Trauma, Healing, and Hope in Springfield, Massachusetts

“We can’t be afraid to look at what hurts us anymore,” said Kimberly Quinonez of Boundless with Kim. “We need to move forward.”

That spirit of honesty, healing, and collective responsibility defined a recent conversation between GPS Group Peer Support CEO Liz Friedman and Black community leaders, pastors, organizers, and mental health advocates from Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield, one of the largest and most diverse cities in the state, has a deep cultural richness and strong community leadership, while also facing longstanding challenges related to poverty, violence, systemic inequities, housing instability, and healthcare access. 

The discussion centered on a reality many leaders on the call know intimately: Communities are carrying enormous levels of trauma, grief, stress, and emotional exhaustion, and too often, people are expected to navigate it alone.

“The group process is such a healing process because it lets you know that you’re not exclusive in dealing with whatever you’re dealing with,” said David A. Lewis Sr., co-owner and clinical director of the African Diaspora Mental Health Association. “When you see that there are people that have gone through it, not just the same, but maybe something worse… then you’re able to open up, you’re able to begin that healing process.”

Throughout the conversation, leaders spoke candidly about supporting residents through violence, incarceration, substance use disorder, grief, and ongoing mental health struggles, often with limited resources but deep commitment to their communities.

For many participants, GPS’s peer support model resonated with them because it prioritizes lived experience and community leadership over outside intervention.

“We teach you the outline of our model, and then you infuse it with the heart of your community,” Friedman explained. “We want this to be in your hands, so you can expand the resources for the people that you love and are serving.”

Co-Pastor Johnetta Baymon of MASStrong partner Deliverance Center Ministries and the  Royal Heritage Women’s Institute spoke passionately about the impact she believes this work can have on women carrying trauma and unspoken pain.

“GPS empowers them to really dig in,” Baymon shared. “To get more out of the conversation and to come out of it better.”

She described the importance of creating spaces where healing can lead to transformation. “At the end of the day, you want people to get that breakthrough. And to feel that they’re becoming their best selves.”

Baymon also made clear that the leaders involved in this work are deeply rooted in the communities they serve.

“Nobody on this Zoom call just parachuted in,” she said. “We’ve been out here for a long time.”

That message echoed throughout the conversation. In addition to Deliverance Center Ministries, the Royal Heritage Women’s Institute, the African Diaspora Mental Health Association, and Boundless with Kim, the gathering included leaders connected to the Clearer Vision Foundation and the Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr. Resource Center, all organizations already engaged in grassroots healing, mentorship, advocacy, and community support across Springfield.

For Friedman, that existing leadership is exactly why GPS created the MASStrong initiative: to place tools, training, and healing resources directly into the hands of trusted community members already doing the work.

“I know you all are going to bring this right to the heart of the community in need,” Friedman said. “I just see things getting harder, and I see that people are gonna have to hold each other more.”

Quinonez spoke about that responsibility with urgency and hope. “I just want to help individuals start that healing process,” she said, stressing the importance of healing. “Healing is not a sign of weakness, it is an act of courage. Every person who chooses to face their pain, seek support, and take one step forward is helping to build a stronger family, a stronger community, and a stronger future. No one should have to walk their journey alone, and together we can create spaces where hope, healing, and transformation are possible for everyone. Healing is not about forgetting what happened to us; it is about refusing to let it define who we become.”

By the end of the conversation, what emerged was bigger than a single program. It was a picture of a growing network of trusted community leaders committed to expanding healing spaces in Springfield and ensuring people do not have to struggle alone.

The need is urgent. The leadership is already there. And as the leaders on the call made clear, community-rooted healing cannot wait.

Bring MASStrong to Your Workplace

GPS’s MASStrong program offers free GPS trainings, support groups, curriculums, and toolkits for Massachusetts medical, behavioral health, and community care workers and organizations. Eligible organizations can also apply for GPS partnership support and grants up to $10,000.