Healing Centered Learning

The HealingCentered Learning curriculum combines a trauma-informed care approach with a popular education model that centers trainees and their lived experience as key to their professional development.

HCL works to prepare young people in Philadelphia to address some of the biggest challenges facing their communities, i.e., poverty, community violence, trauma, and access to culturally relevant behavioral health services.

This approach is done via two key programs: the Community Health Worker Peer Training Academy (Training Academy) and the Experiential Learning Program (ELP).

Community Health Worker Peer Training Academy

The Community Health Worker Peer Training Academy, or Training Academy, is a 9-week classroom training program where participants work towards two certifications: one as Community Health Workers (CHW), facilitated internally by CNSJ staff, and one as Certified Peer Specialists (CPS), facilitated by organizational partner Mental Health Partnerships (one of only three organizations in PA credentialed to facilitate this training).

The purpose of the Training Academy is to expand career pathways for young people who have been excluded from such opportunities, and to increase health services to young children, adolescents, and young adults who are most at-risk for behavioral health disorders due to high exposure to violence and trauma.

In June 2025, we proudly celebrated a new cohort of Community Health Worker Peer (CHWP) Training Academy graduates. Over the course of the program, participants built skills in trauma-informed care, community advocacy, and healing-centered engagement. We are so excited to see how these dedicated Community Health Workers will use their new tools to make an impact in their communities.

Check our Instagram page for updates on the next application window.

Experiential Learning Program

The Experiential Learning Program, or ELP, is an optional engagement that immediately follows the Training Academy and assigns each registered participant to a 9-week internship where they work directly with community members.

Participants spend one day per week working with CNSJ staff, and two days per week on site. This experience helps participants apply their classroom learning and certifications immediately in community-based settings, which is a known strategy for ensuring learners truly understand, know how to apply, and will be able to retain their classroom learning.

While this phase of the program is optional to those who complete the Training Academy, an average of 77% of participants take advantage of this opportunity.

In August 2025, we recognized the accomplishments of our Experiential Learning Program (ELP) participants. To close out their internships, the graduates led a teach-back session where they demonstrated the knowledge and skills they developed over the summer. From sharing lessons learned to reflecting on their growth, the presentations highlighted both their commitment and creativity. We are grateful for their contributions and look forward to watching them thrive in their next steps.