Tagged With "Washington State"
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State of Alaska Playing Catch Up
As one who has been advocating for change in addressing childhood trauma for many years now, I have learned that change is extremely difficult for most people. There needs to be a reason for it. When Dr. Felitti was in Juneau last week, his planned testimony before the House Health & Social Services Committee was cancelled. The Legislative leadership mandated no hearings could be held unless they dealt with the state budget deficit. It was odd because what Dr. Felitti has to say is of...
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States Produce a Bumper Crop of ACEs bills in 2017—nearly 40 bills in 18 states
A scan done in March by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) through StateNet of bills introduced in 2017 that specifically include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the text produced a surprising volume of bills (close of 40) in a large number of states (18). A scan done a year ago produced less than a handful. NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves both state legislators and their staffs. The shear volume of bills in so many states represents a promising...
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Stemming the tide of childhood trauma [ADN.com]
As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors and community members, we all know children and care about their well-being. Likely all of us know at least one child who struggles in school, who acts out in class or shuts down and withdraws, who often goes to the nurse or goes home sick, and who shows up at school late many days — if at all. Perhaps we find ourselves wondering what is the most likely cause of all these different problems and what we can possibly do to help. The good...
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Suicide Rates Rise in the U.S.
I became extremely interested in suicide prevention after two of my young cousins committed suicide within six months of each other. I began to study the current state of suicide prevention in 2008 and began to envision what I refer to as a future state in about 2009. I wrote a very quick paper summarizing my research because two of my dear friends were deeply engaged in suicide prevention, one as chair of a prevention task force and the other as a teacher, coach and mentor. I gave three...
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Summer reading list: Turn your everyday kid into a resilient revolutionary [ADN.com]
In my last column , I wrote about how getting lost in a good book can help students hang on to academic advances they made during the school year. What I didn't talk about then is how reading offers an equally crucial benefit to young people by developing what are known as "soft skills" — the emotional intelligence we need in life to feel confident, make good decisions and endure bad things. This is especially critical in Alaska, a state where too many children are victims of society's dark...
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Support needed for HCR 21 (ACEs Bill) -- incl. testimony THIS Saturday
1.) Write a letter of support for HCR 21. Please email them to Rep. Tarr's office as soon as possible so we can add them to the bill packet.
2.) If there’s an opportunity to give public testimony, please send Rep. Tarr's aide your name and contact number before Wednesday, March 30th.
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Survey, conference aims to help Juneau residents find causes of disease, illness [CapitalCityWeekly.com]
A negative experience as a child can have a big impact on a person’s health, and the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition wants to begin figuring how those experiences are affecting the people of Juneau — and spreading the word about the link in the first place. “The ACEs study seems to be well-known within specific communities (like behavioral health) but broadly, in the community, it’s not well known,” said Hilary Young, Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator for Juneau Youth Services and...
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Surviving abuse: Rally raises awareness of child abuse, neglect [Juneau Empire]
Supportive community members can make major difference, experts say A cold wind whipped in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Friday afternoon, sending pinwheels spinning and a police barricade tumbling. The pinwheels and the traffic barricade were there for a rally in honor of National Go Blue Day, which aims to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect. The annual event also tries to bring attention to the importance of families and communities working together to build a more...
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Taking the Next First Step to Healing Communities in Alaska
On the heels of a state policy victory , grassroots advocacy led by the Alaska Resilience Initiative continues to move toward the goal of systemic change by publishing a brief for people who occupy strategic positions across the state. While Alaska Senate Bill 105 builds a framework for changing the system, that's only a beginning. A new document, “ Toward a Trauma-Informed, Resilient, and Culturally-Responsive Alaska ,” authored by Andrea Blanch, is designed to help elected officials,...
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Thank you, Alaska!!
It was a terrific and fast five-day visit, and I definitely want to return. The start of the trip was in Anchorage, where on Friday, May 29, I met about 25 people who gathered at Alaska Children’s Trust to chat about what’s...
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The economic costs of ACEs in Alaska [StateofReform.com]
The Alaska Mental Health Board and the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse have explored these questions and found that childhood trauma has profound costs. A national study demonstrates that costs of childhood trauma begin immediately ( $48,000 during childhood for every substantiated report of harm ), and those costs continue for decades into the future. The report, Economic Costs of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Alaska , takes an initial look at potential savings with...
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Thoughts on Trauma Work as I Say Farewell to the Alaska Resilience Initiative
The following letter went out to the list serve of the Alaska Resilience Initiative on Monday, February 24th. I am sharing it here...because the reflections on lessons learned may be useful to those in the broader ACEs movement...
Most important, perhaps: an ethic of self-reflection and of welcoming feedback creates safety, creates a trauma-informed environment. And so, it is both a tool for growth, and a way of walking the walk on trauma-informed, culturally-responsive care.
