Earlier this month, Sen. Dick Durbin visited READI Chicago to announce new funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support gun violence prevention research, including for READI.
A staunch supporter of evidence-based programming and a regular visitor to READI, Durbin advocated for the inclusion of $25 million to support gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NIH.
“The one thing I’ve learned through my life is the power of redemption, and READI is a nationally recognized effort doing just that,” Durbin said. “Despite experiences that would have devastated anyone, [these staff and participants] have turned those experiences into positive changes in their lives and the lives of others.”
A portion of the newly announced NIH funding will go to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to develop and test pilot the FOREST program, which is intended to help READI staff and participants continue to build resiliency and transform difficult experiences into positive change. The FOREST program principles will help front-line READI staff learn and practice skills to help reduce the impact of firsthand and vicarious trauma.
“Too often, we celebrate resiliency without capturing the journey from the starting point through the end,” said READI Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra, who joined Durbin at the announcement. “Progress is not linear, and for the first time we have an administration acknowledging that our men are worthy of investment. This is an opportunity to make sure our whole country, and not just Chicago, benefits from what we’re learning through READI.”
