2021 COMBAT Funding: $52,800.00

In Reconciliation Services' Own Words

The Reconciliation Services (RS) REVEAL—Restore-Engage-Value-Encourage-Act-Lead—Program offers a comprehensive approach to individual and community healing through evidence-based therapeutic services under the direction of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and case manager assisting clients with rent/utilities, ID/document assistance and dental/medical needs. This combined approach empowers individuals to build resilience, find healing from trauma and depression, and reduce personal and community violence by bolstering social determinants known to influence violence as a choice.

Reaching Individuals Would Not Seek Services Elsewhere

RS reaches individuals who would not seek therapeutic services elsewhere. Our clients do not seek help for mental health struggles or they defer treatment due to mistrust of institutions, lack of transportation, lack of understanding of the effects of trauma, and because of the stigma associated with mental illness. Our community-embedded, non-institutional environment enables RS staff to build trust, educate neighbors, use de-escalation and nonviolent communication to help neighbors find alternatives to violence, and make referrals to REVEAL.

Addressing Unmet Needs

The REVEAL Program provides an environment and services that seek to address violence prevention by increasing neighborhood strengths, encouraging pro-social behavior to build community cohesion, and addressing unmet community and individual needs for social and mental health services. We offer an effective community intervention for violence prevention. We equip, educate and support individuals to help them find healing and resource, and we encourage them to participate in improving the health and safety of their community—the healing work applied here is felt throughout the community.

All Clients Below Poverty Level

We serve a predominantly African American (78%) population located within Jackson County, where 18.7% of residents suffer food insecurity—a 2020 projection in light of COVID-19—meaning they lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. All of our clients are below the federal poverty line and our area scored 96.7 (100 being the worst) on the 2020 SocioNeeds Index, which measures socio-economic need correlated with poor health/mental health outcomes.

Level Of PTSD As High As Returning Veterans 

Our clients mirror results of National Institutes of Health studies showing rates of depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in poor, high-risk urban populations in the U.S. are as high as in returning veterans. The study indicated that “effects of traumatic stress need to be considered as a major environmental challenge that places an individual's physical and psychological health equally at risk” and an additional barrier to life-recovery and wellness.

These conditions coupled with high instances of mental health illness—Health Forward Foundation of KC reports 1 in 10 adults in Jackson County Missouri suffer serious mental illness—put individuals at a higher risk for homicide, suicide, accidents, chronic cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, and substance abuse. Recent community surveys indicate that 33% of our clients witnessed violence in the last six months; 43% were victims of violence in the last six months; and 14% had been convicted of a violent crime.

Suite Of Services

The RS REVEAL Program offers a suite of services free to clients, including:

• Case Management
• Group Therapy
• Individual Therapy
• Aftercare Support Group

We use evidence-based practices, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), aimed at combating faulty thinking patterns related to traumatic events
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which alleviates distress associated with traumatic memories and helps identify emotional triggers
• Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which focuses on mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance and emotional regulation
• Skills Training in Affective Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), which alleviates PTSD symptoms through emotion regulation and improved interpersonal function
• Seeking Safety curriculum, which addresses PTSD and substance abuse issues.

Participants in REVEAL will see measurable improvements to their mental health and will increase their social cohesion and community connections, with 70% reporting a decrease in symptoms of depression and/or PTSD. Additionally, 70% of participants who were also receiving case management reported meeting one or more of their personal goals for recovery.