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On Monday, the FBI released its full crime stats for 2016, which showed violent crime up 4.1 percent in the U.S. over the FBI numbers for 2015. Pfaff, a Professor of Law at Fordham University Law School, was one of several academic and law enforcement figures who took part in a Monday morning conference call about the FBI stats. The call was sponsored by the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School, and Fair and Just Prosecution , a project that supports and inter-connects...

California is the first state in the nation to get enhanced school ratings from GreatSchools , an Oakland-based nonprofit. The improved ratings now include course access, student progress and equity - which are intended to help parents choose schools, advocate to improve them and support their children's education. " We believe schools must serve the needs of every child, in every community, and we know that parents play an enormous role in ensuring this happens," said Matthew Nelson,...

Policymakers increasingly recognize the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on lifelong physical, emotional, and social health and are beginning to support efforts for incorporating trauma-informed care into the health and social service sectors. This new CHCS blog post looks at how proposed state and federal legislative, regulatory, and contracting policies aim to reduce trauma and toxic stress and promote resiliency and trauma-informed practices. It also explores how federal...

Health policymakers and practitioners increasingly recognize trauma as an important factor that influences health throughout the lifespan. By incorporating trauma-informed approaches to care into their practice settings, provider organizations can more effectively care for patients and support efforts to improve health outcomes, reduce avoidable hospital utilization, and curb excess costs. This two-part CHCS webinar series will explore innovative strategies for implementing a trauma-informed...

San Diego Republican Assemblyman Brian Maienschein stopped by the VOSD Podcast this week to talk about his pivotal vote on Sen. Toni Atkins' SB 2, a bill that brings in new revenue to fund affordable housing via a fee on certain real estate documents. On being the lone Republican Assembly vote on SB 2: " It was a big vote. You know, any time you step out you're the only one on something, that's a tough vote. Candidly, I know I did the right thing. I feel very comfortable with it... I mean...

Mental health is at the heart many of the challenges we face, including trauma and adverse childhood experiences, social isolation, institutionalized bias and discrimination, and ‘diseases of despair’ that manifest in depression, suicide, and substance misuse. Addressing social determinants of health is key to helping communities navigate adversity, heal, and flourish. PI’s new report, Back to Our Roots: Catalyzing Community Action for Mental Health and Wellbeing , illustrates how improving...

If you want to be part of educating the faith community about Trauma, ACEs, Addiction and Recovery, then please consider attending this dynamic one day conference in Auburn, CA with Dr. Jessica Rodriguez. CEUs available. Please contact Clay Rojas with any questions: clay.rojas@jessup.edu https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-addiction-trauma-and-recovery-for-christian-leaders-conference-tickets-37279340511?aff=es2

Sometimes, just when you’re about to leave, you see the past in a new way. For My-Linh Le, she was about to fly to Europe when she thought of her mom. Le is 30, about the same age her mom was when she got on a boat to leave Vietnam. “There was no food and no water and people were dying left and right,” Le remembers her mom telling her. “And every time somebody died, they were just thrown overboard.” Le wasn’t born yet. Her mom was divorced and had two young daughters at the time, but only...

Vincent “Vinnie” Pompei is director of the Youth Well-Being Project of the Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights organization, and the chair of Time to Thrive, an annual national conference about LGBT student inclusion. He spent more than 10 years as a middle school teacher and high school counselor in the Paramount and Val Verde unified school districts in Southern California. Pompei is also a past president of the California Association of School Counselors. On Oct. 5 at the...

From ASM Kevin McCarty: https://a07.asmdc.org/event/daca-renewal-workshop DACA Renewal Workshop As you may know, the Trump administration recently announced plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) federal program which allows immigrants who came to the United States as children to apply for temporary protections from deportation and to receive work permits. As a result of the President's decision, only DACA recipients whose benefits expire on or before March 5, 2018...

While scores of public agencies are working to develop resources and programs to address childhood trauma and toxic stress in their communities, San Joaquin County has been turning itself into a model for how to address the issue. “This is not a new concept for us,” said Barbara Alberson, senior deputy director of policy and planning at the San Joaquin County Public Health Services Department. “It’s in our DNA.” The county performed a Community Health Needs Assessment in 2016 that identified...

Shasta County health officials have released a five-year plan to address the community’s health needs by focusing in on three key issues — harmful substance use, mental wellness, and chronic disease. The Community Health Improvement Plan was compiled by the Public Health Branch of the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, and was revealed this week. “We chose these (issues) because we thought this was something we could make a difference on together,” said Brandy Isola, public...