The Chicago Caregivers Course, a two-day symposium to introduce a new approach to supporting caregivers of veterans, police, firefighters, first responders, and trauma victims in the city of Chicago, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 21 and 22 at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Street in Chicago.
The symposium will serve to pilot an ongoing caregivers course that will be offered beginning this summer (2023) and taught at Malcolm X College by faculty from the University of Chicago and City Colleges of Chicago. It is free and open to the general public. In-person and virtual attendance options are available for the symposium. Registration is now open.
“As a member of the community, part of City Colleges of Chicago’s mission is to serve others and this course will offer the critical support needed by those who are helping others heal from trauma,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado, City Colleges of Chicago. “Wellness is something we support every day within our colleges and we are thankful to be able to expound on the work with this course offering.”
“This program is unique in that it broadens the scope of outreach to trauma victims beyond the veteran community,” said Terrell Odom, Director of the University of Chicago’s Office for Military-Affiliated Communities (OMAC). “We believe that this is one of the first courses of its kind geared toward trauma victims as a whole. Different communities encounter trauma differently, but all caregivers and victims are experiencing similar challenges.”
The summer course will be a four-week program that teaches caregivers how to practice self-care for themselves, perform basic first aid, safely move patients, care for wounds, and connect to various community resources.
“Trauma doesn’t discriminate whether you are on active duty, a veteran, first responder, or a civilian. Everyone potentially could be impacted by it. One way we can all help is by learning more about how to best support not only the victims of trauma but those who provide the care for the victims,” said Darryl Williams, Vice Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago. “The Caregivers Course available at Malcolm X College this summer will work to strengthen support systems for those impacted by trauma. It will help assist in the healing process and connect caregivers to the resources they deserve. We are very proud to be a partner in this critical work.”
The symposium is offered in partnership with the University’s OMAC; Office of Civic Engagement; UChicago Medicine Trauma Center; and the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. External partners include the City Colleges of Chicago, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Malcolm X College (MXC) enrolls thousands of credit and non-credit students annually, and MXC is City Colleges’ center of excellence in Health Science education with a state-of-the-art campus that includes the School of Health Science and School of Nursing, featuring a virtual hospital. MXC has been recognized for its best-in-class student and staff recruitment and retention practices, inclusive learning and working environments, and meaningful community service and engagement opportunities. MXC also oversees the largest ensemble of Health Science programs in the State of Illinois and boasts one of the best Nursing programs in the state as recognized by Registered Nurse.com.
MXC is one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, a community college system in Illinois, with more than 3,800 faculty and staff serving more than 50,000 students annually. City Colleges’ vision is to be recognized as the city’s most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity – empowering all Chicagoans to take part in building a stronger and more just city. Learn more about City Colleges of Chicago at www.ccc.ed
