Communities United

Yesterday, in collaboration with the Survivors Alliance for Healing and Justice and Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE), we convened over 100 community members and partners from Austin, Albany Park, Roseland, West Ridge, and Belmont Cragin to advocate for statewide investment in strategies rooted in healing, wellness, and safety in support of the Grounded in Community: An Agenda For Creating a Healing-Centered State platform. Through a youth-led rally and legislator office visits, youth leaders, adult allies, and community partners deepened community ties, strategized, and collectively demanded a healing-centered Illinois. As stories varied, the demand remained consistent—we reserve the right to live in a state that prioritizes our safety, wellness, and healing through comprehensive solutions driven by community-led initiatives within communities across Illinois. Our advocacy will continue as we organize with youth leaders and community members to advance the Healing Through Justice (HTJ) framework while demanding investment in systems of care and a shift away from systems of harm. Thank you to our Advocacy Day partners for helping us make yesterday happen: Community Renewal Society, Access Living, All Stars Project, Inc., Indo-American Center, National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter, and Strengthening Chicago's Youth (SCY) at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago! Check out the platform: https://bit.ly/HCS2 #advocacyday2024 #healingthroughjustice #healingcenteredstate #mentalhealthawarenessmonth

Join us, Reimagine Richmond, and Movimiento Poder tomorrow, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. CT, for the National Community Conversation: Alternatives to Policing event as we seek to explore the present and future of community safety. Coming from Chicago, IL., Richmond, CA., and Denver, CO., the panelists have an extensive background in grassroots community organizing and seek to work within their communities to create systems of community safety that can adequately and uniquely respond to community crises and concerns without the need of armed force. We will ground the community conversation in our jointly released Alternatives to Policing: How U.S. Cities Are Advancing Community Safety by Taking a Multidisciplinary Approach report which calls for alternatives to policing through restorative approaches that strive to foster safe and healthy communities. 🌟 RSVP for the community conversation: https://lnkd.in/gM73kKm8 ✊🏽 Check out the full report: https://bit.ly/4aRNQBl #communitycare #communitysafety #alternativestopolicing #safety #communityorganizing #chicago

On EP 31 of #BeingMePodcast, Dr. Taiwo Alonge, MD, MPH, interviewed Jermal and Meyiya about their work with Communities United, highlighting their Healing Through Justice initiative and sharing their advice on how mental health providers can support youth. Streaming now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube Music! #teenmentalhealth #mentalhealth #socialjustice #WithTeensInMind #BeMeApp

The Chicago Board of Education announced its plan to end Chicago Public Schools’ School Resource Officer program and expand the Whole School Comprehensive Safety Plans framework throughout Chicago Public Schools (CPS), a framework grantee partner Communities United has helped to expand for 15 years. The Whole School Comprehensive Safety Plan is a part of CPS’ effort to create a more holistic approach to school safety — reimagining safety and developing trauma-informed safety plans with the help of community organizations. This is a huge victory for Communities United and youth organizers in Chicago, and a step toward investment in the wellness and safety of all CPS students. Learn more about the long-term organizing efforts that pushed this win to the finish line: https://buff.ly/3v18hfD #CommunitiesUnited #ChicagoPublicSchools #PolicinginSchools #WholeSchoolComprehensiveSafetyPlan

🚨National Report Drop🚨 Our communities need tailored public safety systems and approaches that are rooted in community engagement, wellness, and restoration, not systems that focus narrowly on the use of violent force and mass criminalization. Here's an overview of the Alternatives to Policing: How U.S. Cities Are Advancing Community Safety by Taking a Multidisciplinary Approach report co-written by the University of Denver's Social Movement Support Lab. This report analyzes how the current police system is failing our communities, how 50 U.S. cities are building effective ways to meet community needs, and what your community can do to begin building systems of community care. Full report: https://bit.ly/4aRNQBl Join us, Reimagine Richmond, and Movimiento Poder on Wednesday, April 3, for the National Community Conversation: Alternatives to Policing event to learn about our efforts to build systems of community safety and care. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gM73kKm8 #Communitycare #CommunitySafety #Alternativestopolicing #Safetyawareness #CommunityOrganizing #Chicagoland