Resilient NC presentation urges a cross-sector backbone to coordinate trauma‑informed work

Doctor Graves, presenting on behalf of Resilient NC, urged state and local partners to bring scattered trauma‑informed and resilience initiatives into a coordinated statewide platform. The presentation described an eight‑point strategy drawn from dozens of interviews and modeled on other states’ rollouts, and highlighted recent state changes including a division on child and family well‑being and an Office of Violence Prevention.

Graves said the chief justice of North Carolina has launched an ACEs Informed Task Force to make court processes more trauma responsive, and stressed that “what gets measured gets done” as a rationale for investing in shared data systems. Resilient NC recently launched a centralized website, resilientnc.org, to host trainings, shared language glossaries and social‑media resources that local communities can adapt.

The strategy calls for (1) a durable cross‑sector backbone to reduce duplication and preserve political independence; (2) statewide training and workforce development tied to continuing education; (3) shared measurement and data tools; (4) local coalition and peer‑connection supports; and (5) public‑private partnerships to sustain funding. Graves said the group is weighing whether the backbone should sit in government, a nonprofit, or a hybrid structure and that final organizational functions are still being clarified.

Funding and staffing were recurring themes: Graves noted new state funding streams and non‑recurring appropriations that have been converted to recurring support in the past, but added that many initiatives remain underfunded and will likely require braided funding from multiple sources. The presenter directed attendees to the Resilient NC executive summary and one‑pager for details and invited follow‑up questions.

The presentation closed with an invitation to leverage existing groups—NC Child, Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, and the Cape Fear Collective—for measurement and local implementation. No formal action was taken by the Commission during or after the presentation.