At the grand opening of AM Higley’s Morristown office, it was announced that JBWS was the winner of their Construction Management Services contest. The organization will be donating their services to JBWS to develop designated wellness spaces inside of the agency’s emergency shelter and transitional housing buildings.
A key element of JBWS’ WISH, new Wellness Initiative Supporting Health, these spaces will be able to accommodate numerous healing modalities such as meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, physical exercise, and soothing music.
“Trauma is a constant element in the work at JBWS,” explains Diane Williams, president of JBWS. “Integrating ongoing on-site/accessible wellness activities will improve the health of all who partake.”
Our JBWS staff members are empathically listening to survivor’s traumatic stories daily and observing the impact of these experiences. In some cases, this secondary trauma can lead to post traumatic stress responses similar to those survivors being served.
Available to both survivors of domestic violence and JBWS staff, these rooms will be designed to combat the mental and physical impact of trauma. Over these last two challenging years, JBWS provided residential services to 181 adults and 160 children, legal advocacy to 2,120 victims, abuse prevention counseling to 578 adults, 1,167 interventions with victims in police stations, fielded 7,290 helpline calls, and provided educational opportunities to 17,523 teenagers on developing healthy dating relationships.
“Addressing the trauma of both survivors and those staff on the frontline who serve them strengthens and creates healthy families and builds strong communities in Morris County,” says Diane Williams. “We are so grateful to AM Higley for choosing JBWS as the winner of their Construction Management Services contest and helping us make these wellness rooms a reality.”