mental Health and Wellness During Black History Month

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Monthly Awareness

Happy Black History Month! This month (and every month of the year) is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the history, impact, and future of Black people and culture.  

During this Black History Month, many organizations are taking the opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health and wellness within the Black community. The websites listed below are rich with information regarding the history of Black mental health and numerous resources to find support.

“In celebration of Black History Month, the National Museum of African American History & Culture will examine the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well.” Learn More

“Learning about the history of systemic racism during Black History Month* – and all year – in the mental health system and movement and how it harms Black communities in the US and around the world is key for creating a mentally healthier world.” Learn More

“Food Lion and the Harvey B. Gantt Center invite you to join us for special programming ranging from beginner dance classes every Saturday  – Ballet! West African! Liturgical!  – to film screenings to lectures to hands-on art workshops. All in celebration of Black History Month at the Gantt Center.” Learn More

“What happens at the intersection of mental health and one’s experience as a member of the Black community? While the experience of being Black in America varies tremendously, there are shared cultural factors that play a role in helping define mental health and supporting well-being, resiliency and healing.” Learn More

Congratulations to 2021 Charlottean of the Year Greg Jackson

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Highlights

Charlottean of the Year is awarded to individuals and organizations that are making meaningful changes in the community. ReCAST extends a huge congratulations to Greg Jackson, founder of the community organization Heal Charlotte and one of this year’s recipients!

Heal Charlotte and ReCAST have partnered together on numerous Stop the Violence CLT events aimed at bringing awareness to issues of violence, empowering youth, and engaging community residents in solutions for change. Past events have included:

– Stop the Violence Day 2021 Kickoff
– Stop the Violence Showcase
– Stop the Violence 3×3 Basketball Tournament (video coming soon)

Read more about Greg’s journey in Charlotte Magazine. Additional information about Heal Charlotte and the #StopTheViolenceCLT campaign can be found on their website and Instagram page.

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Monthly Awareness

September 15th – October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month! Whether you plan to attend a few events or learn more about various Hispanic cultures and histories, there are a number of ways to celebrate. Below are a few suggestions to get you started:

Events

– All Month: Virtual Events hosted by The Library of Congress

– October 2nd: Puerto Rican Festival of the Carolinas

– October 9th: Hola Charlotte Festival 2021

– October 10th: Hispanic Learning Center’s International Festival

– October 16th: Latin Night at Camp North End

Local Resources

– Read this article from Alyssa Lopez to learn more about how to support the Hispanic businesses and organizations in the Queen City

– Check out multiple curated book lists from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library here and here

– Engage youth in various activities to celebrate throughout the month

New Opportunity – Apply Today!

Posted on by ReCAST Mecklenburg in Uncategorized

Looking to Improve Service quality and culture in your workplace?

Consider joining “Doing the Work: A Community Approach to Systems Change”!

Walk away with skills to:

✔ Implement trauma-informed approaches throughout your organization and Mecklenburg County

✔ Adopt trauma-informed, resilience-oriented best practices for your clients 

✔ Build resilience in your workforce to prevent secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue 

✔ Make your community a safe environment where clients can heal and staff can thrive  

Commitment:

✔ Only time! Five 90 min sessions to advance trauma informed care in your organization starting September 2021

No cost to join!

Ready to apply? More information and links to the application can be found HERE!