The mission of the Chester Street Foundation (CSF) is to educate the community about the insidious impacts of trauma during childhood and adolescence. In Texas, almost a quarter of youth have been exposed to at least two or more adverse experiences (i.e., domestic violence, abuse, loss of a parent, a caregiver with chronic substance abuse concerns) annually, with over 60,000 cases of abuse and neglect confirmed statewide (Texas Kids Count, 2018). The physical and emotional scars of abuse and neglect are profound, resulting not only in the immediate expression of disruptive behaviors, post-traumatic stress symptoms, poor school outcomes, toxic stress, or the prolonged activation of the stress response system in the brain and body. We established the Chester Street Foundation to provide a voice for traumatized children and educate our community, particularly those on the front lines of the issue. No child should have to live a life imprisoned by panic, rage, and helplessness. We believe education is a critical component to helping traumatized children on their road to recovery and have designed our education programs for the community at large and professionals who are on the frontlines of this issue, including educators, healthcare professionals, and organizations working with children.

Our strategy to fulfill our mission is to educate our community on the science behind trauma and the ways to help traumatized children heal and recover. It’s not just about hurt feelings and troubling emotions; it’s much deeper and is rooted physiologically. Trauma remains wired in the body and brain. Whenever it triggers its victims, it causes them to relive the panic and terror of their original trauma over and over. These wounds are not visible to the human eye, but they are very real and left untreated can cause chronic health issues which last a lifetime. Our education programs include TraumaTALKS for the community, TraumaTRAININGS for professionals, and our inaugural TraumaCONFERENCE. All education programs are given by Chester Street Foundation’s Founder and CEO, Shawn Alex Nemeth (a trauma survivor), along with other licensed mental health professionals.

Shawn Alex Nemeth’s personal story is filled with the trauma of child abuse, shame, and deep internal conflict. As an ordained minister, he did everything he was taught to do while attempting to help others heal. For years, he spent countless hours in prayer, pastoral counseling, and hard work to forgive his abusers. In 2009, Shawn had to be hospitalized with chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the severe trauma his therapists said had been encoded in his brain and body when he was a boy. But even though he was traumatized by a tumultuous childhood, Shawn found the strength to recover and to thrive. This experience ignited him on a quest – not only for his own wholeness – but with a new passion and purpose to help abused children heal and recover. That’s why he established the Chester Street Foundation.

We collect data from each educational program.

-We have designed education programs for the community at large and professionals who are on the frontlines of this issue, including educators, healthcare professionals, and organizations working with children. Our education programs include TraumaTALKS for the community, TraumaTRAININGS for professionals, and our inaugural TraumaCONFERENCE. -We started a partner's initiative-- partnering with organizations and individuals who provide direct services to help traumatized children heal and recover. -We produce a quartely newsletter to keep people informed about our programs and how they can get involved. -We've also expanded our reach through posdcasts and virtual talks.