April 2020

By Jeff Rice, March 18 2020 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Katie Boeckenhauer worked as a nurse extern on the behavioral health floor at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, last summer. The Penn State Behrend student and Schreyer Honors Scholar got to know some of the patients and came to understand how the effects of childhood trauma manifested in those patients as adults. “That kind of got me thinking, ‘What can we do for these people to prevent the development of mental health issues...

By Richard van Zyl-Smit, MedPage Today, April 15, 2020 I described to a friend this week the current feeling of being in the hospital with COVID-19, as like sitting under a 1,000V high-tension electricity cable: there is a constant humming above your head, which is unnerving and just does not go away. Two years ago, I published a book called They Don't Award Nobel Prizes to Dead People about my experience as an academic clinician with a stress-induced anxiety disorder. The context is very...

Trauma Camp for Teachers Podcast Episode #9: "The Shadow Pandemic: The Rise in Domestic Violence Since Coronavirus Shutdowns with Kristen Thomas, J.D." Link to Episode: https://www.traumacamp.com/11

Trauma Camp for Teachers Episode #10: "The Letter: One Principal's Approach to Education During COVID-19 with Principal Mathew Portell" Link to Episode: https://www.traumacamp.com/10

From Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins University, April 17, 2020 The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and Indian Health Service are working together to produce relevant materials related to COVID-19 for tribes to distribute. Currently, there are nearly 20 fliers with information ranging from Talking to Your Kids About COVID-19 and Caring For Yourself at Home to Elder Mental Health . Social media messages are also available for use. Radio messages are currently...

By Jasmine Dellafosse, Alliance for Boys and Men Of Color, April 17, 2020 On behalf of The Gathering for Justice and Justice League NYC|CA, I would like to invite you, your youth and organization to join us for a very special youth-led event. On Wednesday, April 22, The Gathering will host a Virtual Town Hall featuring young people from across the country, Our Voice, Our Power: Building the Framework for the Beloved Community. I’m sure you share my feelings about the uncertainty of our...

During the COVID-19 crisis - learn about the increased risks to our children of grooming online including via gaming apps, which can lead to sexual exploitation and trafficking. Hear about ways to convey positive and empowering messages to children to keep them safe. Featuring: Lt. John Pizzuro, NJ ICAC Commander, NJSP Internet Crimes Against Children Unit & Jeffrey W. Anthony, Health Educator, Middlesex County Center for Empowerment Presented by the New Jersey Coalition Against Human...

By Bill Schubart, Apr 1 2020 Bill Schubart, a retired businessman, is a regular columnist for VTDigger. Do you know what an ACE is? It’s not your local hardware store, the winning card in your hand, nor your friend who plays professional tennis. It’s an increasingly used acronym for “adverse childhood experience.” Plumb your own childhood, and if you recall a deeply traumatic emotional event that altered who you are today, you’re familiar with ACEs. They include: Sexual, emotional, or...

By Jane Chevous, Sian Oram, and Concetta Perot, Violence Abuse and Mental Health Network, April 16, 2020 A new survivor-led report which was coordinated by Survivors' Voices , with the Violence, Abuse and Mental Health Network and The McPin Foundation has now been released. It contains relevant possible actions to support children who are 'off-radar' (unknown to any statutory services) during and post pandemic 'lockdown' periods. This report documents the results of a survivor-led and rapid...

By Michele Wojciechowski, MedPage Today, April 12, 2020 Nurses often treat victims of domestic violence. During normal times, they may be able to assist them in getting help to escape their cycle of abuse. But what happens during a pandemic? What happens when they are being told to quarantine? How can nurses assist in this case? Valerie Weir, BSN, RN, SAFE Domestic Violence Program Coordinator, discussed how nurses can help victims of domestic violence during this time. [ Please click here...

From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, April 15, 2020 Introduction As our current reality underscores, we live in a dynamic world—where unforeseen global events; new technologies; scientific discoveries; changes in our climate, economy, demographics; and more—continually shape where and how we live, learn, work and play. These changes will profoundly impact health equity in our society, from our individual health and the health of our families to the health of our communities. What dramatic...

Jodie Skillicorn is an osteopathic physician board certified in Psychiatry and a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. She integrates conventional medical training with evidence-based holistic methods that include breathwork, meditation, yoga, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Mind-Body Medicine, energy medicine, nutrition, exercise, nature, and auricular acupuncture at