Lionheart’s EQ2 Program Implemented in Massachusetts Teen Parenting Programs
By now we all know that caring for youth really does take a village. And thanks to support from the Gardiner Howland Shaw and J.W. Alden Foundations, Lionheart has been able to strengthen the “villages” of 8 residential programs overseen by the MA Department of Children and Families serving teen parents, their babies, and the staff serving them by providing EQ2 at no cost. In addition to providing the EQ2 Learning Management System, app, Handbooks, and Facilitator Guides, Beth Casarjian, Lionheart’s Clinical Director and creator of EQ2, has been facilitating the first EQ2 groups in each of the programs, providing in-person training for the staff who will conduct the remaining sessions. As one participant said,
“EQ2 will help us tremendously…If the residents feel supported and not belittled, they will stay and continue to make strides.”
These grants have also supported an incredible collaboration between The Lionheart Foundation and Dartmouth College’s DALI (Digital and Applied Learning and Innovation) Lab in designing and developing a new version of the EQ2 app with increased interactivity and personalization. Designers from DALI as well as the amazing lead design team from the Boston Foundation’s Catchafire have been piloting and revising the app based on feedback from staff. Once completed, the app will deliver powerful tools that promote self-regulation, self-care, and increase staffs’ ability to provide trauma-informed care. Because the truth is, youths’ ability to grow and heal is largely dependent on the well-being of those caring for them.
So a big shout out to our funders for helping us help the villages where youth who have been harmed by trauma can find safety, sanctuary and hope.
Click here to learn more about EQ2.