Alyssa Benedict, MPH
Founder and Executive Director

Alyssa Benedict, MPH is the founder and Executive Director of CORE Associates and has been working to improve human service systems for nearly 20 years. Alyssa works across sectors and integrates knowledge and research from a variety of disciplines to create engaging and dynamic learning experiences for her clients. She has sub-specialties in organizational development, and the design and implementation of gender responsive, culturally inclusive and trauma-informed policies and practices. Alyssa encourages international learning and engagement and has explored human service systems and individual and social trauma and resilience in the US, Canada, Germany, South Africa and Thailand. More About Alyssa Benedict

Training, webinars and speaking engagements

CORE delivers nationally-recognized training on gender responsive, trauma-informed and culturally attuned polices and practices as well as customized presentations for various audiences. CORE also provides dynamic train-the-trainer experiences that build the capacity of agencies to provide powerful training to their teams.

Featured Training

CR/2 is a staff communication model designed to foster productive interactions with justice-involved youth and adults. Grounded in cutting-edge research on the neuro-physiology of trauma and resilience, CR/2 translates research on trauma-informed care, gender responsive and evidence-based interventions into an integrated approach that can enhance outcomes with justice-involved clients. CR/2 was jointly developed by CORE Associates and Orbis Partners.

All CORE training is now being offered online! Contact CORE Associates for more information.

CORE Associates has deep expertise in justice and behavioral health organizational assessments that support agencies in their efforts to implement gender responsive, trauma-informed and culturally-attuned approaches. CORE is a primary author of the Gender Informed Practices Assessment (GIPA) and the Women’s Justice Assessment (WJA), both designed to improve policies and practices with system-involved women. For more information or to schedule an information session to learn more about our unique, empowering approach, contact admin@coreassociates.org.

Navigating Our Work through COVID-19

Reimagining human service systems

Mission:  CORE’s mission is to work on the edge of what is and what could be. This includes supporting human service systems in their current form while also encouraging their evolution and reconfiguration.

Philosophy

Human service systems play a critical role in helping individuals, families and communities to develop, heal and reach their highest potential. Yet significant demands and pressures can cause any system or organization to get locked into unhealthy patterns and practices. Others may stagnate and struggle to evolve in their effectiveness. All systems and organizations need opportunities to reflect on their strengths and challenges and time to access and integrate cutting-edge multi-disciplinary and international knowledge. Empowered with research, information and innovation, any system – a family system, an education system, a mental health system, a justice system – can enhance their policies and practices, improve outcomes and make a lasting difference at the individual, community and societal levels.

CORE supports organizational transformation by:

Promoting Evidence-based and Innovative Approaches
There is an ever-growing evidence-base on how to support human development and healing, however, new understandings are challenging assumptions and compelling us to grow. Implementing evidence-based practices more responsibly while developing new, innovative practices will help us to effectively address individual and social problems and facilitate individual and community justice.

Amplifying the Voices of Women & Girls
When we actively collaborate with girls and women as we conduct research, implement services, and evaluate outcomes, the impact is far-reaching: we are able to create more equitable, effective systems for, we are moved to rethink and improve services for boys/men, and we get better at seeing and responding to the strengths and needs diverse groups, including those who identify as LGBTQ+.

Ensuring Inclusivity & Intersectionality
Services that are based on the perspectives of the dominant cultural group stifle progress and prevent us from evolving our service delivery approaches. Engaging diverse individuals and groups as thought-partners and architects of systems and services will improve our service systems for historically neglected and marginalized groups and inspire new systems of care for all human beings.

Leveraging the Principles and Practices of International Psychology
International psychology and cross-cultural collaboration is opening up a world of possibilities as we seek to optimize human development and address pressing human and social problems. Stepping out of the confines of dominant Western models and connecting with others will expand our knowledge of human beings and help us to evolve our services and systems in critical and innovative ways.

CORE is the co-founder of the Women’s Justice Institute. The WJI operates dynamic and cutting-edge advocacy and technical assistance projects geared toward ending the criminalization and incarceration of women and girls. Our goal is to help strengthen community safety nets and build the legal, policy and practice frameworks that are needed to transform justice for and with women and girls.

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