Jackson County

Population: 75,907

Lead Implementing Partner (County-Level): Jackson County Family Connection Council

Desired Outcomes:

• Increased economic wellbeing for Jackson County
• Decreased instances of child abuse and neglect

Collaborative Goals:

• Educate collaborative partners and community leaders on root causes of poverty (mental health, substance use, housing insecurity, COVID-19 job loss, and adverse childhood experiences)
• Regional emphasis on trauma-informed awareness and care, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and child sexual abuse training to transform systems and procedures across sectors by
  1. Promoting coordinated trauma-informed practices across systems
  2. Advancing workforce through recruitment, education, and development
  3. Building a common language and awareness/understanding of adversity/resiliency
  4. Advocating for changes across Policies, Programs, Systems, and Environments, incorporating a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion lens
  5. Developing a sustainable model of collaborative action for the region

Jackson County Family Connection Council focuses on initiatives that strengthen the county’s mental health and capacity for self-sustainability by working with local partners and stakeholders to improve outcomes related to poverty, economic prosperity, mental health, substance use, and housing insecurity. In collaboration with Resilient Northeast Georgia’s trauma-informed communities initiative, Jackson County Family Connection Council will help provide community training events that build a common language and understanding of the impacts of trauma at the individual, family, and community levels.

As a part of the Resilient Northeast Georgia coalition, Jackson County Family Connection Council’s collaborative board is partnering with local service providers and the community at-large to strengthen a community approach to trauma prevention and mitigation through the lens of poverty reduction. A key part of this strategy will be achieved through workshops and training offerings designed to increase community capacity and knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences around the county.

Listed below are some initiatives Jackson County Family Connection Council is providing to the community: