We help individuals and organizations develop approaches which are holistic and responsive, building both healthier work cultures and improving health, wellness, behavioral and educational outcomes for those you serve.
We customize our approach to help you grow. Your tailored solution may include assessment, training, coaching, and change management support to ensure you have the framework, knowledge, and tools to transform at the individual, organizational, or system levels.
As a partner through the whole journey with our clients, we live the values we promote. CCSI approaches our work from a trauma-responsive, strength-based, equity-focused point of view. We meet our own clients exactly where you are and provide you with opportunities for successful growth.
We help you understand your impact and opportunities for growth. CCSI can support you in implementing measurement and evaluation strategies that make sense for your resources, needs, and priorities.
Trauma-Responsive Services
Providing a roadmap for change to promote healing, recovery, and resiliency. Trauma-Responsive Practices not only improve engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes for the people served, but they also create cultures where staff can flourish. We begin by identifying current strengths and areas for development, and then partner with you on your unique journey towards building a trauma-responsive culture. We help you to create a workplace that promotes the well-being of your staff so that they are best positioned to deliver high-quality, effective services and supports
Recognizing that individuals are the experts about their own lives. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a best practice that values a “way of being” with others that supports their autonomy and confidence. MI recognizes that individuals feel safe and consider change when they experience compassion and radical acceptance from the practitioner. We provide MI training and coaching to equip staff with enhanced skills to engage individuals in identifying their goals and exploring how they would like to achieve them. This collaborative conversation style places the individual in the center. The practitioners’ gentle guidance and support relies on their skill of deeply listening to understand the values and worldview of each person they serve.
Trauma-Informed Education
Knowing that learning requires a leap of courage. Through the Consortium of Trauma, Illness and Grief in Schools (TIG), we train and prepare school professionals to transform their practice and inform procedure and policy to best meet the holistic needs of students. Schools and institutions are supported to implement effective crisis plans using evidence-based crisis response skills. TIG Teams within a region link to one another and draw from other Consortium resources to create a self-sustaining Crisis Response Network that can be accessed in times of greatest vulnerability.
Strengthening the hub of the neighborhood. Community Schools are both a place and a set of partnerships provide a network of support based on student, family and neighborhood need. Resources such as health/dental care, mental health services, employment, and social services are centralized to increase access and coordination. Supported by a Lead Agency, each Community School has a Site Coordinator who activates and maintain this hub of community resource partners so the school can remain focused on delivering rigorous and relevant instruction. CCSI can assist with all aspects of the establishment and maintenance of a community school, including staffing support.
New York State Trauma-Informed Network and Resource Center
Advancing trauma-informed care throughout New York State. The NYS Trauma-Informed Network was established in 2018 through support from the NYS Office of Mental Health to advance an understanding of trauma, the use of trauma-informed principles across sectors, and the availability of trauma-informed care throughout NYS. Over the past five years, the value and impact of a trauma-informed approach has increased as organizations recognize the stressful and traumatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, and violence in our communities. In 2023, OMH made a substantial commitment to enhance and expand the Network to support capacity development for a Resource Center. The expanded NYS Trauma-Informed Network and Resource Center will foster collaboration, create networking opportunities, serve as a clearinghouse for resources and training, and provide support and technical assistance for organizations that seek to implement trauma-informed principles within their structure and practice.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Building inclusive and equitable workplace cultures. When we welcome and empower team members to show up at work as their true selves, the results are amazing! An organization dedicated to continued growth must be equally committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our team integrates practical methods with scalable strategies and robust analytics to transform your culture. We deliver a tailored learning and development experience, coaching, antiracist education, and strategic planning partnership, to create meaningful and sustainable change at all levels within your organization. In addition to enhancing internal culture, our work positions customer facing organizations to enhance service capability resulting in better health outcomes for the populations served.
Empowering students, educators, and communities to explore the history of racism and civil rights. The Antiracist Curriculum Project team has worked with students, educators, and community members in the co-creation, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum and instructional resources about Rochester’s local history of racism and civil rights. These resources allow learners to explore and interpret their local history through rich primary sources, with the goal to cultivate more informed and engaged community members, to build a more just and equitable society. Watch this video to learn more.
Elizabeth Meeker, PsyD
As the Co-Director for CCSI’s Center of Excellence for Equity-Focused Trauma-Responsive Practice, Elizabeth Meeker, PsyD, leads a team of talented professionals who provide training, coaching, consultation and practical tools to make equity-focused, trauma-responsive practices a living, breathing part of systems, organizations and daily work. She is a seasoned consultant working with a broad range of […]
Kesha Carter, CDP, PHR
Kesha Carter is the Chief Diversity Officer for CCSI. There she leads the organizational strategy on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and antiracism. She has facilitated DEI workshops, conversations, and trainings, both locally and nationally. Prior to coming to CCSI, Kesha developed policies and programs to attract, retain, and promote a diverse workforce. In another previous […]
Meet Our Team
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Cheryl Martin, MA, RN, Master CASAC
Integrated Health Trainer & Clinical Consultant
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Amy Scheel-Jones, MS Ed
Director, Trauma Informed Care & TIG
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Deb Salamone, MS Ed
Senior Consultant
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Kathy King
Training Developer & Producer
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Jenna Velez, LCSW
Senior Consultant
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Marie Gillum
Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant
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John Pavlack
Consultant
Our Work
10 Lessons Learned on Essex County NY’s Journey Toward a Trauma-Informed System of Care