Tagged With "Black Lives Matter"
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Sheltering in Place: ACEs-Informed Tips for Self-Care During a Pandemic
Millions of lives have been affected in unprecedented ways by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are all grappling with uncertainty—our daily routines interrupted, not knowing what is to come. For those of us who have Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), these times can be particularly distressing. At the Center for Youth Wellness (CYW), we know that childhood trauma can have a significant impact on an individual’s health and well-being – both physiologically and psychologically. Since the...
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Some 350 Florida Leaders Expected to Attend Think Tank with Dr. Vincent Felitti, Co-Principal Investigator of the ACE Study; Expert on ACEs Science
Leaders from across the Sunshine State will take part in a “Think Tank” in Naples, FL, on Monday, August 6, to help create a more trauma-informed Florida. The estimated 350 attendees will include policy makers and community teams made up of school superintendents, law enforcement officers, judges, hospital administrators, mayors, PTA presidents, child welfare experts, mental health and substance abuse treatment providers, philanthropists, university researchers, state agency heads, and...
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Something to Consider... for the next time you teach or preach on worry
As I start to talk with pastors about why ACEs matter and why they should inform themselves and their congregations, I regularly hear something like this: "But why does it matter? What difference should it make in ministry? Can't I simply preach and teach the Bible and leave the results up to God?" By way of answer to these questions, I am starting to put together a training called "10 things that kid with ACEs would like you to know: moving your church toward greater empathy." The following...
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The Black Community, COVID-19 & Trauma [sdvoice.com]
By Latanya West, San Diego Voice, May 15, 2020 In January 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Nadine Burke Harris as California’s first-ever Surgeon General. An award-winning physician, researcher and advocate, Dr. Burke Harris’ career has been dedicated to serving vulnerable communities and combating the root causes of health disparities. Her work is equally dedicated to changing the way our society responds to one of the most serious, expensive and widespread public health crises of...
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The Bodhisattva Response to Coronavirus (lionsroar.com)
In Buddhist teachings, the bodhisattva is someone who vows to alleviate suffering and bring blessings in every circumstance. A bodhisattva chooses to live with dignity and courage and radiates compassion for all, no matter where they find themselves. Burst out with love. Be a carrier of hope. This is not a metaphor. As bodhisattvas, we are now asked to hold a certain measure of the tragedy of the world and respond with love. The bodhisattva path is in front of us. The beautiful thing is, we...
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The Coronavirus’s Unique Threat to the South [theatlantic.com]
More young people in the South seem to be dying from COVID-19. Why? By Vann R. Newkirk II The Atlantic, April 2, 2020 In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus has gone from a novel, distant threat to an enemy besieging cities and towns across the world. The burden of COVID-19 and the economic upheaval wrought by the measures to contain it feel epochal. Humanity now has a common foe, and we will grow increasingly familiar with its face. Yet plenty of this virus’s aspects remain unknown. The...
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The Dalai Lama on a Human Approach to World Peace (upliftconnect.com)
Bringing Back the Humanity Anger plays no small role in current conflicts such as those in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the North-South problem, and so forth. These conflicts arise from a failure to understand one another’s humanness. The answer is not the development and use of greater military force, nor an arms race. Nor is it purely political or purely technological. Basically it is spiritual, in the sense that what is required is a sensitive understanding of our common human...
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THE MY BROTHER’S KEEPER COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
The My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge is a call to action for cities, Tribal Nations, towns, and counties to build and execute robust plans to ensure that all young people—no matter who they are, where they come from, or the...
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The Tiny Cell that Connects our Physical and Mental Health, and Solves a Decades-old Mystery of Why Toxic Stress Leads to Brain Changes that Spark Depression, Anxiety
More than a decade ago, I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases, one after another, including Guillain-Barré syndrome , which left me paralyzed twice while raising two young children. All told I spent six years in and out of bed and hospitals, learning, between crises, to use a cane or walker to navigate life as a working-mother-with-chronic-illness. My immune system was repeatedly and mistakenly attacking my body, causing the nerves in my arms, legs, and those I needed to swallow...
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These maps show the most popular religions where you live (ocregister.com)
RELIGION BY COUNTY Approximately 70 percent of Americans who are religious are of the Christian faith. Here is a breakdown of the most popular religion in every county in America according to data from the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. NON-CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS Here are the second-most popular faiths in counties in America after Christianity. To read more of Kurt Snibbe's article, please click here.
