Trauma Focused Therapeutic Community Gardens© – (TFTC Gardens), are indoor/outdoor spaces designed for trauma-informed recovery of at-risk populations. These spaces create ways of connecting with others and for vocational training. By forming this organization we are making sure this concept remains in the public domain for community access and affordable use, with prior research always being acknowledged, while maintaining an ethical and transparent use of public funds.
This is a mental health initiative designed to promote positive emotional well-being using indoor and outdoor spaces. These spaces will introduce trauma-focused care initiatives to encourage emotional recovery and the building of resiliency skills. It is now known that environments whether indoor or outdoor will have an impact on our emotional well-being.
For example, can we expect young people in lock and key facilities to be able to improve social and emotional skills in a facility without a specially designed therapeutic space? A TFTC Garden or indoor space is designed using resiliency strategies. Students can learn how to express themselves using color codes, pacing pathways, music, deep breathing, yoga, water features, and sensory plants – all to promote a positive new start.
Students and staff can work on resiliency strategies together. There can be shared healthy conversations about life in the garden. Above all, as described by a Juvenile in a Detention Center, “they will give me a chance to leave a message for others by leaving a plant or an artwork to let other new students know that there is hope.”
This is a step forward in social equity for at-risk populations – a space, where for the first time, deeper self-learning can take place. Resiliency skills will reduce the risk of suicide, improve mental well-being and provide a skill set to help reduce the risk of recidivism. We cannot expect young people to know what they don’t know. Our aim is that these spaces will provide a legacy of emotional expression and recovery.
“These emotional expression spaces can be specifically designed for both public and private use, in any setting and for any age group. We all need little things to help us with our emotional wellbeing.” Natasha Donnelly, PhD