Hope and Healing

Barry’s Center for Human Rights and Social Justice, in the School of Social Work, aims to create a safe, stable and inclusive society for everyone, particularly those who are marginalized and underserved.

With a mission that includes advancing crucial human rights and social justice initiatives, the Center, working closely with community partners, focuses on issues such as combatting human trafficking, preventing sexual violence and creating inclusive communities for sexual and gender diverse individuals.

That mission was strengthened with recent gifts from The Ortega Foundation and Our Fund, whose contributions are helping the Center remain responsive to community-based needs.

The Center offers targeted training, education and research, including providing trauma-informed programs to the public. The caring staff members also work directly with trauma survivors, using interventions that are culturally relevant. Some trauma leaves visible scars, but all trauma leaves deeper, invisible wounds.

Facilitator Carolina Rios incorporates the creative arts and uses contemplative and mindfulness-based methods, conducted in English and Spanish, with the Hispanic women in her Survivors of Sexual Assault program. The self-compassion emphasis increases their resilience and overall mental well-being.

While these specific, evidence-based methods are new to the Center, they have had proven positive results with similar populations.

Gifts to the Center help provide scholarships that fund paid positions for Barry students, who in turn make an immediate and lasting positive difference in the South Florida community. To learn more about the Center, contact Smilka Melgoza at 305-981-8182 or smelgoza@barry.edu.