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Trauma-Informed Churches – CMConnect Conference Notes
This blog post are notes written by GJ Farmer and taken from a workshop Linda Ranson Jacobs presented for CMConnect Conference in 2015. Early trauma causes disorganized attachment. In early attachments children feel safe. If there are attachment issues, the impulse is fight or flight. Childhood trauma affects children into adulthood. If we want a church of the future, we must become trauma-informed. “Sometimes that angry look, that stare, that inappropriate response, is a cry for help more...
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Trauma Informed Congregations Community of Practice meeting May 27, 2015
LINK TO THE RECORDING OF THE MEETING: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/p1zlsjfmfww/ Short summary of presentations and topics discuss Northeast Michigan Trauma-Informed Community Action : With the goal of making Northeast...
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"Warriors of HOPE" Series Continues This Sunday on "Breaking the Silence" Radio Program with Special Guest, Judge Steven Teske!
The fourth week of the 6-week "Warriors of Hope" event will continue this Sunday night at 8 pm Central Time on "Breaking the Silence with Dr. Gregory Williams" radio program. This 6-week event features six very special guests that will offer their insight on the power of HOPE in their lives and provide encouragement, wisdom and insight on the need for resilience in lives today. This series has resulted in praise from around the world from the listeners that have tuned in. This week's guest...
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Why Focus on Resilience? 2019 BPT Conference Big Idea Session with Teri Barila
“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in” -Desmond Tutu. This quote captures the essence of why resilience matters. To Community Resilience Initiative, Resilience is not about “lifting yourself up by your bootstraps” or “bouncing back” from serious harm or injury. To us, Resilience is about self-discovery and self-awareness based on what the ACE Study, neurobiology, and epigenetics tell us...
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Why Is the Pandemic Killing So Many Black Americans [podcasts.apple.com]
By The Daily, The New York Times, May 20, 2020 Some have called the pandemic “the great equalizer.” But the coronavirus is killing black Americans at staggeringly higher rates than white Americans. Today, we explore why. Guest: Linda Villarosa, a writer for The New York Times Magazine covering racial health disparities, who spoke to Nicole Charles in New Orleans, La. about the death of her husband, Cornell Charles, known as Dickey. He was 51. For more information on today’s episode, visit...
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Why you faith community should know about ACEs - from Helenair.com
As I begin to share with faith communities throughout Montana why adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) matter and how they can help build more resilient children and healthier communities, I sometimes hear something like this: "But why does it matter? What difference should it make in ministry?” The ACE survey measured the prevalence of ten stress-inducing factors in childhood including abuse, neglect, and substance abuse in the home, and these factors definitely influence ministries...
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With VBS coming up, attitudes and conversations can make a difference when you have a rambunctious group of kids
Summer is here, and recently I’ve been doing my early morning walk on the beach. In our part of the country we have a beach restoration project going on. This project involves ships, pipes 4 feet in diameter, tractors, backhoes, and other equipment needed to dredge the sand off the bottom of the ocean and pump it up onto the beach. It’s quite interesting to watch the sand pour out of those very large pipes onto the beach and then observe the large earthmoving equipment move all the sand...
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You know I really believe!!!
Folks from Pastors to Priests to dharma brothers and sisters and beyond really do have the power if they become educated about adversity in childhood to really make a change for individuals and for the larger community you live in! In fact it is...
Ask the Community
Worth Forwarding - "Caught between the Amygdala and a Hard Place" - by Karyn Purvis, Ph.D. & David Cross, Ph.D.
As so many disturbing and traumatic events involving children have been covered by the media recently - it caused me to reflect on my own journey of becoming trauma-informed. Now that I know what I know, I cannot view such stories in a trauma- un informed way. I've found myself in discussions with others who may, or may not be, trauma-informed. It turns out this one factor predictably correlates with the type of conversation that ensues around any topic covered by the media where children...
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Re: A program to Teach ACEs concepts/Importance of Avoiding Toxic Stress to Parents at our Local Lutheran Church. Ideas?
