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By JANE STEVENS (ACES CONNECTION STAFF) 16 HOURS AGO Almost the first thing you hear out of the mouths of police after a mass shooting is: “We’re looking for a motive.” In Gilroy, CA, the FBI is investigating the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival as domestic terrorism. In El Paso, TX, police are describing the shooting as a possible hate crime and act of domestic terrorism , and focusing on the manifesto written by the shooter . Police in Dayton, OH, are still looking for a motive for...

August 15-16, 2019 , 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Valencia College School of Public Safety 8600 Valencia College Lane, Room 149 Orlando, Fl., 32825 NO COST Registration Link: https://web.spcollege.edu/survey/28951 The Community Resiliency Model® (CRM) introduces participants to six wellness skills to help create “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-informed” individuals and communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system. Resiliency can be...

An ACEs Connection webinar will offer helpful self-regulation tools to those rocked by recent shootings in Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX , and Dayton, OH. The Building Resilient Communities webinar is offered by ACEs Connection this Thursday, August 9, at 10:00 AM PDT / 1 :00 PM E D and will last approximately 1 hour. Elaine Miller-Karas will teach her Community Resilienc y Mode l. Find registration details below. This webinar is free and open to the public. It serves professionals and community...

Connie has lived in Tarpon Springs for over forty years. During that time, she has served as Interim Director of the Chamber of Commerce and “cut the ribbon” for many new businesses. It was here that she came to know and love the people of Tarpon Springs and developed a heart for both the youth and elderly. As one of the founders of “Wellness Ministries”, Connie works with folks experiencing homelessness by providing food, clothing, medical and spiritual support. She volunteered for over...

By Healthy Children, American Academy of Pediatrics, July 2019 After any disaster, parents and other adults struggle with what they should say and share with children and what not to say or share with them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents, teachers, child care providers, and others who work closely with children to filter information about the crisis and present it in a way that their child can accommodate, adjust to, and cope with. No matter what age or...

My “turn big waves into small ripples” campaign focuses on creating a supportive high school culture with norms and social constructs that encourage students to cope with stressors and positively expressing their emotions. By encouraging a trauma-informed community within the school setting, students will be better prepared to cope with traumas and stressors post-graduation. They will also be capable of passing on this information to their parents, siblings, peers, and future generations.

By Jane Stevens (ACES Connection Staff) One person asked me recently if ACEs Connection does anything besides distribute news about ACEs science and trauma-informed/resilience-building practices based on ACEs science. Another was surprised that it’s a social network with more than 35,000 members (and growing). And I’d guess that most of those members have no idea that we support more than 300 local ACEs initiatives (and growing). ACEs Connection reminds me of the elephant in the parable that...

It’s irrefutable: Widespread research shows that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common. That’s why researchers in a recent study insist: “It behooves pediatric providers to take an active role in preventing and identifying childhood adversity in order to reduce the health consequences of toxic stress.” In other words, if you want your kids to have a good shot at a healthy life, make sure they — and you — are educated about and screened for ACEs and resilience. In a recent study —...

Florida State University has launched a new online curriculum for a professional certification in trauma and resilience. The curriculum was developed by the Clearinghouse on Trauma and Resilience within the Institute for Family Violence Studies at the FSU College of Social Work in conjunction with the FSU Center for Academic and Professional Development. “This training addresses a gap in the knowledge base of human services professionals,” said Clearinghouse Director Karen Oehme. “Many...

We just found out that ACEs Connection Central Florida now has a new function to track ACEs Science Presentations. You can see the ACEs Central Florida Presentations Tracker Widget on the right hand side of the main ACEs Connection Central Florida page. If you or your organization has facilitated a presentation on ACEs Science that meets the criteria outlined on the tracking survey (5 parts of ACEs Science) please input that presentation information. Once you enter your presentation...

This article, originally published in 2013, has tremendous relevance. It was recently shared with me by community partner Laurie Elbow of the Suncoast Center for Community Mental Health. Healing the Hidden Wounds of Racial Trauma By Kenneth V. Hardy, PhD A disproportionate number of children and youth of color fail in school and become trapped in the pipelines of treatment, social service, and justice systems. This article examines racial trauma and highlights strategies for healing and...

"Cannabis isn’t a gateway drug. Alcohol isn’t a gateway drug. Nicotine isn’t a gateway drug. Caffeine isn’t a gateway drug. Trauma is the gateway. Childhood abuse is the gateway. Molestation is the gateway. Neglect is the gateway. Drug abuse, violent behavior, hypersexuality, and self-harm are often symptoms (not the cause) of much bigger issues. And it almost always stems from a childhood filled with trauma, absent parents, and an abusive family. But most people are too busy laughing at the...