Our community was fortunate to have Dr. Dayna Long, the Medical Director for the Department of Community Health and Engagement at USCF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, as the Keynote Speaker for Early Childhood Brain Science: Nurturing Strong Mental Health on Monday, April 8th. Dr. Long guided a packed room of attendees through the current science and best practices for addressing adverse childhood experiences and reducing toxic stress to improve the health of all children.
The work happening in Iowa has been exciting over the last few years, and many community partners have stepped up to ensure conversations continue to occur around mental health. The Science Center of Iowa, in partnership with Capital Crossroads, supports an exhibit entitled Mental Health: Mind Matters, by will hosting a series of events to continue the dialogue around mental illness, provide a better understanding of mental health within our community and create a path for continued conversation to address the needs. Mental Health: Mind Matters aims to build greater understanding of the importance of mental health and create a safe space for meaningful conversations about mental illness. This hands-on exhibit experiences bring an attendee closer to facts, feelings and issues surrounding this significant topic.
Immediately following Dr. Long’s presentation, a discussion panel consisting of five community leaders within the ACEs movement, shared with the audience how ACEs has defined their work over the years and provided helpful resources for attendees to consider as we move forward in the ACEs work in Iowa.
So, why bring Dr. Long to Iowa? The answer is simple. She is doing something really big in Oakland. She is challenging the process and connecting the dots to what providers and those working in the human services field knew was happening – we have a public health crisis, and we can change the trajectory.
To find out more about this event, resources Iowa has to offer, and the work happening in California by Dr. Long and her team, visit https://www.iowaaces360.org/nu...g-mental-health.html.
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