Imagine You Receives Grant Funding from North Valley Community Foundation and Almanor Foundation

The Imagine You Project received new grant funding. The grant was awarded by the North Valley Community Foundation and Almanor Foundation, in collaboration with the Dixie Fire Funders Roundtable. It will support the Imagine You Training for Community and Second Responder Resilience. 

As wildfires become more common, the role of secondary responders has emerged as crucial in helping communities rebuild. Late last summer the Dixie Fire burned through five counties decimating the towns of Greenville, Canyondam, and Warner Valley.  Since then, second responders from several agencies have been on the job to help fire survivors cope with their losses and navigate the maze of difficult decisions that make up the recovery process. This work has inevitably taken a toll on their mental and physical wellbeing. 

In response, a group of committed funders have come together to support The Integrative Medical Clinic Foundation and its Imagine You Project to provide training to build the skills and foster the resilience of second responders and disaster case managers helping survivors of the devastating Dixie Wildfire. 

"We know from experience after several years of wildfires that secondary, lasting emotional trauma is both pronounced and often unaddressed," said Kim DuFour, program officer at North Valley Community Foundation. "The Imagine You Training is exactly the type of support our second responders need and often cannot get. We appreciate the Integrative Medical Clinic Foundation for focusing on this important program. We need to care for one another. That includes fire survivors and the people caring for them."

Kim Dufour, Program Officer, North Valley Community Foundation

Since 2017, over 175 disaster case managers and second responders across the state have been trained through the Imagine You training. The training is trauma-informed and designed to provide much needed wellbeing skills and tools to mitigate the effects of the secondary trauma these staff have been exposed to. The training also provides staff with additional skills and tools that support their work with fire survivors, helping them prioritize goals, focus on what matters most, and strengthen their resilience for the long road ahead.