When children experience trauma, they learn that the world and the adults around them aren’t safe or predictable.
Handle With Care is a very simple communication between schools and police to better support students exposed to traumatic events.
Resilient Lehigh Valley is a community-driven effort to promote hope, healing and resilience in youth, families and communities through building a trauma-informed Lehigh Valley.
To date, Resilient Lehigh Valley has provided trauma-informed care training to more than 15,000 educators, health-and-human-service professionals, law-enforcement members and parents, achieved a dramatic increase in the number of Lehigh Valley schools now adopting a trauma-informed model and launched a regional Handle With Care partnership with schools and first responders to better support children exposed to traumatic events, receiving over 900 Handle With Care referrals since its launch in 2020.
“This is such an important initiative at United Way because it’s all about supporting kids. What are we as a society if we’re not helping our kids address and overcome barriers?”
Beth Tomlinson
Resilient Lehigh Valley Co-Founder
United Way invests in social-emotional skill building, mental health and mentoring services.
United Way Community Schools remove barriers to education, so students, families and communities can thrive.
Resilient Lehigh Valley fosters hope and healing for Lehigh Valley youth and families through trauma-informed practices.
In the News
District Attorney, Law Enforcement and School Officials Review Resilient Lehigh Valley Handle With Care Program
District Attorney Jim Martin praises United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Resilient Lehigh Valley, school officials and law enforcement on the first year of Handle With Care Program