Staff Highlight: Jaèlaun Moses

In August 2021, Jaèlaun (Jaè for short) Moses, MS, began her role as Training Specialist for the Healing Hurt People (HHP) program within the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNSJ) at the Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH). The HPP program aims to help survivors of trauma to heal from their physical and emotional wounds and support their well-being to ultimately break the cycle of violence.

Before coming to DSPH, Moses received her bachelor’s degree in Mass Media Arts Journalism from Clarion University in 2014 and furthered her education at Duquesne University, receiving a master’s degree in Leadership and Professional Advancement in 2016.

After graduation from Duquesne, Moses found her way to the education field. She worked as a paraprofessional at a charter school, ensuring students received classroom support through the Individualized Education Program (IEP), and then as a translational living assistant at a high school in Hershey, Pennsylvania. There, she advised students on life after high school, whether it was going to college, technical school or joining the workforce. She and her team facilitated workshops on various topics including financial literacy and management, diversity and inclusion, mental health and self-care, and healthy and toxic relationships. “We were mentors and helped guide our students to break the cycles they may have seen in their families,” she said.

Jaèlaun Moses is a training specialist for the Healing Hurt People (HHP) program within the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNSJ) at the Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health

At HPP, Moses now cross-trains young adults who have faced their own adversity, trauma, and/or violence to become Community Health Worker Peers and Certified Peer Specialists. These trainees prepare to share their lived experiences as a tool to support HPP participants in their healing.

Moses uses her knowledge base to mold trainees into confident professionals who make a real impact in their communities. “So far, this has been an amazing experience,” she said. “I help people turn their pain into their passion to heal and not allow their trauma to define them.”

Two quotes that inspire Moses’ work are, “We repeat what we don’t repair” and “Healing is the end of conflict with yourself.”

As Philadelphia grapples with an increase in violence in 2021, the need for community-led intervention models like HPP’s are essential. According to the City of Philadelphia’s Office of City Controller, the city’s gun violence epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 400 people in 2021.

“We create a space for individuals impacted by violence and increase access to resources that can begin their journey to heal and be at peace with themselves and their situations,” said Moses. “Philadelphia needs more people who are willing to support them, hear them, and help them.”

HPP continues to expand its reach in Philadelphia communities as the demand for support and trauma-informed care grows.

Outside of her career life, Moses owns her own clothing line called Beaulity (Reality of Beauty) for women. “Beaulity started off as t-shirt line for young women who suffer from self-esteem issues based off what the media and society display as ‘beautiful,’” said Moses. It has since expanded to include clothing that inspires the mental, spiritual, and emotional beauty of women as well as physical. During the pandemic, she opened an online boutique called Jaè Taj Boutique.

Moses has also self-published two books in 2017 and 2018 titled “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” Vols. I and II, which feature letters from individuals who wrote to someone who impacted their life. Through the process of writing these letters, participants gained closure and freed themselves.

Moving from Hershey to Philadelphia has been a welcome transition for Moses. As a Pittsburgh native, she enjoys the city life versus the rural life. And because her she thrives in helping others build healthy and fulfilling lives, she finds her position as a Training Specialist at Healing Hurt People to be an ideal fit.