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I recently had two events that caused me to think purposefully about what a responsible approach to the upcoming holidays of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may be for a church that is seeking to be sensitive to the trauma histories that their worshipping community may have. The first was an invitation to preach at a church in my community that has done a great deal to advance the faith communities awareness to the effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and mental health needs within...

When hugging, research shows that the minimum time necessary to promote the flow of oxytocin and serotonin, which are chemicals that promote bonding, is six seconds! Now, really, that sounds like a short amount of time. However, when I started counting in my head - "1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi..." - I almost squirmed out of my skin! Now, for those of you who know me, I'm pretty affectionate and show it by little caresses or hugs or kisses all the time. So, I was a little surprised to notice...

Just this week, The American Farm Bureau released a survey they commissioned on the issue of rural stress and mental health. It was taken just last month. The results show two in five rural adults say stress and mental health have become more of a problem in their community in the past five years. Also, 36% say it's gotten worse in the last year. Nearly half of rural adults say they are personally experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago and it seems to be worse...

Janet Wilmoth interviews Architect Paul Erickson, FAIA, LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects, about the concept of immersive design and how it can impact firefighter mental health. When we first heard that immersive design could help first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues, the immediate question was, “But what is ‘immersive design’?” The article “Ten Things We’ve Learned About Immersive Design” describes the concept in two ways: “Immersive...

By A. Hosack, K. Hecht , & P. Berman I passed! I am not stupid! The letter had finally come. Claire had received a score of 87% on the National Dental Hygienist Test! The Carsons were so proud of Claire. The letter had come at the perfect time, the week before the party. Now, they thought, Claire could relax and enjoy her party. On the outside, Claire’s life seem s ready to take off like a rocket. What a success story she has! She is the first member of her family to graduate high school...

It takes a village to raise a child is an old African proverb. It means that a child needs both the immediate and extended family to overcome adverse experiences like trauma and to grow up in a safe and secure environment. Unfortunately, traditional trauma treatment often only includes the individual child. Join Dr. Scott Sells in the free webinar, "How to Engage the Village in Trauma Treatment." Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 Time: 1:00-2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time Cost: Free To register,...

A study lead by Penn Medicine researchers found that childhood trauma is linked to abnormal connectivity in the brain in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). The study is the first to show that childhood trauma is linked to symptom-specific, system-level changes in brain network connectivity in MDD. “With estimates of approximately 10 percent of all children in the United States having been subjected to child abuse, the significance of child maltreatment on brain development and...

If the Geometry in Construction curriculum had existed years ago, Jeff Schaefer would never have quit teaching. Now, he’s back in the classroom — sort of. Every other day, Schaefer trades a textbook for a hammer and dry-erase markers for nails. “I’m a big do-it-yourselfer, so this was right up my alley,” said Schaefer, a math teacher at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas. Hendrickson High School is one of more than 500 schools in the United States that currently offers a...

My family lives in Athens, Tenn., population 13,000, and we are familiar with the truths of an economy that has changed. We shake our fists at spotty broadband and crumbling roads. And we know what it’s like to watch main street awnings turn yellow and old factory stacks rust and crack in the sun, to lose family farms to corporate agribusiness, and see health care specialists move to medical centers 70 miles up the road. But these challenges obscure a much deeper truth about my hometown and...

Family And Children's Trust (FACT) Fund of Virginia just released their latest issue brief! SYSTEMS OF TRAUMA : Racial Trauma explores how racial trauma intersects and exacerbates trauma caused by family violence. In order to do so effectively, the brief will review issues of structurally embedded inequalities, individual actions that cause racial trauma, the effects of racial trauma on communities of color, and strategies for individuals, communities, professionals and organizations to...

Author Esther Wojcicki wrote HOW TO RAISE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE: Simple Lessons for Radical Results (copyright 2019) and placed this post on www.medium.com on May 1, 2019: www.humanparts.medium.com/how-a-painful-childhood-made-esther-wojcicki-a-better-mom-4c78fc30b921 . It's titled "How a Painful Childhood Made Me a Better Mom." Since this is the month of Mother's Day (it's on Sunday, May 12, 2019), I thought I'd link it here on ACEs Connection. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, everywhere, and...

While improv specifically may seem a surprising choice for those struggling to transition to life after injury, it’s now part of the resiliency programming the Air Force offers its Wounded Warriors (the term the United States Armed Forces uses to describe injured service members) and their caregivers. Aaron Moffett, Ph.D., a sports psychologist who runs the resiliency program, noted that the resiliency workshops take a holistic approach to teaching life skills. With improv, “it’s really a...