Building Community Capacity | Improving Outcomes

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Welcome to Empowered Connections, a premier training initiative hosted by The Empowerment Foundation. We are dedicated to professionalizing advocacy, expanding grassroots infrastructure, and delivering systemic solutions for reproductive justice and maternal health equity.

What is the Training About?

Our core Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Training is designed to shift the paradigm of how care is delivered to birthing families. In a system where the intuition and needs of marginalized families are frequently dismissed or minimized, this curriculum introduces a critical framework for protection, intervention, and systemic navigation.

The Core Reframe

What looks difficult may be someone trying to feel safe.

When a birthing person exhibits anxiety, anger, mistrust, or withdrawal, a traditional system often labels them as "challenging" or "non-compliant." Our training reframes these behaviors as survival strategies. We teach birth advocates to stop asking "Why is this person being difficult?" and instead ask, "How can we establish a fortress of physical and emotional safety?"

A woman giving a presentation in a classroom or training room, with a projected slide titled 'Module 3: Recognizing Trauma in Clients & Communities,' while a woman with gray dreadlocks and glasses listens. There are tables, chairs, and backpacks in the room.

Key Learning Pillars

Participants dive into comprehensive modules analyzing how trauma manifests dynamically across three main spheres:

  • Emotion: Identifying hidden signs of severe anxiety, numbness, or shame.

  • Behavior: De-escalating and understanding triggers behind withdrawal, active anger, or hyper-compliance (people-pleasing).

  • Relationships: Navigating institutional mistrust, fear of surveillance, and the testing of interpersonal boundaries.

Through this trauma-informed lens, advocates learn to firmly preserve Safety, Choice, and Empowerment throughout pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum "fourth trimester."

Who is it For?

This training is specifically designed for:

  • Community-Based Organizations (CBOs): Expanding organizational capacity to deliver trauma-informed care and handle high-stakes advocacy.

  • Birth Workers & Doulas: Equipping frontline advocates with high-level tools to combat medical coercion, enforce birth plans, and act as a literal buffer against maternal mortality and systemic bias.

  • Community Health Advocates: Empowering leaders to support families navigating the perinatal journey without fear of judgment, state surveillance, or clinical malpractice.


Community Partnerships & Training Sites

Deep advocacy thrives when it is rooted in spaces that reflect community transformation. We are proud to run our specialized training blocks alongside dedicated local institutions.

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The Mothership Center

The Mothership Center serves as our collaborative hub for foundational modules. Here, our advocates gather to undergo initial behavioral cue recognition training, clinical boundary-setting workshops, and baseline research tracking.

A woman stands in a room with pink walls, giving a presentation projected on the wall titled "Why Communication Matters in Trauma-Informed Care". Another person is seated at a table and appears to be listening lightly.
Three women sitting at tables in a room with purple marble wall, butterfly decoration, and framed pictures, engaged in a meeting or class.
A presentation slide titled "Trauma's Impact on the Body" listing effects of trauma including nervous system regulation, stress response, emotional processing, trust and attachment, and perception of safety. The room has display statues and a banner from The Empowerment Foundation.

The Peaslee Neighborhood Center

Our intensive, day-long training sessions find a natural home at the historic Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Peaslee’s multifaceted programming centers on community education, service learning, and active social advocacy. Much like Peaslee's writing circles teach young girls to creatively express themselves and harness the agency of their own voice, our training empowers birth workers to protect, uplift, and amplify the voices of birthing families.

A group of diverse students sitting in a classroom, listening to a woman standing and speaking at the front of the room.
Classroom scene with a woman standing at the front giving a presentation, students seated and listening, colorful walls, large windows, and educational posters.
A classroom or training room with people seated in a semi-circle facing a woman speaker. There is a large screen displaying a presentation titled 'Module 1: Understanding Trauma & Foundations of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC).' Large windows let in natural light, and various tables and equipment are visible around the room.

Get Involved

While our active research cohorts are closed to the general public to maintain study integrity, we are always looking to expand our network of community-based organizations and birth justice advocates for future series.

To learn more about our capacity-building programs, find out how your organization can participate, or stay updated on the upcoming July cohort, please contact us today.

Contact us here
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