For the staff team at Back2Back Cincinnati, a key focus in their work is community advocacy and access. “We want to empower all 52 neighborhoods of Cincinnati to have access to needed resources and the opportunity to name those who need that access the most,” shared Chris Cox, Back2Back Cincinnati Director.
Back2Back Cincinnati staff empower communities within 52 neighborhoods to advocate for themselves through trauma-informed training, strategic partnerships, and holistic neighborhood-based collaboration. This fosters safe spaces and sustainable, community-led growth.
Rooted in collaboration, Back2Back Cincinnati’s partnership and training team partners with like-minded organizations to provide trauma-competent care training, equipping families, youth, and leaders with the skills to respond with compassion, awareness, and restorative practices. Our goal is to serve communities and empower them to establish lasting systems of support, equity, and opportunity.
In communities where established partnerships are in place, connection groups are being implemented, allowing children and adults alike to learn about the emotions they’re feeling, how to name them, and how to self-regulate and help others regulate when needed. Staff at each HUB (Hearts Unite & Become), co-created neighborhood spaces where children, youth, and families can connect, learn, and grow together, are trauma-informed and provide training to those who need it, along with collaboration through the Juvenile Justice Initiative and connecting with people who can offer assistance and access.
Currently, five connection groups are being run in three different local schools and one community space. Together, schools and Back2Back staff are creating capacity for connection, education, and growth rooted in trauma-informed approaches. Resilience, support, and lasting transformation are fostered, allowing cycles of poverty and trauma to be broken. 232 youth are currently being impacted by these groups across Cincinnati, and classrooms are already seeing a decrease in disruptive behavior. Educators are receiving the same pieces of training and opportunities as their students, allowing them to truly invest and understand the youth they’re teaching every day.
Back2Back knows we cannot be everywhere, but when resources are leveraged with holistic care in mind and shared open-handedly, more youth and families are impacted in positive ways. One person, one organization, cannot accomplish it all, but when we come together, for the good of future generations and true healing, hope is born, and it doesn’t stop moving.
Please join Back2Back in prayer for the many ways communities are joining hands to provide safe spaces and life-changing resources to the populations who need it most. Together, we won’t stop until every child and family is known & loved.
