Envisioning a World Without Violence In the realm of gun violence prevention, the analogy of violence to a disease holds significant parallels. Just like a disease, violence can spread rapidly and uncontrollably, affecting individuals and communities. The...
Trauma
Are you a Bully?
Are you aware that bullying exists among children and adults? According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), bullying is a form of violence that includes any unwanted aggressive behavior that involves a perceived power of imbalance, that inflicts harm repeatedly...
Culture, Community & Connection: Minority Mental Health Month
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and CHRIS 180 is focusing on raising awareness surrounding the struggles that underrepresented and minority communities face with mental illness. There are many factors...
CHRIS 180 Receives Grant for Certified Community Behavioral Health Center
Certified Community Behavioral Health Center will integrate physical and mental healthcare CHRIS 180 has been awarded a four-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop a Certified Community Behavioral Health...
Men and Mental Health Stigma
Each new year, many of us contemplate ways to become the best versions of ourselves and reach our goals. We make resolutions to start taking our health seriously by joining gyms and eating healthy. However, we may overlook one important factor that can improve every...
A Non-Traditional Approach: The Arts and Mental Health
Has there ever been a moment when you hear a song and it sums up that particular moment perfectly? Maybe you’ve connected to a song so much that you just had to get up and move. Possibly you’ve been painting and had chills go through your body? The beat of a drum, a...
What You Can do to Support the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Loved Ones
During the second week of October, CHRIS 180 celebrates Atlanta Pride. This time of year brings festivals, parades and a host of enriching activities to advance unity and visibility amongst Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community. Pride is not just about fun celebrations, it is...
How to Support Children Who are Bullied
In a digital-first world, it is very important to be aware of not only what bullying looks like but also the impact it has on the children in our community. National Bullying Prevention Month was first established in 2006 to expand awareness to the consequences of...
Virtual Reality: The Future of Therapy
Virtual reality (VR) offers clients a three-dimensional environment, generating a sense of immersion in another world in which the client interacts. Although the environments are artificial, the human brain does amazing things with it – it experiences the environment...
The Ripple Effect of Suicide on Children
The death of a parent is a traumatic event that can leave a lasting impact on those who have lost their loved ones. Losing a parent to suicide can be even more traumatic than losing a parent from natural causes. Studies from the Department of Psychiatry at the...
ACEs, Childhood Trauma And Healing
I have spent the majority of my career in mental health, working with youth and young adults, so I know that what happens to you as a child plays a significant role in the person you become. When we’re young, our brain is elastic and ready to adapt to our...
Strengthening Communities, Promoting Peace
Gun violence and gun control has become a highly politicized topic of discussion in America. In the past few years, as we lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in news coverage about school shootings, protests and demonstrations, police...
CHRIS 180 Commemorates Recovery Month with Resource Fair
Resource fair highlights substance use recovery programs during National Recovery Month Atlanta-based mental health nonprofit CHRIS 180 will host its first fair highlighting the organization’s programs and services available for those on their journey of recovering...
180 Change: Jocelyn Shares Her Story
At just 12-years-old, Jocelyn had her first encounter with CHRIS 180. Her grandmother was looking for help after taking in Jocelyn and her brother, in the wake of their mother’s issues with substance use. Knowing that both children had experienced significant trauma,...
CHRIS 180 Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Motherhood Housing Initiative
Home for neighborhood matriarch will provide stability for young mothers CHRIS 180, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing trauma-informed holistic health services to children, youth and families, held a groundbreaking ceremony to...
Escaping the Everyday: Healthy Ways to Cope with Life Stressors
We all need rest to function well in each area of our lives. Sleep, exercise, video games and spending time with loved ones are a few examples of activities commonly used to recharge. But sometimes, what you think is a break is actually a form of escapism that saps...
Emotional Trauma: How Post-Traumatic Stress Impacts Our Brains
Often when the term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is used, it is associated with members of the military, especially war veterans. As times change and people become more familiar with trauma and its impact on each of our lives, we are starting to recognize...
The Impact of Therapy on LGBTQ+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Michelle’s Story When Michelle lost her housing, a friend told her about CHRIS 180 and our Drop-In Center. The Drop-In Center provides a range of free services for youth ages 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness. These services include meals, life coaching, job and...
Celebrating Fathers and Changing Lives at Cure Violence’s Fatherhood Sessions
For Johnny Brown, Fatherhood Session Coordinator at CHRIS 180’s Violence Prevention Program, helping fathers is a calling. “All of us are on this journey of being fathers,” Johnny shared. “We work with participants to learn the life skills to be able to work, stay out...
Bringing a Mother’s Love to Children in Foster Care
Valancia Abdullah considers it her calling to care for youth who some may think of as “challenged.” After working with special needs students at Atlanta Public Schools, in 2000, she joined CHRIS 180’s foster care program. She serves as a Resident Assistant. The kids...
Statement from Our President & CEO
We stand with our Asian American colleagues, partners, clients and all affected in the wake of the horrific mass shootings in Atlanta and Acworth. This act of terrorism has produced additional anxiety and unease in the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community,...