August 2017

I want to share a video of three women who survived childhood sexual abuse. Rythea Lee brought me and Aishah Shahidah Simmons into her 19 th Episode of Advice from a Loving Bitch. What a privilege and delight to be included in Rythea's groundbreaking work. We all spoke to the same questions about healing and activism. The experience was a great one for me – to join with two sister survivors in breaking the silence. The months long process of making the video was a lesson in collaborative...

After the 2014 Vermont legislative session, Rep. George Till was picking himself up, dusting himself off and reflecting on what he called an “ALE or Adverse Legislative Experience” when his ambitious legislative vision fizzled and became a tiny bubble of hope along the path to a trauma-informed state. Policymakers in Vermont are now preparing to implement the most recent ACEs-related legislation ( No. 43, H. 508 , signed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott on May 22) and while the law calls for...

Together with the staff, they decided that handing out awards neither aligned with their beliefs nor brought out the best in their students—even for the sliver of kids who received awards. “Winners” got the message that product rather than process is what matters in education, Wejr said. “Learning should be the reward,” he added. And the far more plentiful “losers” heard that they weren’t good enough to be spotlighted on stage, or that their unique combination of attributes didn’t truly...

Despite an ongoing national movement toward banning solitary confinement for youth, which has been revealed to be counterproductive and harmful, isolation is still a common fixture in juvenile facilities, and it disproportionately affects kids of color and LGBTQ youth, according to research laid out in a Juvenile Law Center (JLC) report . JLC is a public interest law firm focused on improving the juvenile and foster care systems. The report, released Wednesday, includes information from...

The teenage years can be tough, marked with physical and emotional changes, new choices and responsibilities, and evolving relationships with the people who surround us. But a recent report shows that hormones aren’t the only thing troubling the teen years; young people are increasingly showing a general inability to identify the source of their angst and pain. These results have serious implications for those who care for kids. A review of more than 830,000 calls, text messages, emails and...

We hear the word “needy” thrown around in conversation all the time. Usually it’s brought up with contempt. Ughhh, she’s so needy. She calls all the time, and wants to know where I am. It’s ridiculous. His neediness is just too much. He wants to spend every single moment together. The details of the conversations might be different. But that doesn’t matter. The message is the same: Needy is not something we want to be. Needy is one of the worst things we can be in a relationship. In our...

With addiction such a prominent problem, experts say it's time to use words that don't carry judgment. Studies show that saying "addiction" instead of "substance abuse," and "person with substance abuse disorder" instead of "junkie," affects the treatment patients receive, as well as public policy. Michael Botticelli was director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under former President Obama when he issued a memorandum specifying how federal agencies should refer to addiction.

When a receptionist hands out a form to fill out at a doctor’s office, the questions are usually about medical issues: What’s the visit for? Are you allergic to anything? Up to date on vaccines? But some health organizations are now asking much more general questions: Do you have trouble paying your bills? Do you feel safe at home? Do you have enough to eat? Research shows these factors can be as important to health as exercise habits or whether you get enough sleep. Research has begun to...

In response to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg visiting the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, Dr. Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund has a message. “In his Facebook post it was clear that the social and economic issues they [Zuckerberg and his wife] saw made a powerful impression on them,” Crazy Bull said in a blog post . “The Blackfeet have been on this land for 10,000 years, and for most of that time they followed the buffalo — for food, shelter...

With some trepidation I approached Room G, where I’d been instructed to report for my first day as a family therapist at the Solomon School for Boys in a suburb of Philadelphia. As I cautiously opened the door, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the eight boys I was to meet with had already assembled, sitting on metal chairs in a circle, with an empty one apparently reserved for me. But as I looked more closely, I saw that the kids appeared eerily detached from each other. They also...

Call for Input, Submissions, Stories, and Wisdom: If you care about trauma, ACES, strengths, and healing our 2018 Conference is just for you! This year, the National Association of Social Workers, is proud to present our 2018 Conference Theme, "Stress, Strengths, and the Social Environment." With the latest science and practice around trauma (interpersonal and historical), ACES, neglect, violence, epigenetics, and culture informing us we know that trauma hurts but that healing IS possible IF...

Why childhood trauma inspired one woman to launch an entrepreneurial crusade against ACES Unlike most, I am somewhat comfortable with taking risks and experiencing uncertainty. I must admit, I like change. I am not a masochist; I don’t relish change for the sake of change. When Ann Taylor loft altered the cut of their Marisa Fit pant last spring, I loathed to locate another brand and style that would flatter my curvy build. However, I willingly suffer uncertainty if it dangles the promise of...