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Thrive Washington: 3rd Edition of NEAR@Home Toolkit Released
Thrive Washington is pleased to announce that the 3 rd edition of the NEAR@Home toolkit is now available and offers home visitors more guidance on how to safely, respectfully and effectively address Adverse Childhood Experiences with the families they serve. This new edition reflects what was learned when the toolkit was incorporated into a Facilitated Learning Process with 225 home visitors and 54 supervisors in the four states of federal Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It's...
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U.S. Senator Heitkamp spreads the word about trauma to Senate colleagues and urges advocates to do more
At a March 8 breakfast meeting in Washington, D.C., the featured speakers—U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota (left) and Judith Sandalow, Executive Director of the DC Children’s Law Center (CLC)—used the vivid image of children growing up with “black mold climbing the walls,” referring to unsafe physical and emotional environments at home and in communities, exacerbated by poverty but not limited to poor households. Heitkamp described how the science now explains what we already...
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Visit to Juneau, Alaska, by Dr. Vincent Felitti
Dr. Vincent Felitti spent three days in Juneau, Alaska this week as a guest of the Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) and its president, Dr. Rosita Worl . He was invited to speak about the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experience Study and how it might benefit Alaska, specifically the Alaska Native community. Beginning with a radio appearance and a community reception with about 100 people in attendance, Dr. Felitti was well received. While in Juneau, he met with Alaska Native...
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Webinar Learning Series begins tomorrow: State Policy Approaches to Addressing Childhood Adversity, Wednesday, January 10, 10am PST (1:00 PM EST)
Reminder of tomorrow's ( Wednesday, January 10, 10am PST/1:00 PM EST) webinar on State Policy Approaches to Addressing Childhood Adversity Please join us for a three -part learning series hosted by the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity and ACEs Connection . We'll hear from states that are making great strides towards adopting trauma-informed policies and practices. Three-Part Learning Series: Webinar 1: Overview of State Level Efforts to Address Childhood Adversity and...
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Webinar Learning Series: State Policy Approaches to Addressing Childhood Adversity, January 10, 10am PST (1:00 PM EST)
Please join us for a three -part learning series hosted by the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity and ACEs Connection . We'll hear from states that are making great strides towards adopting trauma-informed policies and practices. Three-Part Learning Series: Webinar 1: Overview of State Level Efforts to Address Childhood Adversity and Highlights from Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin Date: January 10th, 10AM PST (1:00 PM EST) Speakers: Elizabeth Prewitt, Policy Analyst, ACEs...
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Wisconsin state agencies end year one of trauma-informed learning community; goal is to be first trauma-informed state
Here in California, many people think that it’s only liberal Democrats who have a corner on championing the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and putting it into practice. That might be because people who use ACEs science don’t expel or suspend students, even if they’re throwing chairs and hurling expletives at the teacher. They ask "What happened to you?" rather than "What's wrong with you?" as a frame when they create juvenile detention centers where kids don’t fight, reduce...
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Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska (YAHA) needs applications from teens by 3/31
I wanted to share this flyer and message from Jenny Baker at the State of Alaska's Adolescent Health Program, because it's a fantastic way to get Alaskan teens involved in a meaningful leadership position (which we all know is a protective factor that builds resilience) and it's a way to have their experience and voices shaping health and social service programs in Alaska so that these programs can be more effective with youth -- which is our goal, right? Please share with teens in your...
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YouTube Star Revives Traditional Alaskan Culture [NPR.org]
SCOTT SIMON, HOST: We often hear about the ways in which technology is changing our relationship to the past. One teenager from the tiny village of Toksook Bay, Alaska, is using technology to revitalize his language and culture and bring it to the rest of the world. Josie Holtzman and Isaac Kestenbaum have more. ISAAC KESTENBAUM, BYLINE: Byron Nicholai was 14 when he started his Facebook page, I Sing, You Dance. JOSIE HOLTZMAN, BYLINE: He uploaded this homemade music video of him covering...
Ask the Community
Addictive Behaviors, Childhood & Trauma Experiences Impact on Suicide
September 8, 2016 - Anchorage, AK September 9, 2016 – Fairbanks, AK Alaska Federal Health Care Partnership will be hosting a workshop focused on the impacts of addictive behaviors and childhood trauma on suicide. Dr. Donald Warne comes from a long line of traditional Lakota healers. Dr. Warne holds an MD from Stanford University and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. He is also a Diplomate of both the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Medical...
Ask the Community
The Cost of ACE's
Hello, Alaska has been working on a project highlighting the cost and impact of ACE's. I've been following their progress over the past three years and recently saw this great infographic they've created: http://www.mcdowellgroup.net/w...f-ACEs-WEB-Final.pdf Imagine if every state did this? My question: Do you know of any other states who've conducted similar studies? is there support for this research at the federal level? Are you familiar with the McDowell Group or other businesses...
