The Flint ReCAST (Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma) Program is intended to assist high-risk youth and families in the City of Flint impacted by the Flint Water Emergency (FWE). Flint ReCAST seeks to promote resilience and equity through implementation of evidence-based violence prevention and community youth engagement programs, as well as linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services. Flint ReCAST envisions the greater Flint community working together in ways that lead to improved behavioral health, empowered community residents, reductions in trauma, and sustained community change.
Flint ReCAST is a program of the City of Flint and the Greater Flint Health Coalition serves as the facilitation partner for the program.
Goals of Flint ReCAST:
- Behavioral Health: Increase the capacity of trauma-informed practices and strengthen the integration of behavioral health services to improve equitable access
- Race & Equity: Establish a co-learning and empowering process to address racial and social inequality in our community inclusive of participatory approaches
- Youth Support & Development: Increase capacity and implementation of evidence and community based youth engagement programs through community partnerships to promote positive youth development
- Public Safety & Violence Prevention: Improve law enforcement practices and policies by aligning and expanding initiatives aimed at building relationships in the community
Opportunities for Resilience
Using a community-engaged model that builds on past partnerships and experience, a Community Advisory Board was established. The purpose of the Flint ReCAST Community Advisory Board is to guide, empower, and promote the work of the ReCAST program in accordance with the specified five project goals, with an emphasis on the focused population of at-risk youth and families impacted by the Flint Water Emergency. The Community Advisory Board and its members is a multi-sector representation of diverse perspectives and experience in regard to supporting the community at large and the project’s focus area of at-risk youth.
The Flint ReCAST Community Advisory Board meets monthly and includes representation from Flint residents, youth serving community organizations, the health care community, academia, public safety and local institutions. A full member list of the Flint ReCAST Community Advisory Board is available above.
Programs and Practices
Flint ReCAST Community Advisory Board will review and select programs and practices through community driven processes. Strategies will include trauma-informed approaches applied in community engagement programs, evidence-based violence prevention, and trauma-informed behavioral health services, each being culturally and developmentally appropriate. Peer support models will be a priority consideration. Because of the Flint Water Emergency, the identification and capacity building of trauma-informed practices, including behavioral health resources has already begun.
Flint ReCAST intends to support family strengthening and youth engagement and resilience based on recommendation of the ReCAST steering and community committees, which will identify new and existing (in Flint) programs that are a good fit for Flint, and are evidence supported.