2020 Health + Justice Series: The Trauma of Incarceration

The second event in our Health & Justice series featured a conversation with Gayle King of CBS News, Susan Burton, founder and president of A New Way of Life, and Elizabeth Benson Forer, executive director and chief executive officer of Venice Family Clinic. Burton recounted the traumas she experienced before, during and after serving time in prison, and how she was able to find a new way forward once she received support from Venice Family Clinic — including starting her own nonprofit to help other women after incarceration. Forer further emphasized the importance of taking a trauma-informed approach and integrating mental health support with primary medical care. The two leaders also touched upon disparities in the health care system.