September 2016

Gemyra Wynn doesn't need to go into the details of her childhood in Camden. After sketching out how adverse childhood events can traumatize people and cause lifelong health consequences, the 17-year-old can just offer her ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) score — it's seven out of 10 — and leave it at that. The same goes for her fellow instructors, 16-year-old Aunyay Fussell and 15-year-old LeBaron Harvey. They each survived psychologically trying experiences. But these students are...

Far too many Baltimore students come from impoverished inner-city neighborhoods wracked by drug and gang violence where shootings, stabbings and beatings occur on a daily basis. When impressionable young people witness dreadful things happen to family, friends and neighbors, it leaves a mark on the soul that can last a lifetime. They've been cruelly traumatized by what they've seen and experienced, and if they're ever to get over it emotionally and psychologically they're going to need help.

The new documentary "The One That Got Away" takes a look at the tough problem of dealing with at-risk youth in American schools. In the feature, Dan Gill, a teacher at Glenfield Middle School in Montclair, New Jersey, reconnects with his former student, Tourrie Moses. Moses is serving prison time for manslaughter and aggravated assault. One of the documentary's co-producers, Steve McCarthy, joined us to talk about the work. [For more of this story, written by David Brancaccio, go to ...

Google the definition of play and the first thing that pops up is this: “[To] engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” Jack Shonkoff, the director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, finds that language supremely frustrating. “It’s not taking a break from learning when we talk about play,” he told me, rattling off a litany of cognitive, physical, mental, and social-emotional benefits. “Play is one of the most...

Eileen Moore agreed to volunteer as a mentor to veterans in the Orange County Community Court because of her deep commitment to military men and women and her experience as a combat nurse during the Vietnam War. She’s also an associate justice for the state’s 4th District Court of Appeal, so her knowledge of the law likely came in handy from time to time. “Over the years, I’ve mentored most of the women, but sometimes men as well,” she said. In 2015, vets in the OCCC Veterans Treatment Court...

http://cmajblogs.com/childrens-mental-health-1954-2016/

Dear Friends and ACE's Members, Please join me to learn how to promote self-compassion in the teens you care for! In advance of the release of my much anticipated book, Self-Compassion for Teens , I am offering the following in-person seminars through PESI Continuing Education. Course Description: Are you frustrated with the epidemic of teens suffering from stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD and trauma? Wish you had some non-medical approaches teens can use to build inner strength while...

As a middle aged, naive and wide eyed kid with a new mission, that of addressing the many behavioral issues we faced in our Alaska Native Community, I focused on what I referred to as restoring responsible fatherhood to families. As the son of an absent father, I believed that the simple act of re engaging fathers with their children could have immediate results. Well, as I discovered, nothing is easy, especially in the field of corrections. I did start a fatherhood initiative for Alaska...

It is undeniable that most of us live a fast-paced existence that includes instant gratification and Instant Breakfast. We have fast-food communication with our family, friends and co-workers that leave much to be desired, since it lacks the interpersonal feeling of eye contact or at least voice-to-voice inflection. We spend our workdays living for the weekend when we mistakenly believe we will slow down, but then fill the 72 hours from Friday night to Sunday night getting the tasks done at...

Orlando* had been locked up 18 times. He first came into Cook County Juvenile Detention Center at the age of 12. At age 17 he no longer looked like the little kid who first came into the juvenile center. He spent most of his time in segregation for rule violations or other infractions of the institution. Many would label him, even at his young age, a habitual criminal. And while Orlando's future might be uncertain -- perhaps even bleak -- he has much to teach us. Orlando had been a ward of...

John King, Jr. doesn’t have much time to carry out his goals as the country’s education secretary. Having been tasked earlier this year with rounding off Arne Duncan’s term, King’s core duties, one could argue, should involve little more than ensuring existing programs run smoothly, keeping prevailing policies in place, and preventing some sort of catastrophe. With less than four months left on the job, that’s all one can really do. Yet King is endeavoring to help President Obama accomplish...

On any given workday, up to 85 children are running around Patagonia's Ventura, Calif., headquarters. The outdoor retailer offers on-site day care and after-school programs for kids up to 8 years old for its 550 employees. "You cannot miss the children on-site," said Dean Carter, a vice president of human resources at Patagonia. "I hear a kid laughing and playing, and there's something that almost alleviates stress. It just melts off," he said. Patagonia estimates the program's cost at $1...