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Looking on the bright side helps me reframe many adverse childhood experiences. Earlier this week, a first-of-its-kind study (Bethell et al., 2019) from Johns Hopkins University reported that adults over age 18 who self-reported having more positive childhood experiences (PCEs) tended to have better adult mental health, a lower risk of depression , and healthier adulthood relationships. The seven items on a PCE psychometric assessment include answering "yes" or "no" to a prompt, "Before the...

Peace Day in the Park September 21st, 2019 When: Sept. 21, 2019 Time: 9 a.m. – noon Location: Central Park 150 W Morse Blvd Winter Park, FL 32789 The Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College will partner with the City of Winter Park to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace on Saturday, Sept. 21, in the city’s Central Park. Each year, Valencia College celebrates the Day of Peace on its campuses, but this year, the college’s Peace and Justice Institute is inviting the...

By Juli Fraga, National Public Radio, September 8, 2019 "Before I became a dad, the thought of struggling to soothe my crying baby terrified me," says Yaka Oyo, 37, a new father who lives in New York City. Like many first-time parents, Oyo worried he would misread his newborn baby's cues. "I pictured myself pleading with my baby saying, 'What do you want?' " Oyo's anxieties are common to many first-time mothers and fathers. One reason parents-to-be sign up for prenatal classes is to have...

There’s some rare good news for Central Florida’s kids — the poverty rate dropped significantly from 2012 to 2017, juvenile arrests were down and more children were covered by health insurance. The findings were released Wednesday by the Florida Kids Count 2019 Child Well-being Index, produced by researchers at the University of South Florida and based on 16 measures of health, financial stability, education and social welfare in each Florida county. On the whole, St. Johns County — in the...

Almost half of all American children have experienced at least some form of childhood trauma. Many of these adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, can be tied back to drug and substance abuse, but their impact may be more widespread than many perceive. In Tennessee, an estimated 49% of children have at least one adverse childhood experience, and 24.1% have at least two. Nationally, those numbers sit at 45% and 20.5%, respectively. Children with ACEs, such as neglect, physical and sexual...

This free Trauma-Informed Care case-based virtual course is offered by Aquifer and the Office of Women's Health. Here is the website: https://www.aquifer.org/courses/trauma-informed-care/ Overview Trauma-informed Care provides a training tool for a broad range of healthcare providers and their staff to learn about the prevalence and impact of trauma and how to integrate the principles of trauma-informed care into clinical practice. By understanding the behavioral, neurological, and health...

As we prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian's effects later this week, certainly there are feelings of anxiety and confusion. Already? We haven't even finished recovering from Hurricane Florence! Let's choose to remember all the things we have learned from one another about being resilient in the face of stress over the course of the past year. We have learned about the body's response to stress and trauma, and that adding "stressors" and triggers to these can cause us to feel even...

This Trauma Certificate is a part of the Lifelong Learning division, developed by Peace4Tarpon and part of their community engagement effort. This course focuses on the impact trauma has on an individual. Viewing trauma with a trauma-informed lens will build a stronger community, resilient to the effects of trauma, through awareness and understanding. This online course is comprised of three modules: Trauma Informed Lens, Resiliency During Trauma, and Trauma Informed Practices. Registration...

New research demonstrates that using the Whole Child Assessment (WCA), which was developed at Loma Linda University Health, improves identification of child-adverse childhood experiences (Child-ACEs) during a routine well-child doctor visit versus not using a screening tool. Ariane Marie-Mitchell , MD, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and a preventive medicine physician at Loma Linda University Health, said ACEs are a growing public health issue. “There is strong literature showing that...

Listen to Ep. 31: ACEs can make you sick! from KIDing Around with Dr. Candice in Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-31-aces-can-make-you-sick/id1128581730?i=1000391495516

A new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics looks at the effects of racism on children’s development, starting in the womb. This month the American Academy of Pediatrics put out its first policy statement on how racism affects the health and development of children and adolescents . “Racism is a significant social determinant of health clearly prevalent in our society now,” said Dr. Maria Trent, a professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was one of the...

The Central Florida community continues to look for solutions to the ongoing opioid crisis. Join Project Opioid's leadership team as we convene business and faith leaders from across Central Florida to learn how they can make a difference and help stop the opioid crisis. Registration Link: https://hope-for-the-opioid-crisis.eventbrite.com/ With special guests: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis At this free event, you will learn about: The current status of...