PortalYSU faculty member advances trauma-informed care partnerships in Rwanda
Faculty Spotlight
Sherri Harper Woods, associate professor of social work at Youngstown State University, is continuing an ongoing guest-faculty visit in Rwanda, where she is leading trauma-informed care training and strengthening partnerships that support future YSU student learning experiences.
During the visit, Harper Woods facilitated a six-hour professional development conference Aug. 30 at the Catholic University of Rwanda in Huye. The conference brought together graduate students and health professionals in nursing, midwifery, public health, social development and counseling psychology.
The training focused on trauma-informed care practices, vicarious trauma, self-care and the Community Resilience Model, which offers practical skills to support emotional regulation and resilience.
“By the conclusion of the trainings, participants will demonstrate increased knowledge of trauma-informed care, recognize the impact of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout, implement sustainable self-care practice and apply Community Resilience Model Skills to support personal wellness, professional effectiveness and community healing,” Harper Woods said.
Harper Woods also teaches a social and emotional well-being course for undergraduate midwifery students during orientation week at African Health Sciences University in Kigali. This year, she is welcoming the program’s third cohort of midwifery students.
The work is particularly significant in Rwanda, where many health care professionals provide care to people affected by trauma, illness, loss and other major life challenges. Harper Woods said the training helps participants develop compassionate, culturally responsive approaches to care while recognizing and managing the emotional impact of caregiving.
“My hope is that participants leave with tools they can use for themselves, their patients and their communities, ultimately strengthening the capacity for healing and resilience within Rwanda’s health care system,” she said.
Harper Woods and her husband, Troy Woods, cofounders of the nonprofit Mind, Body, and Soul Asset Development Center, are also co-facilitating a workshop for high-conflict couples connected to the Family Circle of Love Lab Organization, a Huye-based nonprofit that works to end sexual and gender-based violence and empower women. The workshop incorporates faith-based practices while addressing communication, conflict, trust and family relationships.
In Kigali, the couple will co-facilitate a one-day conference at Emmaus Family Center on self-forgiveness, guilt, shame, attachment and faith-based mental health practices. Emmaus Family Center provides trauma-informed psychoeducation, faith-grounded practice, and community-rooted approaches to help families in the aftermath of trauma, violence, conflict, and grief as families walk towards lasting wholeness.
Harper Woods said the visit continues to share her work as an educator, trauma therapist and community leader.
“One of the most important things I have learned from my Rwanda colleagues, students and community partners is the value of cultural humility and the importance of understanding trauma through a cultural lens,” she said. “They have taught me that healing is deeply connected to community, relationships, faith and culture.”
She is meeting with partners including Mental Health Hub Rwanda, the Global Engagement Institute, King Faisal Hospital and Amizero y’Ubuzima, which supports children and youth with disabilities. Those relationships support the Rwanda Service Learning and Community Engagement course, which Harper Woods co-instructs with Mary Shortreed of YSU’s nursing program.
The course, planned again for spring 2028, gives YSU nursing and social work students opportunities for cross-cultural, interdisciplinary learning and service. Harper Woods also has been invited to return to the Catholic University of Rwanda in August 2027 to lead a weeklong conference using a train-the trainer model that will help students share trauma-informed and community resilience practices within their communities.
Her work in Rwanda also has influenced YSU curriculum. A wellness course she developed for African Health Sciences University’s midwifery program is now offered at YSU titled, Trauma-Informed and Self-Care Practices in Healthcare and Public Health.
“These partnerships help students develop cultural humanity, global awareness and a deeper understanding of trauma-informed and strengths-based practice,” Harper Woods said.
Through her continuing work in Rwanda, Harper Woods is building reciprocal relationships that enrich both the communities she serves and the students she teaches at YSU. Her partnerships with Rwandan health care providers, universities and community organizations give YSU nursing and social work students opportunities to learn alongside global partners, practice cultural humility and see how trauma-informed care can be adapted across cultures. The relationships also bring new perspectives back to her teaching, helping prepare future professionals to provide compassionate, strength-based care in their own communities.