February 2017

See the full infographic at http://www.dailyinfographic.com/nine-easy-ways-to-become-a-happier-person

People’s past, present and future are interconnected, and so is our country’s. Being willing to consider the connection between historical trauma and present-day experiences and distress is essential on a personal level – and also on a national one, especially as we collectively work through the bruises of the recent campaign and election. Post the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the president of the U.S. last week, we must consider how historical trauma may be shaping reactions to this...

After meeting with Wall Street executives today, President Donald Trump signed a directive to begin dismantling the federal regulations enacted after the financial crisis to prevent the same thing from happening again. The end of Dodd-Frank could return the nation’s financial system to the Wild West days that prevailed before 2008—the lending environment that precipitated the Great Recession. President Trump’s sweeping directive is darkly ironic. For starters, he castigated the Wall Street...

As government agencies increasingly turn their attention to “homegrown terrorism,” it’s important to note who’s being targeted and who isn’t. Reuters reported this week that President Trump might be refocusing the federal “ Countering Violent Extremism ” program, which deploys resources for monitoring groups such as white supremacists and militias, into a program that focuses solely on acts of terror committed by Muslims . The Southern Poverty Law Center says this would be a bad idea . “In...

There is considerable enthusiasm for technologies that allow people to simulate an engagement with a physical world. It’s said that Virtual Reality will transform education, therapy, marketing, fitness, video games, and, of course, porn. And some believe it’ll make us better people. As Chris Milk puts it in his TED talk , VR is “the ultimate empathy machine.” Perhaps it can be utilized to make us care about—and help—groups such as refugees, the homeless, and those with physical and mental...

A new study shows that veterans could better transition to civilian life by volunteering with civic service programs in their communities. “When veterans complete their military service, they go through a transition like all of us when we change jobs, move to a new town or retire. It is a transition that takes focus, deep reflection, and new information to discover the next challenge they will pursue along their journey in life,” said Monica Matthieu, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and...

At Perea Preschool in Memphis, Tennessee, a teacher introduces mango to a circle of 16 4-year-olds for the first time. Another day, the children discover pumpkin during a play activity. Most of these children come from impoverished families where lettuce is considered a luxury item. According to Vicki Sallis Murrell, a professor of counseling, educational psychology, and research at the University of Memphis, parents are making tough choices between a $1 head of lettuce and five boxes of...

Emerging Leaders in Public Health is designed to develop local public health leaders in pairs. This team of leaders challenge and support each other, and build skills and competencies together. Each team is composed of a health officer, the top leader in the organization, collaborating with a co-leader identified as an emerging leader from the same organization. In addition to receiving leadership coaching and development, each team receives a grant up to $125,000 to develop and implement a...

This video acts as a *visual* for the ACEs, and you can find the 35 questions in the text too. Nice one! https://www.buzzfeed.com/nicolaharvey/what-is-privilege?utm_term=.bnaV6y88X#.mwag4x22a

"...The wounded healer in all its many forms will do this one act over and over and over again.... it will create an ally ship between the body, the soul, the mind, the heart and the spirit, in order that the body consort be healed. It will create an ally ship. The wounded healer will not leave any part out. The wounded healer takes all into account.. ....Scar clan includes those who have suffered being in the midst of others suffering and yet they managed to maintain strength and sanity and...

New information has been added to the refugees and trauma webpages of NCTSN.org. These pages offer guidance for providers in schools, primary care, mental health, and those who work with immigrant, refugee, or migrant children. Resources on refugee rights, trauma experienced by refugees, core stressors refugees endure, and a link to the core stressor assessment tool can also be found here. To access the Refugee & Trauma webpage, please visit; http://nctsn.org/trauma-types/refugee-trauma

This short film is recipe for building resilience. Every human deserves joy. http://tashiandthemonk.com/ Here's the trailer: