Assembly Resolution No. 432

BY: M. of A. Solages

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        May 2023, as Trauma-Informed Care Month in the State
        of New York

  WHEREAS, Traumatic experiences affect millions of individuals in New
York State and can affect the mental,  emotional,  physical,  spiritual,
economic, and social well-being of an individual; and

  WHEREAS,  Adverse childhood experiences, referred to as ''ACEs," can
be traumatizing and, if not recognized, can  affect  health  across  the
lifespan  of  an  individual  and,  in some cases, result in a shortened
lifespan; and

  WHEREAS, ACEs are recognized as a proxy for toxic stress, which  can
affect  brain  development and can cause a lifetime of physical, mental,
and social challenges; and

  WHEREAS, ACEs and trauma are determinants of public health  problems
in New York State such as obesity, addiction, and mental illness; and

  WHEREAS,  Trauma-informed care is an approach that can bring greater
understanding and more effective ways to  support  and  serve  children,
adults, families, and communities affected by trauma; and

  WHEREAS,  Trauma-informed  care is not a therapy or an intervention,
but a  principle-based,  culture-change  process  aimed  at  recognizing
strengths and resiliency, as well as helping people who have experienced
trauma  to  overcome  those issues in order to lead healthy and positive
lives; and

  WHEREAS,  Adopting   trauma-informed   approaches   in   workplaces,
communities,  and  government  programs  can  aid  in preventing mental,
emotional, physical, and social issues  for  people  impacted  by  toxic
stress and trauma; and

  WHEREAS,  Trauma-informed  care has been promoted and established in
communities across New York State,  including  many  different  uses  of
trauma-informed care being utilized by various types of entities; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Department of Family Assistance and the Department of
Mental  Hygiene  provides  substantial  resources   to   better   engage
individuals   and   communities  across  New  York  State  to  implement
trauma-informed care; and

  WHEREAS, Numerous state  agencies  have  integrated  trauma-informed
approaches  into programs and grants that those agencies administer, and
those agencies could benefit from closer collaboration; and

  WHEREAS, State recognition through a trauma-focused awareness  month
will  help  to  deepen  the  understanding  of  the nature and impact of
trauma, the importance of prevention, the impact that ACEs can  have  on
brain  development,  and  the  benefits  of  trauma-informed  care; now,
therefore, be it


  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize  Governor  Kathy   Hochul   to   proclaim   May   2023,   as
Trauma-Informed Care Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.