We believe that the Institute of Trauma and Economic Justice’s transdisciplinary approach to increasing positive experiences in both children and adults will bring communities closer together- county by county, one city at a time, particularly within BIPOC communities that have shared lived experiences marked by the trauma of systemic racism and discrimination. We aim to shift the paradigm away from creating a one size-fits all solution to leverage the good already being done in a community and amplifying it which will in turn be a catalyst for more programs creating a multiplier effect. In essence, we hope to create a supply and demand economy around positive experiences. In the process ITEJ makes access to these experiences equitable to those who need the healing doses the most. We aim to remove obstacles as they are identified and generate new opportunities for shared positive experiences to become the norm. We believe the benefits to the community will be measurable in the form of youth violence reduction, overall crime reduction, improved perceived health, and better health outcomes.

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Dr. Keyon S. Payton,
Founder/CEO