This project examines the acceptability and cultural relevance of Mindfulness for low-income communities of color most affected by urban/gun violence. The burden of violence extends to classmates, friends, family members, and communities through adverse effects on parenting, quality of life, economic productivity, and social cohesion

Andrews, Anna

Hartwell, Stephanie

English

University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass

Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence

University of Massachusetts BostonScholarWorks at UMass BostonOffice of Community Partnerships Posters Office of Community Partnerships4-8-2015Developing Capacity and a Culturally AppropriateMindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivorsof ViolenceStephanie HartwellUniversity of Massachusetts Boston, Stephanie.Hartwell@umb.eduAnna AndrewsUniversity of Massachusetts BostonFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/ocp_postersPart of the Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Criminology Commons, and theUrban Studies CommonsThis Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Community Partnerships at ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Office of Community Partnerships Posters by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For moreinformation, please contact library.uasc@umb.edu.Recommended CitationHartwell, Stephanie and Andrews, Anna, "Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate Mindfulness Intervention for Inner CitySurvivors of Violence" (2015). Office of Community Partnerships Posters. Paper 242.http://scholarworks.umb.edu/ocp_posters/242Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate  Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence  Summary  This project examines the acceptability and cultural relevance of Mindfulness for low-income communities of color most affected by urban/gun violence. The burden of violence extends to classmates, friends, family members, and communities through adverse effects on parenting, quality of life, economic productivity, and social cohesion.                    Why Mindfulness?  Mindfulness is widely recognized as an evidence-based practice that:  • reduces the multiple negative dimensions of psychological stress  • improves psychological well-being. Louise D. Brown Peace Institute   The Peace Institute serves 98% of the families affected by the homicides in Boston and provides crisis response training for front-line service providers. It is through this mission that we began to introduce Mindfulness to family members and front line service providers at the Peace Institute.   Findings: Providers Findings: Family Members Findings:     Institute  Staff Our Collaborative Approach Contact Us  Stephanie Hartwell, Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts Stephanie.Hartwell@umb.edu Anna Andrews, Graduate Research Assistant    Zanzibar33090@yahoo.com  This project is supported by a 2014 Creative Economy Fund award through UMass’s Office of the President.  Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate  Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence  Using community-based participatory principles, we aimed to adapt and extend the evidence base of Mindfulness. The goal is to promote coping and healing for high-risk victims of gun violence and first responders as well as for gun violence prevention. Community investigators include family members, first responders, and staff from the Peace Institute.  Formative Assessment  • Identified barriers and facilitators to a Mindfulness intervention  • Held community forum and 3 focus groups with staff, family members, and first responders Adapt Program • Used lessons learned from formative work  • Adapted for individuals impacted by gun violence  • Resulted in training materials and participant workbooks Evaluation • Of implementation, acceptance, feasibility of Mindfulness as a practice in this context  • Used survey methods Training Staff • At Peace Institute using culturally adapted model  • Building capacity to infuse into prevention efforts in schools, families, and with front-line responders to gun violence Our Collaborative Approach                   Findings: Providers Findings: Family Members Findings:     Institute  Staff Home Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate  Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence  Themes Identified Through Focus Groups with Service Providers Practicing Mindfulness with People Experiencing Trauma Requires Sensitivity (readiness and dose): • “Stillness and calm is scary. It could be beneficial especially with multiple trauma but often people push their trauma away to keep busy and avoid impact. The stillness could cause flooding. • “If someone’s overwhelmed in the moment the provider needs to think about how this practice could help them in this moment. For instance maybe going to breathing when the patient is crying and all stuffed up isn’t a good idea as breathing would be harder and less calming.” Awareness of Personal Use of Mindfulness Practices:  • Meditation     • Zumba • Yoga Currently Using Mindfulness in Direct Work with Families:  • “It brings a person into a different stage of calm, takes them out of trauma mode, and lets them decompress.” • “It helps gain control over actions and is helpful in focusing.”  Commitment and Capacity for Additional Training: • Majority expressed interest in Mindfulness as an evidence-based practice • “I want to learn more about MBSR because of articles stating how people with chronic pain use it and see incredible results.” • Most expressed challenge of time commitment as barrier to taking an intensive training course • Going to the gym • Mindful eating                   Our Collaborative Approach Findings: Family Members Findings:     Institute  Staff Home Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate  Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence  Findings from Mindfulness Mini-Course with Family Members How Mothers Experienced Grief: • Described as palpable and noticeable • Difficulty with ability to breathe and “silence their mind” • “Plain stress stuck in the brain so that you can’t relax” Context: • Mini-course on Mindfulness embedded into the Institute’s Survivors Leadership Academy (SLA) • SLA provides weekly structured support groups for family members surviving homicide  • All survivors convened were mothers • Participants ranged in distance from losses from two weeks to twenty years What Mothers Learned and Expressed:  • Uniformly enjoyed exercises such as mindful eating and yoga • Learned to use techniques such as breathing and a body scan – “When I took the time to breathe and recuperate at Thanksgiving during a breakdown, it was a huge moment…”    • Ability to “catch themselves when their mind wanders…and focus on breathing” • Inability of mental health care providers to understand their grief – “just get over it” • Enjoy the “here and now” of the lessons – “It helped me to just be there with other mothers with the same type of trauma, it was peaceful…The entire experience was rewarding and helpful. • All expressed interest in additional training – “No one wants to go to therapy so this works.” • Participants suggested a buddy system for accountability and support to complete at-home assignments.                   Findings: Providers Our Collaborative Approach Findings:     Institute  Staff Home Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate  Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence  Themes from Mindfulness Mini-Course with Peace Institute Staff Alignment between Mindfulness and Survivor Leadership Academy: • Staff credited mini-courses as providing viable, concrete curriculum to relaunch its SLA.  • SLA as nontraditional support group model – helping survivors try new methods to manage grief and alternative to clinical mental health. • Belief that community connection, gender, and race of Mindfulness teacher was critical – “Bonita is a great fit as she comes from the community…some of the participants even recognized her.” • Interest in Train the Trainer model with survivors and providers teaching Mindfulness.   Validating Practice with Theory:  • “It is great to have a name for something we are already doing that is also interconnected with principles and research/theory.” • Viewed Mindfulness as a tool to be added to Peace Institute’s Toolbox. • Belief that survivors appreciated having a real trainer and participating in techniques used across the world. Supporting First Responders and Service Providers: • A need to “Practice what you preach” – Staff felt providers lacked self care – “I learned to take care of me…this is an awareness providers need to have. If you find this hard to do, you cannot expect clients to do it. • Belief that Mindfulness diversifies providers’ methods – “People have complex issues…people need choices.”                   Findings: Providers Findings: Family Members Our Collaborative Approach Home 

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Developing Capacity and a Culturally Appropriate Mindfulness Intervention for Inner City Survivors of Violence

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University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass

University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass