Investment from Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies helps Boys & Girls Club staff engage in trauma-informed trainings.
After spending months learning specialized techniques to create a welcoming environment for youth who may have experienced some form of trauma, Laura Magnotta is ready to start implementing what she’s learned at the Connecticut-based Wakeman Boys & Girls Club. She’s among the first cohorts to receive the training through an investment from Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies.
As a Boys & Girls Club staff member, Magnotta knows the value of training in trauma-informed practices. She has seen firsthand the impact of trauma on kids. She’s also seen firsthand how staff need the right tools to help kids feel safe and supported.
"Our staff want to be here. They love what they do. They love the kids,” says Magnotta. “But day-to-day, it can be hard. A lot of staff are asking, 'How can we do more for our Club youth?'"
A partnership that makes the training possible
In 2023, BCBS companies committed $10 million to help Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BCGA) scale exposure to trauma-informed (TI) practices in all 5,000+ Clubs across the country.
"The partnership between Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies and Boys & Girls Clubs of America is supporting Club professionals at every level to be trauma-informed in their work with young people. This truly gets at the heart of our mission at Boys & Girls Clubs. Families and children will know, even before they walk in our doors, that they will be treated with emotional and physical safety at all times."
Laura Magnotta, director, Safety and Leadership Development for the Connecticut-based Wakeman Boys & Girls Club