Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced that it would not renew the license of the Berks County Residential Center, one of three family immigration detention centers run by the federal government. The Texas Department of Family Protective Services is considering a request to license the other two. [For more of this story, written by Benard Dreyer, go to...
Every morning, I watch my son fail to comply with the rules. He’s a nine-year-old boy with Down syndrome and he rarely conforms to expectations. He’s not great at standing in line, so he either charges ahead to be first onto the bus (then lingers once inside, blocking everyone), or else waits until everyone else has boarded, and then has to be urged up the stairs. Once inside, he likes to talk to the bus driver, say hello to friends, and maybe dance in the aisle to the music in...
Do you have an adopted or foster child? If not, have you considered fostering a child or adopting a child? What is stopping you? What inspired you to do it? Whatever the case, adopting and fostering a child is one of the most difficult, intimidating, and humbling experiences for many families. It’s also quite admirable. Adopting or fostering a child (or teenager) will take a great deal of support from your “village” and knowledge about attachment, trauma, and patience.
With all the things on your daily to-do list, it’s easy to get lost in the whirl of activity and forget one essential activity you haven’t tended to: taking time for yourself. It isn’t selfish, but it is definitely important. While you might think you have it all under control, here are seven signs you need a little me time. [For more of this story, written by Suzanne Kane, go to http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/12/16/7-signs-you-need-a-little-me-time/]
When Charles Paullin’s Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States first appeared in 1932, it was hailed as a “ monument to historical scholarship .” Its 700 maps traced nearly every dimension of American life across the country’s geographical bounds—its natural history, its settlement by Europeans, the spread of railroads, state boundaries, suffrage, and much else. Paullin, a naval historian, hoped his meticulous research and beautiful renderings...
Reformists hold certain truths to be self-evident: Systems that enact policies contrary to the good of those it serves are in need of reform. Systems in need of reform are seldom reformed because those in control cannot discern the harmful contrariety of their policies. Those unable to discern harmful policies must be compelled to change them using whatever lawful means necessary. These truths have been guideposts in my work off the bench to enhance my due process role on the bench. When I...
This week, Colorado's Peace Officer Standards and Training board recommended stricter psychological evaluation requirements for police officers in the state, according to the Denver Post. Currently, state laws and the POST board—which outlines the criteria applicants must meet to become certified law enforcement officers—only require such exams before officers are initially hired. But even that requirement is not always met, according to the Post, and POST...
Saginaw, Mich., is one of those places where economic recovery has been slow to arrive. The city has been hit hard over the years by factory shutdowns. Unemployment is high. And people have left, by the thousands. Now, residents John and Katrina Vowell are trying to help turn things around — with music. The couple says they love Saginaw, despite its many problems, which include high poverty, drugs and drive-by shootings. The city doesn't look that bad — there are tidy, modest...
Resilience can be defined as establishing equilibrium subsequent to disturbances to a system caused by significant adversity. When families experience adversity or transitions, multiple regulatory processes may be involved in establishing equilibrium, including adaptability, regulation of negative affect, and effective problem-solving skills. The authors' resilience-as-regulation perspective integrates insights about the regulation of individual development with processes that regulate...
It has long been recognized that early adversity can have life-long consequences, and the extent to which this is true is gaining increasing attention. A growing body of literature implicates Adverse Childhood Experiences, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, in a broad range of negative health consequences including adult psychopathology, cardiovascular, and immune disease. Increasing evidence from animal, clinical, and epidemiological studies highlight the critical role of...
The San Francisco Bay Area Trauma-Transformed (T2) regional center put together this grid of trauma-informed organizational assessment tools to assist with the beginning stages of transformation. Follow up tools coming soon! Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment Tools
High-quality evaluations document that schools with the Quiet Time program have significantly improved in key areas: 1. Decreased teacher turnover After three years of the Quiet Time program at Visitacion Valley Middle School, teacher turnover dropped to zero, leading to the institution’s removal from the district’s “Hard to Staff” school list. 2. Greater academic achievement Youth who meditated at Quiet Time schools had improved grades, attendance, and standardized...
Emerging research suggests a childhood family breakup can have long-term negative consequences for the children with girls’ health especially at risk. University of Illinois researchers discovered girls’ mental and physical health are more affected by family fragmentation than boys’ health although they discovered both genders may have adult health problems. Investigators looked the impact of a family breakup on overall health, depression, and smoking and finds that, for...
Casey Hodge stepped from the prison van, trembling under the weight of her thick handcuffs and leg shackles. The slight 25-year-old was led with a group of other women into a small room and ordered to strip naked. “Show me your pink,” said a female corrections officer, instructing her to squat and cough so that they could peer between her legs and certify that she wasn’t concealing anything. Hodge, who has been legally blind since she was 16, then was told to remove her...
Last year there were 11,000 referrals to juvenile court in Connecticut, representing enough children to fill more than 22 average-sized public schools. Most of these children have been repeatedly exposed to trauma and a majority have unmet mental health needs. Trauma exposure includes domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical and emotional maltreatment, community violence, natural disasters, and traumatic loss. Although many youth exposed to trauma do not experience ongoing concerns, the...