27 Jun

Posted at 13:27h in All Blog Posts, Children, Post-Traumatic Stress, PTSD, Stress, Trauma, Uncategorized by
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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 circumstances. Our surroundings teach us answers to many questions: Do I feel safe? Are my needs being met? Can I trust the people in my world? Who are healthy and safe people? Therapeutic interventions help us unpack the lessons we learned as...

31 Mar

Posted at 10:17h in All Blog Posts, Resilience by
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CHRIS 180 celebrates women’s role in creating brighter futures for every child, adult, family and community we serve and is proud to have an Executive Leadership Team that is 76% women. In honor of Women’s History Month, three of our leaders shared their reflections on working for and with women­­­­­—and how being women impacts their work. Chantel Kufeji, LMSW, is the Program Director for CHRIS 180’s Migrant Wellness program, which works to reunite unaccompanied minors with their families. Sharing about the strengths of the women and girls she works with, she...

24 Jun

Posted at 09:41h in All Blog Posts, Anxiety, Culture, Feelings, Grief and Loss, Injustice, Relationships, Resilience, Trauma by
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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 housing assistance and walk-in therapy sessions. But Michelle was hesitant. She had just come out as a trans woman and worried about reaching out for help and being met with judgment. However, when Michelle arrived at the Drop-In Center for the first time, she was surrounded by a welcoming...

22 May

Posted at 16:27h in 40th Anniversary by
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On June 8, 1981, a new nonprofit organization named Georgia CHARLEE opened its doors to fill gaps in the foster care system. Georgia CHARLEE – now known as CHRIS 180 – was organized by a purpose-driven group of women from The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA), who saw a need for a safe, stable, environment for youth in foster care. “At the time, we were so concerned about foster children who were literally getting tossed around from home to home,” said JLA Past President Ann Cramer, who serves on CHRIS...

24 Feb

Posted at 10:47h in Children by
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Did you know that children are now seen as the silent victims of the opioid epidemic? CHRIS 180’s HERO Program (Helping Restore Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Epidemic), was created to provide direct services, psychoeducational training and a community coalition aimed at expanding awareness and advocacy for these silent victims.  The program is funded by a grant awarded to CHRIS 180 by the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC). The funding comes from settlements between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and pharmaceutical companies around misleading claims related to...

15 Dec

Posted at 10:25h in Trauma by
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“The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it, is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet.” Rachel Naomi Remen Screeching tires. Smell of burnt rubber. Windows breaking and metal crunching. These are sensory triggers that may remind us of traumatic events known as direct trauma experiences.  We also can experience vicarious trauma – stress-related symptoms caused by indirect exposure to traumatic material. Vicarious trauma could be stories or experiences that our friends and families...

16 Jul

Posted at 04:10h in Stress by
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Stress is a part of life. However, with COVID-19 being our new normal, along with the recent ongoing struggles for racial justice in the Black community, we have more to be stressed about than ever. Recognizing that you are feeling stressed or may potentially experience stress is important to finding relief. There are no stages to moving through stress. Stress follows no rules. At times you may not realize that the reasons you feel or act as you do are stress-related. When something stresses us out we react emotionally and physically....

30 Jun

Posted at 20:48h in Stress by
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Teenagers need time alone.  It is essential to their cognitive and emotional development. However, time alone can be hard to come by when families are staying home and there is little private space. I want to share the story of a teenager I know. James is 17 and serious about his grades because of his family dynamic. He believes the only way to get out of the tiny apartment he shares with his mother and three younger siblings is to graduate and join the military. James has worked with a recruiter for...