Vincent French, Diversity Officer for the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office in Rochester, New York, shares his powerful personal story of growing up in the foster care system and how that experience has shaped his commitment to trauma-informed practices. This episode touches on:
- The importance of embracing compassion, empathy, and vulnerability when working with marginalized populations in the justice system
- How the Public Defender’s Office is incorporating trauma-informed lawyering to better support their clients, as well as initiatives like the “Defense of Tomorrow” program that exposes high school students to careers in public defense
- The transformative impact of storytelling on healing and resilience
- Real-world applications of trauma-informed principles and the profound impact they can have on individuals, communities, and systems