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About
The Life After Trauma Organization (LATO)’s mission is to foster empathetic and effective approaches to help children, adolescents and adults to prevent and recover from the full spectrum of trauma in today’s world.
Since LATO was founded in 2014, the mission has focused on creating innovative programs to help children and adults achieve the most desirable and achievable outcomes on their journey toward recovery from trauma.
To realize our mission and achieve our vision LATO’s long-range goals are to:
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develop trauma focused programs to intervene in child traumatic stress disorders.
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create programs to promote recovery from the immediate and long-terms effects
of gun violence trauma.
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provide services and programs to help promote healing for individuals who are
affected by trauma.
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organize and convene forums that will promote and publicize issues concerning
commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Philadelphia, the United
States and elsewhere
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train health professionals and others in trauma focused care.
To achieve our mission and goals, LATO is dedicated to education, training and research.
LATO has a special relationship with West Chester University to provide internships to its Master’s in Sociology candidates. Our partners are the People’s Emergency Center, Pediatric Therapeutic Services, Philadelphia National Bank and Beneficial Bank.
Clara Whaley Perkins, Ph.D.,Chair is a practicing psychologist and a trauma specialist, who has helped young people and adults affected by trauma for 30 years. She received her Ph.D. from Temple University and her training and experience at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior. Dr. Whaley Perkins served as a trauma consultant and specialist for the City of Philadelphia, Employee Medical Services, for 20 years. She has treated war veterans, and provided consultation to a non-profit organization working with boy soldiers and supporting traumatized civilians in Liberia, West Africa. Her services have been utilized by medical practitioners, businesses and colleges. Her protocols have been effective in helping young people and adults to work through the effects of trauma and restore normalcy to their lives.
LATO’s legal representatives, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, have provided pro bono legal services since 2015.