December 2022

By Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Photo: Shutterstock, December 1, 2022 The stress of pandemic lockdowns prematurely aged the brains of teenagers by at least three years and in ways similar to changes observed in children who have faced chronic stress and adversity, a study has found. The study, published Thursday in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science , was the first to compare scans of the physical structures of teenagers’ brains from before and after the pandemic started, and to...

We have witnessed courage, optimism, hope and our common humanity during war. Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma - Psychology Today, December 1, 2022 KEY POINTS Our common humanity inspires us to continue to support our Ukrainian colleagues. The human toll of the Ukrainian war challenges civilians with the loss of electricity, water, and heat. The stresses and tensions of the holiday season can be eased by strategies to boost well-being. It has been nine months since...

By Aimee Zeitz, 12/1/22, https://positiveexperience.org/category/blog/ Aimee Zeitz is the regional director of strategic advancement at the YMCA San Diego County. She and her team have been implementing the HOPE framework into their practice and organizational structure. Aimee was a member of the first cohort of the HOPE Innovation Network and has worked closely with the HOPE National Resource Center on many projects. Below Aimee shares the strengths, barriers, and successes to her HOPE...

Children Deserve Recovery Too! selected nonprofits will receive a FREE NACoA’s Children's Program Kit & on-demand training. Bring recovery to kids in your underserved community w/a high rate of AUD &/or OUD! Criteria to be selected: Must be a 501(c)(3), serving youth in your community The community must be historically under-resourced and underrepresented The community must be documented with high rates of alcohol and/or opioid use disorder Children living with a parent or caregiver...

By Anna Cooban, Image: Screenshot from article, CNN Business, November 30, 2022 The verdict is in: A four-day work week is good for business. After six months, most of the 33 companies and 903 workers trialing the schedule, with no reduction in pay, are unlikely ever to go back to a standard working week, according to the organizers of the global pilot program. None of the 27 participating companies who responded to a survey by 4 Day Week Global said they were leaning towards or planning on...

By Elizabeth Aguilera, Illustration: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters/iStock, Cal Matters, November 29, 2022 In 2020 the state launched the adverse childhood experiences initiative, with the goal of cutting the number of those experiences in half within one generation. Today the number of doctors screening patients for adverse experiences is growing, but the state is failing to track whether patients receive the follow-up services or support they might need. State officials say they are...

By Marisa Kendall, Photo: Unsplash, The Mercury News, November 30, 2022 For many struggling South Bay families, getting an extra $1,000 a month with no strings attached would seem too good to be true. But for 150 households lucky enough to be chosen for a new guaranteed income experiment in Santa Clara County, that’s exactly what’s happening. The program targets families with children under 18 who are homeless or on the brink of homelessness — they could be at risk of losing their home...

It's hard to believe but the holiday season is upon us. If you are like me, the stress of thinking about the task of finding meaningful gifts for the people in my life has already begun. And don't even get me started on the trying to please two teenage boys without breaking the bank! But with all of the stress in the world right now, particularly in the field of education, I am starting to think about this time a little differently. Perhaps we need a new perspective on the gifts that we can...