In 2016, 13 years after their sister was tragically killed by gunshot, Venus and Serena Williams opened the Yetunde Price Resource Center (YPRC) in her honor. Located in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the siblings grew up, YPRC is a project by the nonprofit Driving Force Group, and collaborates with local organizations in providing services to victims of direct and indirect violence in the community and beyond. Leading the center is L.A. native Kellee Kemp. Here, she talks about her trauma-informed approach to therapy and how it intertwines with the healing ambience conjured by V Starr, Greydiantscape Architecture, and Equity Residential.
What did you want YPRC to embody?
I’ve worked in community mental health all of my professional career, and tried to create a place where you can access healing on a continuum. There is a lot of stigma against mental health in the Black and brown community and we’re just getting to a place where it’s more accepted.
What is your trauma-informed approach like?
It’s holistic. It’s paint color choices, the way that you greet someone, the way you set up chairs. It’s being mindful of the person who is in front of us, and understanding that trauma is a huge umbrella term and can mean a variety of things. If we take the thought that everyone in Compton has been affected by trauma in some way, then everyone we meet, we meet with that level of understanding.
How does that philosophy make the center stand out?
What we do really well is treat every person who walks through the door with dignity, making this space feel homey. A lot of times you can go into an office and it feels cold and sterile and you’re just another number. We have fresh flowers, aromatherapy candles, a diffuser, calming music, and dim lighting. People go to other offices for support and they feel defeated and so much shame. What if the providers looked at our industry in the way that the hospitality industry does, to create a sense of safety and even have a moment where people can feel like they’ve escaped their everyday?
A version of this article was originally published by Hospitality Design.
