November 2021

By Rachel Becker and Julie Cart, Cal Matters, November 5, 2021 Nations around the globe this week have pledged to tackle two thorny and critical threats to Earth’s climate: methane, which is the most potent planet-warming pollutant, and widespread destruction of forests. Both of these are major contributors to climate change that California has tried — yet struggled — to address. More than 100 countries inched toward progress on tackling climate change by signing an international pledge ,...

The CDPH Injury and Violence Prevention Branch , on behalf of the CDPH Violence Prevention Initiative , has released a new report on household firearm storage titled “ California Household Firearm Storage Practices, 2017-2019 .” Using survey data from the 2017-2019 California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the report shows that one in five California adults reported a household firearm. Of those who reported a household firearm, one in ten also reported storing it...

The CDPH Injury and Violence Prevention Branch ’s California Violent Death Reporting System (CalVDRS) Project has released four new injury data briefs and an infographic on suicide, homicide, firearm-related deaths, and violent deaths involving multiple victims using data from 2018. These briefs summarize vital statistics data as well as supplemental data from coroner/medical examiner and law enforcement reports to identify trends and circumstances in violent deaths in California. These...

By Dani Anguiano, The Guardian, November 5, 2021 West Hollywood will provide the highest minimum wage in the US after the city council voted to raise pay in the city to $17.64 an hour. The wage hike will start taking affect in January for some workers and will gradually increase every six months until July 2023, eventually surpassing California’s minimum wage, which is set to reach $15 by 2022 for workplaces with more than 25 employees. California has the highest minimum wage of any state.

This is an updated version of the popular hand-out created and shared by the Community & Family Services Division at the Spokane (WA) Regional Health District. The original version has been downloaded thousands and thousands of times and has been used by both individuals and organizations. The updated flyer can be downloaded, distributed, and used freely. Please share widely! It is available in the following languages: English Spanish Arabic Dari Farsi Family Hui, a Program of Lead for...

Please join us for a new series entitled: Trauma-Informed Criminal Justice. This monthly virtual Zoom series will feature conversations facilitated by Porter Jennings-McGarity, PACEs Connection’s criminal justice consultant, with special guests to discuss the need for trauma-informed criminal justice system reform. Using a PACEs-science lens, this series will examine the relationship between trauma and the criminal justice system, what needs changing, and strategies being used in this area...

Centering equity and engagement in public agency budgeting and funding allocations Wednesday, November 10, 2021 11:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m. Equity is a top concern for local governments everywhere, particularly for leaders of diverse communities who are striving to increase participation from historically disadvantaged populations. Developing policies and programs that achieve equitable outcomes can be a challenge. This is especially true when it comes to budgeting and fund allocation processes...

Without intervention, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can create long-term physical, mental, and behavioral risks. The good news is, healthcare providers have a unique opportunity to prevent and respond to ACEs in their clinical settings, using evidence-based tools and trauma-informed strategies that promote family resiliency. Futures Without Violence, a grantee of the ACEs Aware initiative , is providing online training that enables Medi-Cal providers to earn an ACEs Aware...

Addressing ACEs and Toxic Stress: Understanding CUES to Support Families and Patients This pre-recorded webinar is the first in a three-part series developed by Futures Without Violence as part of the California ACEs Aware Core Training initiative ( www.ACEsAware.org ). It is an opportunity for health providers and support staff to learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, screening, risk assessment, and evidence-based care to effectively intervene on toxic stress. It...

Bay Area nonprofit, Supporting Mamas, is proud to co-host the premiere of From the Ashes , a personal film from Theresa Fortune about her own journey with postpartum depression. The premiere will feature a panel of mental health experts exploring the inequities of maternal mental healthcare faced by women of color. From the Ashes is a multidisciplinary narrative of a black woman’s journey through postpartum depression and towards spiritual rebirth. Through the use of photography, video...

We all have inner strengths and resilience that can help us deal with challenges and stress. To help us manage stress, PACEs Connection and ACEs Aware created a handout based on seven evidence-based stress busters , as described in the Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health . These interventions can help reduce stress, improve health, and build resilience. Please share widely! The handout is available in the...

By Matt Krupnick, The Guardian, November 4, 2021 Half a million dollars and nearly four years into his Los Angeles-based cannabis venture, Donnie Anderson had no shop, no prospects and a mountain of debt. With financial help from family and friends, Anderson rented a $6,000-a-month space in January 2018 for his new cannabis retail shop. He kept paying the rent as the city’s permitting process dragged on. He bought cabinets and other equipment as he waited. And waited. Sick of waiting, he’s...