Calendar Event
2019 Alaska State of Reform Health Policy Conference
Comment
Re: Getting_Together_poster_
ANTHC's EpiCenter partered with the State of Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project (AFVPP) and Adolescent Health Program to create the "Getting Together" and "We Are Worthy" safety cards, which are evidence-based tools used to address violence. Following the safety cards, ANTHC’s Behavioral Health’s Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative (DVPI) partnered with the Epicenter to create the “Getting Together” and “We Are Worthy” posters that deliver the same positive messages on the cards...
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Re: Annual Innovation Summit shows the opportunity of economic crisis [CapitalCityWeekly.com]
And unfortunately the opposite is currently occurring... the House Finance Committee is currently proposing a budget that completely cuts state funding to three early childhood programs in Alaska - Best Beginnings, Parents as Teachers, and the State Pre-K program. This is almost a $3 million cut in prevention and early intervention. This is an investment that at the very worst will produce dividends to Alaskans in the form of children and families being more prepared for school and life.
Comment
Re: We_Are_Worthy_poster_
ANTHC's EpiCenter partered with the State of Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project (AFVPP) and Futures Without Violence to create the "Getting Together" and "We Are Worthy" safety cards, which are evidence-based tools used to address violence. Following the safety cards, ANTHC’s Behavioral Health’s Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative (DVPI) partnered with the Epicenter to create the “Getting Together” and “We Are Worthy” posters that deliver the same positive messages on the cards...
Comment
Re: Creating Trauma Informed Communities: Audio
Thank you, to our friends at Alaska Public Media for editing and airing the talk that Dr. Blodgett gave in Anchorage in November - at and event sponsor by Thread, ACT, and Alaska Pediatric Partnership. Dr. Blodgett, a faculty member of Washington State University and a licensed clinical psychologist, introduced the brain development science, ACEs epidemiology, and the importance of community involvement, and schools. Audio is 60 minutes long.
File
ACTcosts_brief.pdf
File
ACE_pamph_FIX.pdf
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"It's All Connected": NJEA ACEs Task Force Reaches Beyond Educators
The March meeting of the New Jersey Education Association’s ACEs Task Force opened without an agenda. It was a virtual gathering with more than 50 people—educators, social workers, professionals in pediatrics, juvenile justice and child abuse prevention. The pandemic had landed emphatically close to home, with a governor’s order to close all schools on March 18, and participants were grappling with what that meant for their students, their families and themselves. So ACEs Task Force co-chair...
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LAUNCH Together Supports Social Emotional Well-Being in Southwest Denver
As the COVID-19 pandemic blurred from days into months, the leadership team of LAUNCH Together Southwest Denver began hearing about the sense of anguish and confusion felt by directors of early-childhood learning centers: Should I re-open? Is that financially feasible? Is it ethical? And how do I decide, in a sea of fast-changing information about a virus scientists are still struggling to understand? LAUNCH Together SW Denver, a collaborative formed in 2016 to boost community capacity to...
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Hope and Progress, No Matter What! — an ACEs Connection/Cambia Health Foundation “Better Normal”, Oct. 22, 2020
The election is upon us. In two short weeks, we voters in this country decide who will lead us for the next four years. We have the opportunity to embrace — as a national priority — the tenets of understanding, nurturing and healing that underlie the science of adverse childhood experiences and move in a direction that embraces cultural and racial equity and anti-racism. Or not.
What is clear is that no matter what, the ACEs movement will continue.
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Whole People Watch Weekend on ACEs Connection (Dec. 11th - 13th)
The Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences FREE Film Festival continues this weekend. Please join us to watch parts 1, 2, and 3 of the PBS Whole People series at your convenience, on ACEs Connection, by clicking play on the videos below: Whole People | 101 | Childhood Trauma | Episode 1 (27 min) Preview: Whole People | 102 | Healing Communities | Preview | Episode 2 Whole People | 102 |Healing Communities Episode 2 (27 min) Whole People | 103 |A New Response | Episode 3 (27 min) This is one of...
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Child-Parent Psychotherapy: What it is and why it’s essential for Alaska’s children
By Chris Gunderson, LPC-S, NCC, President/CEO, Denali Family Services In response to a growing need for early childhood mental health services in Alaska, a multi-agency partnership, including the Alaska Children’s Trust and Denali Family Services , is working to disseminate Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) training across Alaska with the goal of training clinicians from around the state in this nationally recognized, evidence-based practice. In this post, I will discuss the need for this...
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When the hospital is 800 miles away: Pregnant in rural Alaska during COVID-19 [centerforhealthjournalism.org]
By Claire Stremple, March 23, 2021 For a project set against the backdrop of COVID-19, the field is the living room. It’s also the office and the production studio. But when that living room is in a tiny town of just over 2,000 people at the northern end of the longest, deepest fjord in North America, surrounded by glacier-carved mountain ranges for hundreds of miles, the field is pretty far, well, afield. It’s also 100 miles from the nearest hospital, but only by small aircraft or ferry,...
