July 2021

By Julie Bosman, Sophie Kasakove, and Daniel Victor, The New York Times, July 21, 2021 New federal data draws one of the starkest illustrations to date of how the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected Hispanic and Black Americans, showing that they suffered a far steeper drop in life expectancy in 2020 than white Americans. Overall, life expectancy in the United States fell by a year and a half, a federal report said on Wednesday, a decline largely attributed to the pandemic...

By James McConchie, Greater Good Magazine, July 21, 2021 When most people think of college, they might imagine a bunch of single young adults living wild and free—and possibly going to class from time to time. But this is far from the reality. The average age of a college student is around 26 , and many students already have families of their own. While colleges typically focus on helping students prepare for a career, one university wants to make sure that students with children are...

By Julia Weis, ¡Salud America!, July 20, 2021 A new method is emerging to help children heal from trauma – art therapy. More mental health clinics, like the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas , are beginning to use art to help children with the healing process. Mental health professionals hope that art therapy can help children process adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which is growing to be a public health crisis . “Art therapy helps one process emotions and feelings that one...

By Kerry Benefield, The Press Democrat, July 17, 2021 I have covered, watched and enjoyed countless parades, but I have never been in one. Unless, of course, if you count the time in junior high when my friend Shelly and I were handed a shovel and a wheelbarrow before a holiday parade in downtown Santa Rosa and tasked with walking behind the “reindeer,” to prevent any of Santa’s little helpers from marching through muck. With that in mind, Tuesday night felt like a first. As I rode my bike...

By Bryce Covert, The New York Times, July 20, 2021 With more than half of American adults fully vaccinated against Covid , employers and employees alike have turned their eyes back to the office. They’re locked in a conflict over when they’ll return and, when they do, what the return will look like. But we shouldn’t just be talking about the parameters of how we get work done in a postpandemic world. We should be pushing to do less of it. In truth, the debate over the return to the office is...

Dear Friends and Allies If you’re feeling both optimistic and overwhelmed by the funding and reforms focused on children’s mental and behavioral health, you’re not alone. The scope and scale of the current reform agenda, and the dozens of relevant investments included in the budget just signed by Governor Newsom, are unprecedented. Children and families, advocates, and systems leaders have achieved consensus that we must reimagine how we support the social and emotional health of children in...

From The Annie E. Casey Foundation, June 21, 2021 SUMMARY The 32nd edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT ® Data Book describes how children across the United States were faring before — and during — the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s publication continues to deliver the Foundation’s annual state rankings and the latest available data on child well-being. It identifies multiyear trends — comparing statistics from 2010 to 2019. In addition, the report shares data on how...

By Amir Bakian, The Daily Front Row, July 19, 2021 Healing means many different things and it comes in many forms. For those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, it is acceptance and understanding. For people of color, it is an equal opportunity. As someone who is queer and is a proud Asian-American artist, Christopher Saint knows firsthand what it’s like for those who have suffered similar experiences of marginalization as he has. He has been through it all and wants to help others in their...

EmpowerSurvivors invites YOU to attend our programs and groups. EmpowerSurvivors is a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization located in Stillwater, MN that supports and serves survivors of childhood sexual abuse worldwide. Join us weekly via Zoom!! Monday, July 26, 2021, at 6:00 pm ( Central Time) Conversations With Evey & Elizabeth Guest: Jane Straub Topic: Helping Your Partner Understand The Mind Of A Survivor, Common Reactions To Unprocessed Trauma. Register in advance for this meeting:...

The ACEs Aware initiative released today the “ ACEs Aware Screening, Training, and Certification Progress: July 2021 Update. ” This new data report details the number of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) screenings conducted in California between January 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020, and the number of providers who completed the “Becoming ACEs Aware in California” online training between December 4, 2019, and March 31, 2021. Since launching the ACEs Aware initiative in December 2019,...

Exposure to ACEs can set up transmission of health risks across generations by altering gene expression (epigenetics) in parents to be, which can affect the development and health of their children, and future generations to come. Join in on the CA Surgeon General's bold mission to cut ACEs and toxic stress in half in one generation. Click the attachment below to view a short infographic on Epigenetics. Follow our Instagram for more updates: @acesaware_vc Or check out our website: ...

We would like to provide you ongoing support and materials following the Mindfulness for Healthcare Summit . This week, we would like to share Gratitude Practice for Nurses —a joint initiative of the American Nurses Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Decades of scientific research have shown that practicing gratitude is good for our minds, bodies, and relationships. Gratitude Practice for Nurses is a free initiative designed to provide...