MONDAY MEMO #43
- Resilient Georgia
- Aug 18
- 5 min read
Happy Monday, partners! Welcome to your weekly Monday Memo. This week we have compiled a variety of gun violence prevention resources, as well as resources and opportunities for education, healthcare, professional development and veterans. Before we dive in, here are some reminders and highlights from the RG Team:
RG UPDATES
Resilient Georgia is excited to once again offer the Positivity and Relaxation Training (PART) program, led by Tara Jones from Resilient Coastal Georgia, this fall from October 13th-December 8th. This free 9-week program helps reduce stress, boost well-being, and build resilience through techniques like meditation, improving sleep and physical activity, and cultivating positivity. Sessions are 1.5 hours each week. If you’re interested in participating, please submit the interest form here.
Updated 2025 Conference List: RG updated our conference list for 2025! Check out the full list of future conferences here and find your next professional development opportunity!
Thank you to those of you who attended our Lunch and Learn last week with our partners from the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. A recording of the session will be uploaded on our website soon! SAVE THE DATE: Our next Lunch and Learn will be September 11th.
August Round Calls: This month’s Round Calls are scheduled next week as follows. Please ensure at least one member from your coalition is able to attend!
Round 1: Friday, August 29th 10am Round 2: Tuesday, August 26th 11am Round 3: Thursday, August 28th 1pm Round 4: Tuesday, August 26th 2pm Round 5: Monday, August 25th 2pm
Coalition Spotlights
Resilient North Georgia: RNG and Wellroot Family Services is continuing to offer FREE, virtual Reaching Teens trainings monthly on August 28th, September 25th, October 23rd, and November 20th. Reaching Teens is a trauma-informed, strength-based training that equips youth-serving professionals with practical communication strategies to support adolescent resilience and well-being. Based on Dr. Ken Ginsburg’s evidence-based model, it focuses on building trust, fostering positive relationships, and empowering teens to navigate challenges. Explore and sign up for trainings here. Please share with your networks and youth-serving partners!
Resilient Coastal Georgia: Join the Mediation Center for their annual community event “Peace in the Park” on September 28 from 1-4 PM at Daffin Park in Savannah, GA. There will be resource tables, music, and art. Come be apart of building a peaceful and resilient community!
Call to Action: Violence Prevention
According to Georgia Majority for Gun Safety, in the past month, 37 people were shot in Atlanta over four days, with additional mass shootings at Ft. Stewart and near Emory. Georgia’s gun violence rate is among the highest in the nation and Georgia has some of the weakest gun safety laws. Georgia Majority for Gun Safety is a nonpartisan coalition working to reduce gun violence through evidence-based, widely supported safety measures that protect both public welfare and constitutional rights. We encourage you to make your voice known by writing, calling, or emailing your local representative and state leaders. Please check out the following violence prevention resources and articles below:
AJC: Youth Programs Lower Gun Violence – Police credit youth engagement programs like At Promise for recent declines. Atlanta organizations like Girasol Wellness, led by Dr. Jordan Murphy of CISP, are sustaining grassroots efforts to reduce gun violence through community-based programs and violence interrupter initiatives, while evidence-based approaches such as Chicago’s “Choose to Change” program show how cognitive behavioral therapy can help at-risk youth reframe their thinking and avoid violent behavior—demonstrating that long-term advocacy, community engagement, and targeted support can work together to make communities safer. You can check out Girassol Wellness’s The Brave Space Podcast for more information on gun violence prevention and intervention efforts. Another powerful example comes from Roca—a national nonprofit dedicated to relentlessly disrupting violence, incarceration, and poverty by engaging young adults, law enforcement, and systems to heal trauma, offer hope, and drive meaningful change.
Urgent Call to Action: Protect Violence Prevention Funding The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has frozen CDC funding for FY2025 for key programs—including ACEs, firearm and youth violence prevention, and state injury prevention work—despite Congressional approval. This threatens our critical efforts that save lives and build resilient and safe communities. We encourage you to contact your members of Congress today to urge them to reverse this restriction, just as they did for the NIH. Your voice can help restore these vital funds. Take Action Here.
Education
Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures | Kid Pro Quo: In the latest episode of Kid Pro Quo, host McKinney speaks to Emory University pediatricians, Dr. Veda Johnson and Dr. Terry McFadden on how school-based health centers. The pair share about their work with Partners for Equity in Child and Adolescent Health and trauma-informed care. Listen to the episode here.
The Georgia School-Based Behavioral Health Collaborative is excited to announce the CSRA Regional School Based Behavioral Health Forum September 12th, at Augusta University. Hosted in partnership with CSRA RESA , Augusta University School of Public Health Our partners at , and Resilient Communities of East Georgia coalition, the forum will bring together school administrators, support staff, mental health professionals, and community leaders to share resources and highlight regional efforts in school-based mental health.
Healthcare
Shattering the Stigma: Trauma-Informed Care for Healthcare Heroes | September 16 @ 12pm – 1pm EST Pediatric healthcare professionals often operate under high-stress conditions, with exposure to secondary trauma, burnout, and moral distress affecting both mental health and professional longevity. This 1-hour American Academy of Pediatrics webinar, by Dr Dena Hubbard, will explore how the principles of trauma-informed care (TIC) can be applied not just to patients, but to support the well-being of healthcare providers themselves. Join this webinar to better understand how adopting a trauma-informed approach can enhance individual well-being, team dynamics, and the overall health of healthcare systems. Register here!
Rural Mental Health
A Guiding Hand: $1.7M Grant Expands UWG’s Impact on Rural Mental Health | UWG: Dr. Caisey Crawford of the University of West Georgia was awarded a $1.7 million federal grant to support rural students. The grant will support aspiring school counselors through critical hands-on training and expand the school's counseling program. Read the full story here!
Professional Development
Holistic Therapist Conference 2025: The Holistic Therapist Conference is hosted for therapists, mental health professionals, and healers to learn how to integrate holistic and trauma-informed care into their practice and leadership. This is a three day conference is October 24-October 27 at the Lola in Atlanta. Register here.
ELPNO - J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development: Join ELPNO, a program for nonprofit leaders to learn how to improve the effectiveness of their organization. The week long program will run from January 11-16, 2026 in Athens, Georgia. Participants get to engage in daily workshops, network, and build personal leadership skills. Applications are due November 3, register here.
Veterans
Beyond the Uniform: Navigating U.S. Military Veteran Workplace Stigma and Mental Health Literacy in Work Performance: Give an Hour is seeking input from U.S. military veterans to improve workplace support systems. Veterans are invited to complete a short, anonymous survey—“Beyond the Uniform”—by August 31, 2025, to share their experiences with workplace stigma and mental health. The survey takes 8–15 minutes, is best on a phone or Chrome browser, and includes an optional sweepstakes entry for a $500 TV. Not a veteran? You can still help by sharing the survey to ensure more veteran voices are heard and contribute to more inclusive, supportive workplaces.