The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene will provide training on the impacts of trauma for the public from 9:30 to 11 a.m. March 14 at the James Prendergast Library, 509 Cherry St., Jamestown.

The training will be provided free of charge and is open to all community members.

The training will provide an overview of the effects of trauma on individuals. It will include important information regarding the impact of trauma on children, resulting in potential carry-over into adulthood.

“This training came from feedback from a previous training I had done,” said Vito Randazzo, Mental Health Department training coordinator. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, local behavioral health professionals have seen an increase in higher-risk cases with more intensity. The pandemic itself was traumatic, and many of the community members we serve have a history of trauma. We felt having a better understanding of trauma, and its impacts would be helpful to those that have experienced trauma or are supporting those that have.”

The department has recently offered trauma training for local educators, law enforcement and front-line healthcare workers, but the March 14 training is the first open to all community members. Space is limited, so advanced registration is recommended. To register, contact Debbie Ostroski by email at Ostroskd@chqgov.com or 716-661-8140.