The Vouch and the Work of Collective Healing: Rise Up with Black Women Survivors of Domestic Violence in Newark
Keywords:
Black women, domestic violence, credible messengers, collective healing, community and clinical partnershipAbstract
Access to healing requires more than the availability of services. It also depends on whether survivors can approach those services without surrendering dignity, cultural belonging, or control over their own stories. This reflective practice essay examines Rise Up!, an eight-week healing circle developed at the Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center in Newark, New Jersey. Writing from the perspective of a credible messenger and co-creator, I consider how lived experience, collective reflection, and clinical partnership shaped the work. Particular attention is given to the vouch, a trusted community member’s introduction of a clinician into an existing relationship of care. Drawing on Black feminist thought and healing-centered engagement, I argue that this invitation carries obligations of accountability rather than guaranteeing trust. The essay offers practice recommendations for shared leadership, survivor choice, safety, and community-led evaluation. It presents lessons from practice, not evidence of program effectiveness.
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