“An Enemy Is A Person Whose Story We Have Not Heard”
- Author unknown

HEAL CHICAGO VISION

Heal Chicago envisions vibrant, connected, healthy communities where all residents are seen, heard and valued.

OUR MISSION

Heal Chicago’s mission is to address the impact of societal marginalization and isolation by equipping everyday residents with the skills to build community, engage one another, develop meaningful connections, and foster resilience.  Heal Chicago is rooted in the belief that community happens through the sharing of our stories.

HEAL CHICAGO PROGRAM

Heal Chicago Workshop: An emotional resiliency program (originally piloted at Heartland Alliance) that addresses participants feelings of stress, burnout, and isolation through the use of emotional intelligence training. Heal Chicago helps build the skills necessary to spot and change systemic and interpersonal bias that separates us, and prevents our great city from reaching its potential.

PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN:

  • Understanding systems bias vs. interpersonal bias

  • Understanding how different types of interpersonal bias, including confirmation bias, manifest in personal and organizational processes

  • Tools to recognize, respond & prevent bias in all arenas of our lives

  • Ability to stay present in uncomfortable conversations

  • A process for de-personalizing conflict

  • Capacity to develop relationships and cultures of trust

  • Spotting bases & microaggressions that show up in communication

  • Allowing room for intent not judgement

  • Understanding our own communication and conflict styles

  • Tools for interrupting bias & repairing harm

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

1.

ACTIVE LISTENING

The foundation of all Heal Chicago programs is ‘Active Listening.’ Active Listening is a practice that gives us the experience of uninterrupted focus from someone who is holding space for our story.

The listener does not trying to fix, advise, manage or in any way affect outcome. Active listening allows individuals to feel heard.to access flexible thinking, and reduce stress enabling connection.

2.

UNDERSTANDING PARADIGMS OF SELF

The second component of the program helps participants understand the lens of personal identity and how it provides us with our unique way of looking at and interacting in the world.

When people begin to see themselves in these contexts, they can begin to de-personalization conflicts that so often causes disconnection and extreme stress.

Widening the lens of identity empowers us to decide instead of react to stressful situations. Understanding the the myriad ways we form identity helps participants to increase self-determination.

3.

IDENTIFYING PERSONAL & SOCIETAL STRESSORS

The third component examines burnout, stress, fear and grief.

We talk about ways to identify the signs of these often debilitating emotions in ourselves. We come to understand our own role in perpetuating unhealthy cycles of stress and burnout.

We learn to think in new ways about our growth through our struggles and to implement ways to care for ourselves and connect with others using the resources we have.

"Chicago has never had a moment where we all say, we’ve all gone through similar things, and we need healing. How can you have policy reform on top of trauma that goes back decades, if that trauma is never dealt with?"

—Che "Rhymefest" Smith

4.

DEVELOPING TRUST and Creating Connections

The fourth component of the Heal Chicago program offers participants the opportunity to build connection through interpersonal trust.

Through the sharing of our stories we have created the trust necessary for authentic connection.

These new relationships, built outside our normal silos, reduce our isolation, stress, and fear of other empowering us to live a fuller more resilient life.