Sustainable and resilient cities cannot exist without a well population, and mental health is central to wellness. Mentally healthy and productive adults are born out of well-functioning systems of childhood care. As societies strive for long-term mental health solutions in urban populations and beyond, it is essential to address sources of generational trauma and provide intervention and services for marginalized youth and young adults. This effort explores answers to the question: “How might we employ design thinking to develop a Center of Excellence model for reshaping child welfare services in urban environments in Perú and across Latin America?” The aim is to develop an enhanced Center of Excellence Training Toolkit for caretakers that considers diverse modes of communication across digital and physical spaces and infuses principles of human-centered design thinking and health literacy. This endeavor focuses on the urban environment of Ica, Perú for the initial pilot and has the potential to drive significant positive mental health outcomes for marginalized youth in Perú and Latin America, with additional potential to serve as a global model. Collaborators include Jefferson MS Health Communication Design faculty and students, Jefferson Trauma Education Network faculty, the international non-profit Health Bridges International, Universidad Católica Santa Maria (Perú), and the Peruvian NGO Paths of Hope.

• Stephen DiDonato, PhD, LPC, NCC
  Associate Professor
  Stephen.DiDonato@jefferson.edu
• Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel
  Assistant Provost,
  Associate Professor and Program Director
  Maribeth.Kradel-Weitzel@jefferson.edu