Community Care in Action: Trauma-Informed Resources for Times of Collective Harm

Supporting Communities Through State-Sanctioned Violence: Resources for Therapists and Community Members

The trauma we're witnessing isn't abstract. It's unfolding in real time across our communities. ICE operations have resulted in fatal shootings, family separations, and the systematic terrorization of entire neighborhoods. As trauma therapists, we know that state-sanctioned violence doesn't just harm individuals directly targeted - it reverberates through families, workplaces, schools, and social networks, creating layers of collective trauma that require collective response.

We've compiled resources, tools, and immediate action steps for therapists working with impacted communities and for anyone seeking ways to respond with solidarity and skill.

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What's Inside This Resource Guide:

Grounding Practices for Acute Dysregulation

• Orienting exercises to reduce hypervigilance after exposure to enforcement actions
• Titrated media exposure protocols to prevent vicarious traumatization
• Pendulation techniques for moving between distress and safety

Rapid Response & Legal Support

• Rapid response hotlines and toolkits by city
• Community bail funds and legal accompaniment resources
• Know Your Rights materials in multiple languages
• Red card protocols for ICE encounters

Community-Based Healing Approaches

• Mutual aid networks and accompaniment strategies
• Culturally-informed grief and collective mourning practices
• Faith-based support organizations
• Trauma Recovery Networks through EMDRIA's Humanitarian Assistance Program

Evidence-Based Research

• Peer-reviewed studies linking enforcement operations to mental health outcomes
• Documentation of trauma impacts on children in educational settings
• Public health perspectives on state violence

Therapist Education

• TTI's EMDR for Recent Events and Early Interventions (now offered at reduced pricing for accessibility)
• Clinical frameworks for working with immigration-related trauma

DOWNLOAD RESOURCE GUIDE HERE

We Don't Heal Alone

Trauma therapists understand something fundamental: healing isn't an individual process. It's relational, communal, and requires both immediate safety and long-term solidarity. The violence we're witnessing demands more than clinical intervention. It requires us to show up as whole people, with our skills, our presence, and our commitment to communities under siege.

Whether you're a therapist supporting clients directly impacted by enforcement actions, an mental health educator noticing trauma responses in your classrooms, or a community member looking for concrete ways to respond - these resources are for you. Use what serves. Share what helps. And remember: your nervous system needs tending too. Witnessing state violence is traumatizing work.

We're here. We're not going anywhere. And we're committed to supporting therapists and communities through what's unfolding with skill, resources, and unflinching solidarity.