January 2023

The on-going Baby’s First Years research ( https://www.babysfirstyears.com/ ) examines the impact on mothers and babies of modest cash gifts as a model of poverty reduction. It turns out that a little money goes a long way and affects the development of babies’ brains. “Early childhood poverty is a risk factor for lower school achievement, reduced earnings, and poorer health, and has been associated with differences in brain structure and function. Whether poverty causes differences in...

As workforce challenges continue to hinder human services organizations, leaders are searching for concrete action steps to support staff who are emotionally and physically exhausted. Especially given the added stressors faced by direct service staff, organizations need proven approaches to address staff morale and mitigate the threat of high turnover. Join this webinar to hear from Social Current experts on topics including: Advancing a brain-science approach with staff Building...

Come join The Riverside Trauma Center, a service of Riverside Community Care, Inc., for its 12 th annual virtual conference on February 2, 2023. We’d love to see you and your community there! The Rise of Resilience: Living Through Trauma and Disruptive Events ,’ will bring together leaders, employers, health and human service workers, educators, and government officials to discuss how trauma intersects topics such as diversity, equity, productivity, growth, and the humanization of work;...

By Nathianiel P. Morris, Photo: Ed Freeman/Getty Images, The Guardian, January 12, 2023 I scroll through the psychiatry consult list and add Mr C to my list of patients to see. He was transferred from a jail in another county to the jail where I work, where he has never been before, and I’ve been asked to see him for a psychiatric assessment. As I review his chart, a pattern slowly emerges. An older Black man, Mr C has been arrested a few times over the years, typically for vague charges...

By Rachel Harrison, Photo: Getty Images, New York University, December 13, 2022 Black women with symptoms of depression more often report sleep disturbances, self-criticism, and irritability than stereotypical symptoms such as depressed mood, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Columbia University School of Nursing. “Based on our findings, it’s possible that health care providers may miss depression symptoms in Black women, resulting in...

By Christina Zdanowicz, Photo: Provided to CNN, CNN US, January 16, 2023 With children back in school and daycare after the holidays, weary parents fear what illness awaits them next during this brutal respiratory virus season . Since October, RSV , a respiratory virus which often is most severe in young children and older adults, hit early and cases started rising quickly. Cases of influenza started rising soon after, all while Covid-19 continued to spread, with new variants surfacing. [...

By Urooj S. Raja and Amanda R. Carrico, Photo: Unsplash tool in site, Nature, January 16, 2023 Abstract Environmental problems continue to intensify. Yet, despite scientific consensus on threats such as climate change, broadscale public engagement with the issue is elusive. In this paper, we focus on childhood formative experiences and the extent to which they are correlated with environmental engagement. We consider two forms of environmental engagement: civic engagement, measured in hours...

The historical trauma of the civil rights movement will be explored by “History. Culture. Trauma” podcast hosts Ingrid Cockhren and Mathew Portell this week, as they honor the birthday of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and build on last week’s conversation about the generational impact of trauma. Tune in at 1 p.m. PT, 4 p.m ET for Thursday’s podcast when Cockhren, CEO of PACEs Connection, and Portell, director of education and outreach, will examine the collective...

[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site — abuseresearch.info — that focuses on the effects of abuse, and includes research articles on PACEs. Every month, she posts the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs, PCEs and PACEs. Thank you, Harise!! — Rafael Maravilla] Child Abuse Drake B, Fluke JD, Kim H, Orsi R, Stubblefield JL. What Proportion of Foster Care Children Do Not Have Child Protective Services Reports? A...

By, The HOPE Team, 1/17/23, https://positiveexperience.org/category/blog/ This week, we are reflecting the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., starting with observing the holiday on Monday. Dr. King was a multi-faceted leader, with far-reaching impacts, including policy advocacy. Those of us who work in child and family services are familiar with how much children need the concrete supports that stabilize family life. Throughout his life, Dr. King advocated for concrete...

If you read last week’s blog, you might remember that we touched on social-emotional learning , which is closely tied to emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a core idea in the trauma-informed model. In fact, it is one of the 7 Commitments identified in Sandra Bloom’s Sanctuary model. If we want to make understanding, healing, and growth possible (and build trauma-informed communities), then we must embrace the importance of emotional intelligence. But how can we pin down what...

Updates from the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) on White House, Agency, and Congressional action to prevent trauma and promote resilience. Recapping An Eventful 2022 WE SUPPORTED LEGISLATION Fifty-six percent of the bills that CTIPP-endorsed passed Committee and/or a chamber of Congress. Twenty-two percent became law. Two-thirds of CTIPP-endorsed legislation was introduced bipartisanly, with sponsors and original cosponsors from both Democrat and Republican parties.