AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation Grant to Fund Trauma-Informed Training and Programs at New Orleans Head Start Centers

- New Orleans, La.

Parents of Orleans Parish Head Start kids along with program educators and staff will receive trauma-informed education on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) thanks to a grant from the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation to Total Community Action.

The nonprofit will use the $150,000 grant to create a trauma-informed culture at its 17 Head Start programs in the New Orleans area through:

  • Training its Head Start staff on ACEs and how to work with children, particularly those in minority populations, who have experienced ACEs.
  • Conducting parent education workshops to enhance awareness of ACEs and provide families with effective coping strategies.

"Total Community Action's programs are critical to the well-being of local children and their families," said Kyle Viator, market president of AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, a managed care organization serving Louisiana Medicaid enrollees. "We appreciate the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation's efforts to help them cope with and overcome the adverse childhood experiences that are so common in our communities."

Shown here, from left to right, are AmeriHealth Caritas Director of Community Education Grover Harrison; AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation Director Lauren Maloney; Total Community Action Chief Operating Officer Glenis Scott and President/CEO Thelma French; and AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana Market President Kyle Viator, Behavioral Health Medical Director Dr. Loretta Dumontet, Director of Finance Shannan Herring, and Director of Communications Paula Brooks.

 

The Annie E. Casey Foundation estimates that, as of the 2021-2022 school year, 47% of Louisiana children (PDF) had experienced one or more ACE. Examples of ACEs include natural disasters, divorce, domestic violence, shootings, bullying, and witnessing the death of another person. A substantial body of research shows strong linkage between ACEs and lifelong health outcomes.

"We are grateful to the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation for helping us to better equip our educators and staff to recognize when a child is experiencing ACEs and then be there for that child and their family," said Total Community Action President and CEO Thelma French. "Combining that with the parental education we will now be able to offer, this grant is providing essential support for our community's most vulnerable children and ensuring they can thrive despite the challenges they face."

Foundation leaders presented the grant to Total Community Action at the Dr. Peter W. Dangerfield Head Start Training Center in New Orleans.