Colorado Resilience Collaborative
Fighting Targeted Violence
The Colorado Resilience Collaborative (CRC) is an interdisciplinary initiative that supports those impacted by targeted violence due to radicalization and discrimination, focusing on race/ethnicity, nationality, faith, and ideology. We utilize a trauma-informed, culturally competent and inclusive approach. Our work promotes understanding, healing and help for individuals impacted by targeted violence, as well as for those recruited into groups that advocate violence as a solution.
Insight.
Healing.
Action.
Our Work
The Colorado Resilience Collaborative uses a well rounded approach to address and combat targeted violence through research, education, and consultation.
- We conduct evidence based, interdisciplinary research to inform and improve all practices.
- We promote education by offering workshops, trainings, forums, and other opportunities for knowledge sharing.
- We provide professional clinical consultation to organizations working with traumatized individuals and populations.
In addition, we work to develop collaborative partnerships with a wide variety of organizations in order to support personal, social, cultural and political action.
Our 2020 ReportOur Four Step Logic Model
Our Partnerships
We take a socioecological approach that examines a complex web of factors and connections in our efforts to address targeted violence. This allows us to consider targeted violence from various perspectives as we work to develop and recommend ideal responses. Our current partners include:
- Challenge Denver
- Street Fraternity
- Denver Police Department’s Bias-Motivated Crimes Unit
- Aurora Police Department’s Co-responder program and Crisis Services
- Anti-Defamation League
- Department of Human Services
- DHS Collaborative Management Program
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Office of Behavioral Health
- Department of Public Health and Environment
- The Center on Colfax- LGBTQ services and support
- Interfaith Alliance
- Islamic Society of Denver
- Aurora Public Schools
- Department of Corrections
- Nicoletti-Flater Associates
- Safe-2-Tell
- Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Attorney’s Office
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
We are grateful for this community-wide initiative as well as the collaborations and resources provided through these partnerships. Check out this resource guide from the Colorado Coalition Against Hate below.
Resource Guide
International Disaster Psychology: Trauma & Global Mental Health
The CRC was developed through our Master of Arts in International Disaster Psychology: Trauma & Global Mental Health program. Our program is recognized for Innovative Graduate Training by both the American Psychological Association and the National Council of Schools in Professional Psychology and is the first master’s degree program of its kind in the nation.
Research & Program Opportunities
We believe that research is crucial to continue and improve the work that we are doing. Some of our ongoing research and program efforts include:
- State-wide strategic planning efforts, including a report for Colorado, funded by the National Governor’s Association
- The use of the Nominal Group Technique in Colorado and abroad with Harvard and NATO
- Expanding our network and providing more consultation and training services to the community and front-line workers
- A Rose Foundation grant to provide outreach in counties surrounding Denver
- Increasing our presence in Colorado schools through our work with Challenge Denver
- Training students and developing a workforce with experience in community-based programming
- Developing new International Disaster Psychology internship sites in partnering countries such as Canada, Austria, Sweden, and Sri Lanka
Meet the Director
Dr. Rachel Nielsen
Dr. Rachel Nielsen is the Director of the Colorado Resilience Collaborative, a program at the University of Denver established through the Graduate School of Professional Psychology's Master of Arts in International Disaster Psychology. Her specialties include trauma, behavior, and forensic psychology. She has over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, and is passionate about interdisciplinary, community-driven efforts to combat complex issues. She enjoys supervising the talented graduate students who work in the CRC each year. She also currently works for Nicoletti-Flater Associates, a public safety psychology organization, to provide psychological services to first responders, including prevention and recovery after traumas, community violence, mass casualties, and disasters. A native of Tennessee, Rachel moved to Colorado to complete her education at GSPP, (MA Forensic Psychology 2003, MA Clinical Psychology 2017, PsyD Clinical Psychology 2018) and to learn to snowboard and raise a family in this beautiful state.
