CLICK TO EXPAND
Healing Informed
CCFC’s work is relationship centered and focuses on the gifts (assets) of the youth, family and community in which they live. We emphasis the interconnectedness we have within our communities and work collaboratively with youth and their families to provide a safety net of support. It is important that we provide an intentional space that offers youth the opportunity to connect with elders and we ensure staff, and volunteers model skills for recognizing triggers, calming, centering, and staying present during emotionally pressuring moments. Our work is informed by the culture, gender, age, and other identities of our youth to ensure youth feel connected, safe, and trusting of our staff, volunteers and space. Healing generational wounds to build resilience and coping skills is key in our approach to transformational healing. Self-care for youth, families, staff and volunteers is weaved into the fabric of CCFC on all levels. We acknowledge trauma can be central to development and a wide range of adaptations in which youth make decisions therefore we focus on supporting the healthy development of youth within what we can the four domains of healing and good health. Our organizational journey is that of healing harm/hurt and emotional, mental and spiritual wounds.
Culturally Rooted
CCFC’s work is rooted in the cultures, traditions, and ancient teachings of the youth and communities we serve. In a society that has shamed youth for cultural behaviors, beliefs, folklore and practices, CCFC knows these are strengths that need to be honored and cultivated. Ancestral and historic traditions are weaved into every aspect of the organization. We root our work in community values that are intergenerational to cultivate a sense of identity, belonging, and kinship. CCFC works to cultivate a strong sense of community support mirroring an extended family to strengthen the sacred circle embracing them.
Restorative & Transformative
CCFC has continued to embrace values that focus on healing harm caused by crime and supporting youth in changing behaviors.
CCFC has taken Restorative Justice to a deeper level of Transformative Justice and captures TR by taking the principles and practices of Restorative Justice beyond the criminal justice system. It is a way of practicing accountability which acknowledges individual experiences and identities and works to actively resist the criminalization of youth, keep them in school, out of the criminal justice system and transform decision making.
The focus of TR is to begin a journey of transformational healing for youth, families, and community by focusing on the root causes of harm (crime) while creating a safety net of support for youth. This is done by addressing chronic stress. generational wounds and trauma, lack of support and resources to develop empathy, heal the harm, and transform behaviors.
Transformative Justice also actively works to transform systems that cause harm to particular communities, especially communities of color such as the poverty, under resourced schools and communities, the cradle to prison pipeline, the war on drugs, and the prison industrial complex among others.
Racial Justice
In 2011 the founders of CCFC (known as VORP at the time) recognized various forms of societal issues rooted in racialized oppression impacted the lives of youth in the Metro Denver area in very negative ways and race was at the forefront of that oppression. There continue to be extreme disparities in education, incarceration, those living in poverty, and in health. Youth of color face various forms of violence rooted in racism and oppression that includes ideological (ex: stereotyped as criminals), institutional (ex: school to prison pipeline), interpersonal (ex: being feared as criminal, woman clenching purse when Black youth enters elevator) and internalized (ex: joining a gang). It is critical we not only acknowledge racism is a very real thing in the everyday lives of our youth but we work to provide a space that compensates for the racism they experience. We work to provide an equitable environment and interactions with youth and families that incorporate direct conversations about how racism causes harm and trauma. CCFC sees advancing racial justice at the core of our work and we build a knowledge base and tools to dismantle racism.
Healing Informed
CCFC’s work is relationship centered and focuses on the gifts (assets) of the youth, family and community in which they live. We emphasis the interconnectedness we have within our communities and work collaboratively with youth and their families to provide a safety net of support. It is important that we provide an intentional space that offers youth the opportunity to connect with elders and we ensure staff, and volunteers model skills for recognizing triggers, calming, centering, and staying present during emotionally pressuring moments. Our work is informed by the culture, gender, age, and other identities of our youth to ensure youth feel connected, safe, and trusting of our staff, volunteers and space. Healing generational wounds to build resilience and coping skills is key in our approach to transformational healing. Self-care for youth, families, staff and volunteers is weaved into the fabric of CCFC on all levels. We acknowledge trauma can be central to development and a wide range of adaptations in which youth make decisions therefore we focus on supporting the healthy development of youth within what we can the four domains of healing and good health. Our organizational journey is that of healing harm/hurt and emotional, mental and spiritual wounds.
Culturally rooted
CCFC’s work is rooted in the cultures, traditions, and ancient teachings of the youth and communities we serve. In a society that has shamed youth for cultural behaviors, beliefs, folklore and practices, CCFC knows these are strengths that need to be honored and cultivated. Ancestral and historic traditions are weaved into every aspect of the organization. We root our work in community values that are intergenerational to cultivate a sense of identity, belonging, and kinship. CCFC works to cultivate a strong sense of community support mirroring an extended family to strengthen the sacred circle embracing them.
Restorative and Transformative
CCFC has continued to embrace values that focus on healing harm caused by crime and supporting youth in changing behaviors.
CCFC has taken Restorative Justice to a deeper level of Transformative Justice and captures TR by taking the principles and practices of Restorative Justice beyond the criminal justice system. It is a way of practicing accountability which acknowledges individual experiences and identities and works to actively resist the criminalization of youth, keep them in school, out of the criminal justice system and transform decision making.
The focus of TR is to begin a journey of transformational healing for youth, families, and community by focusing on the root causes of harm (crime) while creating a safety net of support for youth. This is done by addressing chronic stress. generational wounds and trauma, lack of support and resources to develop empathy, heal the harm, and transform behaviors.
Transformative Justice also actively works to transform systems that cause harm to particular communities, especially communities of color such as the poverty, under resourced schools and communities, the cradle to prison pipeline, the war on drugs, and the prison industrial complex among others.
Racial Justice
In 2011 the founders of CCFC (known as VORP at the time) recognized various forms of societal issues rooted in racialized oppression impacted the lives of youth in the Metro Denver area in very negative ways and race was at the forefront of that oppression. There continue to be extreme disparities in education, incarceration, those living in poverty, and in health. Youth of color face various forms of violence rooted in racism and oppression that includes ideological (ex: stereotyped as criminals), institutional (ex: school to prison pipeline), interpersonal (ex: being feared as criminal, woman clenching purse when Black youth enters elevator) and internalized (ex: joining a gang). It is critical we not only acknowledge racism is a very real thing in the everyday lives of our youth but we work to provide a space that compensates for the racism they experience. We work to provide an equitable environment and interactions with youth and families that incorporate direct conversations about how racism causes harm and trauma. CCFC sees advancing racial justice at the core of our work and we build a knowledge base and tools to dismantle racism.