YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted our most vulnerable and underserved communities; in particular, middle school and high school students served by YWCA’s Phyllis Wheatley Center in East Knoxville have endured enormous trauma over the past year. Therefore, YWCA seeks funding for Supporting Youth Experiencing Trauma (SYET), an evidence-based program that utilizes the SSET (Support for Students Exposed to Trauma) Curriculum. This curriculum was developed for students who have been exposed to trauma and are exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The curriculum is a non-clinical adaptation of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) Program. SYET will address the root causes of trauma symptoms (fear, anxiety, depression, aggression, self-destructive behavior, feelings of isolation, poor self-esteem, difficulty trusting others, substance abuse, and delinquency). SYWCA currently receives partial funding for this program from United Way of Greater Knoxville and is seeking diverse funding streams to sustain the program in the future.