November 2021

By Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post, November 14, 2021 According to GOP politicians and right-wing media, a battle is raging between American parents and schools trying to impose mask requirements and other protections against covid-19. And mainstream cable news outlets suggest that shouting matches are breaking out all over the country and that school closures contributed to Democrats’ travails in this month’s elections in New Jersey and Virginia . In the real world, however, there may...

By Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times, November 11, 2021 Jose Martinez, a former Army gunner whose right arm and both legs were blown off by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, has a new calling: He’s become one of the most effective lobbyists in a campaign to legalize the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs across the country. On a Zoom call this spring with Connie Leyva, a Democratic legislator in California who has long opposed relaxing drug laws, Mr. Martinez told her how psilocybin, the...

By Alexandra Villarreal, The Guardian, November 13, 2021 Even after Malik Johnson turned four years old, he would scream, trying desperately to communicate despite his speech delay. His mother, Jennifer Emelogu, a former English teacher, knew he wouldn’t be ready for kindergarten. So Emelogu transferred Malik from his daycare to Pre-K 4 SA, San Antonio’s grassroots model for high-quality early childhood education. Funded through a ⅛-cent local sales tax , the program has become a point of...

By Reema Amin, Chalkbeat New York, November 11, 2021 Brooklyn elementary school teacher Andrea Castellano was initially happy about New York City’s plan to screen students for their social-emotional health. She thought it was important to understand how children were faring, as they returned to classrooms full-time after two school years in a pandemic marked with illness, death and isolation. But Castellano quickly changed her mind when she saw examples of the 43 questions that teachers...

By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News, November 10, 2021 As the covid-19 pandemic burns through its second year, the path forward for American workers remains unsettled, with many continuing to work from home while policies for maintaining a safe workplace evolve. In its 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey , released Wednesday, KFF found that many employers have ramped up mental health and other benefits to provide support for their workers during uncertain times. Meanwhile, the...

Whether you celebrate or not, the holiday season can be stressful for many reasons. From experiencing difficult emotions like grief, anger, or resentment that seem to resurface out of nowhere, to the pressures of making everything perfect for everyone, there’s a lot of opportunity for emotional burnout. I’m no stranger to painful emotions re-emerging around this time of the year. Christmas used to trigger in me the feelings of loneliness and guilt for years, following my move across the...

By, Guest Author, 11/15/21, positiveexperience.org/blog The HOPE National Resource Center, based at Tufts Medical Center, would like to invite you to join a discussion about health disparities and genetics on Tuesday, November 16, 5:00-6:30 p.m. , certainly a topic of great interest. Register here . Tufts CTSI and Museum of Science, Boston are co-hosting an online forum, The Possibilities of Personalized Medicine , on Tuesday, November 16, 5:00-6:30 p.m. Learn about the development of new...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become well-known among the public today. However, many do not understand that anyone can form PTSD and ignore the symptoms putting themselves at risk for health and emotional problems. June is post-traumatic stress disorder awareness month , so it seemed an excellent opportunity to write about this acquired disorder in depth. This article will cover a description of what PTSD is and its history as an accepted diagnosis. What is Post-Traumatic Stress...

ADULTS ABUSED AS CHILDREN book available on website or Amazon by Ellin Chess. It's an uplifting guide through the 12 anonymous Steps as an adult abused as a child. Also, we have a Zoom meeting (ADULTS ABUSED AS CHILDREN ANONYMOUS) every Thursday eve 6:15pm - 7:15pm PST. Call 707-861-0144 and give us your email address for us to send a Zoom link to you. Free, confidential, no RSVP needed. Just show up.

Review of Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows by Jessica King Childhood can be brutal. Some of the authors I admire most have been able to reflect on difficult childhood trauma and create art, holding those experiences up to the light and processing them. In children’s literature, these personal, heartfelt #OwnVoices works tell a difficult story with truth and compassion. Books like this form a vital “mirror” for children in similar circumstances. I received an advance copy of Rohan Bullkin and...

Monday, November 15 th , 2021 marks the launch of Charlotte County’s ACEs awareness week to raise awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and to highlight the importance of fostering Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) in the lives of our children and youth. Last year, the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners granted an ACEs awareness county proclamation; however, still in the throws of COVID-19 precautions and response, our community was unable to celebrate the...

We are thrilled to have two presentations about how health care systems can implement trauma-informed practices into their work to improve outcomes by addressing social determinants of health featured on next Wednesday's CTIPP CAN call, and are also looking forward to the Campaign Office Hour call that comes afterward! Links and more information are below (please be aware of time zones!): CTIPP CAN Call - Trauma-Informed Health Care - November 17th, 2-3:30pm ET/11am-12:30pm PT - Join Zoom...