Baltimore City received $250,000 as part of the Culture of Health Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

According to WYPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Baltimore City was recognized this year for exemplary work in the use of trauma-informed care to improve mental health in the community. The Culture of Health prize is awarded annually to communities where people and organizations are collaborating to build positive solutions to barriers that have created unequal opportunities for health and wellbeing. Councilman Zeke Cohen spearheaded the effort for the city government to work with local nonprofits, like Healing City Baltimore, to train city employees in trauma-informed care. Baltimore started with the library system where they set up a peer navigator program and peer advisory council.

According to the WYPR article, some 2,500 people have been served across the program operating in the city’s seven libraries.

In previous instances libraries would kick out people who were distressed or in crisis. Now, city employees can resource those people and help connect them to treatment for addiction, housing, job training and more. – Councilman Cohen

Councilman Cohen intends for the mindfulness and restorative practices training done in the libraries to be extended across all city agencies. The potential to expand the programs reach opens up more touchpoints for community members to access care and services when they are in need.