The Lionheart Foundation

05/28/2026

Big news! The Lionheart Foundation has received its 10th grant from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CACorrections), marking a decade-long partnership bringing Houses of Healing to California prisons.

This funding will expand access to the HOH Complete eLearning Program on CDCR tablets statewide via the Edovo platform – expanding trauma-informed healing and personal transformation opportunities to nearly 90,000 incarcerated individuals across California. The grant also supports weekly, in-person, 14-session Houses of Healing Circle Programs, augmenting the eLearning Program in two CDCR institutions.

We’re deeply grateful to CDCR’s Division of Rehabilitative Programs for its continued investment in this work.

Learn more about this milestone and our decade-long partnership here: https://hubs.la/Q04jfdc_0

Interested in the impact of Houses of Healing (HOH)? Explore the program here: https://hubs.la/Q04jf54b0

Lionheart received its 10th grant from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, marking a decade of partnership in bringing transformative programming behind the walls of California's prisons. This funding will make the Houses of Healing Complete eLearning Program – a 25-hour c...

05/26/2026

It's always a good time getting to see and support our partners at Roca as they implement the Power Source and Power Source Parenting!

Power Source is Lionheart’s evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program designed to support systems- and trauma-impacted youth in building the skills shown to increase self-regulation, positive identity development, and reduced engagement in high-risk behaviors.

Power Source Parenting extends this work by equipping teen parents with the social-emotional competencies and self-regulation skills needed to become emotionally available, nurturing caregivers and to foster healthy, supportive environments for their children.

We’re grateful for organizations like Roca that continue investing in trauma-informed approaches that move toward lasting transformation for systems-impacted youth.

Looking forward to continuing this work together!

05/19/2026

We’re excited to share our newly rebranded website, designed to better tell our story and make it easier to connect with our mission.

With a fresh new look, improved navigation, and a more user-friendly experience, the new site reflects who we are today and where we’re headed next.

This reimagined website represents more than just a redesign — it’s a step forward in how we engage with our community and partners. We’re proud of what we’ve built and excited for you to explore it.

Check it out here: https://hubs.la/Q04h6Jkg0

05/07/2026

If you’re a reader of Youth Today then you already know the wealth of resources including in-depth reporting and thought leadership it provides to those committed to helping youth thrive. So, we couldn’t be happier to contribute to this mission with an article on the importance of turning a trauma-informed lens on how we support direct care staff. There is no more challenging or critical role on the planet than caring for youth who have experienced trauma. By better serving our workforce, we better care for our youth, creating communities where everyone thrives. Thank you, Youth Today for your unwavering commitment to elevating the voice of youth and those caring for them.

🔗 Check out our article here: https://hubs.la/Q04fSjlt0
📧 Subscribe to Youth Today here: https://hubs.la/Q04fScfy0
🎁 Consider donating to Youth Today to keep this amazing platform free: https://hubs.la/Q04fRt5w0

For trauma-impacted youth to thrive, they need a direct care workforce who can regulate their own emotions despite repeated exposure to youth trauma.

04/15/2026

Next week, Lionheart's Clinical Director, Dr. Jess Linick, will be presenting at the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) Spring Conference alongside Dr. Romita Sillitti from the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, and 3x Emmy-nominated and award-winning spoken word artist, Trey Baker.

This presentation titled: Finding Their Voices: Trauma-Informed, Culturally Responsive Strategies for Youth Engagement explores Power Source, Lionheart's nationally recognized, trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioral intervention supporting justice- and child-welfare-involved youth.

We hope to see youth there in New Orleans!

04/09/2026

We're incredibly proud to share that Lionheart's founder, Robin Casarjian, was awarded the Massachusetts Psychological Association Humanitarian Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the humanitarian goals of society, through service and activism, and to the enhancement of its educational, psychological, and social process.

Robin launched Lionheart in 1992 with the development of Houses of Healing (HOH), a trauma-informed intervention for incarcerated adults, now used in prisons and jails across the U.S. Robin served as Lionheart's Executive Director from 1992 to 2023 and is now the Director of The National Prison Project, spearheading our work to continue expanding HOH around the country.

Robin is a fearless leader who has laid the roots for The Lionheart Foundation as a pioneer in trauma-informed interventions for system-involved individuals.

Congratulations, Robin, on an award well-deserved!

04/01/2026

We’re so excited to share that we'll be presenting with our partner, Josh Stewart, from The Buckeye Ranch on the EQ2 framework at the Ohio Children's Alliance 2026 Annual Spring Conference this month!

This statewide event is designed to empower and equip professionals who serve children and families with tools for success, offering meaningful opportunities to connect with peers, gain cutting-edge insights, and collaborate around real challenges and solutions in our field.

We’re thrilled to be a part of this event and look forward to the connection ahead. Learn more and register here! https://hubs.ly/Q049kKsR0

03/26/2026

Last week, we were honored to present at the Association of Children's Residential & Community Services (ACRC)'s 70th Annual Conference with our partners Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, CHES Solutions Group, and Maryhurst on how Lionheart's workforce support program, EQ2, is being implemented in residential treatment facilities across the State of Kentucky. It was also a highlight for us to host ACRC's Zen Den for the 3rd year in a row!

Thank you to all agencies who came to our talk, booth, or joined us in the Zen Den. We look forward to seeing you next year at ACRC in Seattle!

03/11/2026

We’re thrilled to share exciting news for the future of Lionheart!

After more than 25 years of dedication to Lionheart’s mission, Dr. Bethany Casarjian has stepped into the role of Executive Director.

Beth has been a driving force behind Lionheart’s work – developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions for adolescents, including youth in residential treatment, young people involved in the juvenile justice system, adolescent mothers, and the direct care workforce supporting trauma-impacted youth.

Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and her research evaluating the Power Source program on the adolescent unit of Rikers Island remains the largest U.S. study examining the impact of mindfulness with incarcerated male youth.

Beth’s leadership, vision, and lifelong commitment to supporting trauma-impacted young people make her uniquely positioned to guide Lionheart into its next chapter.

Please join us in congratulating Beth on this well-deserved role. We’re excited for what lies ahead!

01/13/2026

Last year, The Paul Dojack Youth Centre, a juvenile detention facility in Government of Saskatchewan, Canada, received the Minister's Award for Excellence for their work implementing EQ2.

The Minister's Award for Excellence was established in 2019 to honor innovative work being done in the field of Corrections. We are inspired by the Paul Dojack Youth Centre and their tremendous efforts to support their direct care staff!