PRINTER'S NO. 642
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
102
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY TARTAGLIONE, KEARNEY, HUGHES, CAPPELLETTI,
COMITTA, KANE, FONTANA, MILLER, DILLON, CULVER, HAYWOOD,
COSTA, BREWSTER AND SCHWANK, APRIL 25, 2023
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, APRIL 25, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2023 as "Trauma Awareness Month"
and May 25, 2023, as "Trauma Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Trauma is the response that an individual has to a
deeply disturbing or stressful event that affects the
individual's ability to recover and impacts the individual
mentally or physically, or both; and
WHEREAS, Being trauma-informed recognizes the presence of
trauma, which results from past traumatic experiences, and the
role that trauma plays throughout someone's life; and
WHEREAS, On an organizational level, being trauma-informed
changes organizational culture to emphasize respecting and
responding to the effects of trauma at all levels in people's
lives, including experiences or trauma that affects their
identity, relationships with others and their world view; and
WHEREAS, Healing in all policies is necessary, but community
healing will only occur when we acknowledge the historical harms
done to individuals; and
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WHEREAS, The effects of traumatic exposures on humans are
detailed in research over the last two decades from the evolving
sciences of neuroscience, molecular biology, public health,
genomics and epigenetics; and
WHEREAS, Research reveals that experiences, such as a
community trauma and individual trauma, result in significant
impacts at the micro, meso and macro health system levels; and
WHEREAS, We recognize that all individuals experience trauma,
not only from situations, such as a pandemic, but also from
ongoing social injustice practices; and
WHEREAS, The trauma awareness campaign will continue beyond
the month of May and lay the foundational groundwork for more
public/private partnerships in the future; and
WHEREAS, May 25 marks a historic chapter in advancing this
Commonwealth and improving the physical, mental and emotional
health of residents of this Commonwealth through trauma
awareness; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is a pioneer State in its efforts to
become healing-centered; and
WHEREAS, Continued progress toward being healing-centered in
communities, organizations and families and as individuals
requires reform in policies, practices and the current
narrative; and
WHEREAS, Successful efforts for the full participation of
every resident of this Commonwealth to become trauma-informed
require the recognition of the vital importance of creating a
foundational unified front in fostering awareness, providing
resources and facilitating healing; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania stands with the national movement,
#WeHealUS, to continue down our path to support a Statewide
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trauma coalition through HEAL PA; and
WHEREAS, All individuals and leaders must recognize that
trauma exists and has widespread effects, must recognize the
signs and symptoms of trauma and must respond proactively and
resist retraumatization; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of May 2023 as
"Trauma Awareness Month" and May 25, 2023, as "Trauma Awareness
Day" in Pennsylvania.
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