Tonight Wisconsin Public Television kicks off its new documentary, Not Enough Apologies: Trauma Stories, on PBS stations. The network received a $1,300 Spark Grant from the Bright Idea Fund within the Community Foundation and a $3,000 grant from the Waupaca Area Community Foundation Fund to host Connected Communities: Fostering Deeper Understanding of Trauma Informed Care, including engagement events to raise awareness and provide education with a specific focus on young learners, parents, caregivers and teachers.

By Kira Story, Wisconsin Public Television

May is designated Trauma-Informed Care Awareness Month. Our new documentary, Not Enough Apologies: Trauma Stories, explores the effects of traumatic experiences on children and adults and new responses to it. It goes inside juvenile courtrooms to understand the world of children in need of protection and services and, as a judge featured in the program decries, the “child welfare to adult prison pipeline.”

Viewers will learn how adverse childhood experiences can cause changes in the brain and result in cascading behavioral and mental health problems. It tracks survivors of trauma and their lived experiences, including repeated foster care, treatment center and juvenile prison placements.

Not Enough Apologies: Trauma Stories shows several examples of places across the state working to be responsive to trauma in efforts to change the trajectory for affected children. Wisconsin is regarded as a model for its response to trauma. Among other best practices, the documentary focuses on Waupaca County’s leadership in developing a trauma-informed model aimed at keeping families together instead of placing children out of home.

WPT is conducting a robust statewide engagement campaign—with specific focus in the Fox Valley region— around the release of the documentary. Our goal is to connect community stakeholders to achieve heightened awareness about the impact of trauma, to share best practices for trauma remediation, and to provide information about accessing community support. WPT places specific emphasis on young learners, parents, caregivers and teachers.

We are collaborating with local libraries, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. We’re especially grateful for support from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region!

You can make the Bright Ideas burn even brighter by adding your support.

Check out our current Bright Idea Fund results from 2018 – 2019!
See how our Bright Idea Fund impacted our community last year.