Hi - I have done exactly this for both faith-based communities as well as schools (teachers and kids). I have a presentation all set - where are you located? Perhaps we could do something together that you could then carry forward? I have presented to Episcopal churches in Philadelphia; and I live in Elkins Park, just north of N. Philly. Feel free to contact me directly: kryscooperLCSW@gmail.com . Oh - I see you are in Michigan. That'd be a tough one to coordinate. Happy to share info,...
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Re: You know I really believe!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this. The issue of ACEs and resilience is something I work on professionally but it's also something deeply personal. We can help those affected by trauma no matter where we walk. Thanks for that reminder! Peace, Heather
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Re: Worth Forwarding - "Caught between the Amygdala and a Hard Place" - by Karyn Purvis, Ph.D. & David Cross, Ph.D.
I think ALL who share a concern about ACEs, regardless of our personal score, have a contribution to make to this endeavor. I remember learning of a SAMHSA meeting about "Lived Experience" which was about to be convened, and there were no Consumer Survivor "Seats at the Table", and an ally in Washington, D.C. went to a few members of Congress who wrote the DHHS Secretary, requesting seats at the table for Consumers/Survivors/Persons with Lived Experience/Person's at risk of becoming a...
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Re: What does it mean for a ministry to be "trauma-informed?"
I am the author of "Chained No More...A Journey of Healing for Adult Children of Divorce/Childhood Brokenness ." I did not grow up in a horribly dysfunctional home, did not divorce, or have divorced parents. I did not suffer from abuse, although I had other issues growing up in a pastor's home. It used to be that we all kept our "family business" private, so never really discussed it, nor did we heal from it, so we took it forward into our adult lives. Churches proclaimed the gospel and gave...
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Re: What does it mean for a ministry to be "trauma-informed?"
Love it, Robyn! I share your passion. Of what I wrote, here's where I feel the crux of the matter lies... moving from advocacy for to advocacy with and empowerment of those with past (and present) trauma: Empowerment, voice and choice : Are those that are ministered to also given opportunity and empowered to minister within the church, understanding that they bring value and wisdom to the worshipping community? Are they fully integrated into the life of the church and given a voice for...
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Re: An ACES Presentation as a Sermon
I’d love to see your slides. I live in Union County, NC and have connections to ministries in and around the Charlotte area that could benefit from the info. King
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Re: An ACES Presentation as a Sermon
Hi King, I actually live in Indian Land, SC quite near Waxhaw, just of highway 521.
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Re: An ACES Presentation as a Sermon
I technically live in Waxhaw, but I’m closer to Wesley Chapel. That being said, I’d love to meet up sometime and discuss!
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Re: An ACES Presentation as a Sermon
Hi Folks! I'm attaching two documents that I used to deliver the teaching I mentioned in the post above. There is a Powerpoint file that I used on the Sunday that I've converted to a PDF. And the script that accompanies the Powerpoint is also in a PDF document. This presentation and the supporting documents are a 'work in progress.' As Ronnie and I present this to other churches and ministries in the area, I'm sure that it will evolve. We are doing our best to share this important material...
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Re: An ACES Presentation as a Sermon
Thanks for the response. I found it useful. Where is the Masters Training in ACE being offered? I live in Southern California. Augusta Sent from my iPad
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Re: An ACES Presentation as a Sermon
Daun, it seems that my reference to Kauffman, 2016 came from this internet page - https://www.youthranch.org/edu...onal-impacts-of-aces It's clear to me now that the complete reference is not included. And I see you may be the referenced author. Do you have an accurate reference source that should be used? And attached is a PPT slide with a completed table of Biblical Principles for Risk Factors.
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Re: Call for Proposals Philadelphia Trauma Conference (March 6th)
Thank you so much for your interest, Stacy! The conference focuses on interprofessional work, drawing attendees from the Medical & Healthcare, Mental Health, Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare, Higher Education, Faith, and Community(Block Captains, organizers, etc.) sectors. The majority of sessions are accessible to cross-disciplinary audiences, while a few are targeted to attendees from specific backgrounds/professions. the website for the conference is...
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Re: Examples of churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other faith communities practicing child trauma prevention and intervention?
Lauralee, Thanks for reaching out. Happy to hear from you. Check my website: aceovercomers.org We now have online facilitator training. The first session (one of twelve) is free. There is a difference between establishing a safe culture in a church and just adding a new class to the list of available classes. Establishing a safe culture requires the pastor and leadership to "buy into" understanding and practicing trauma-informed approach to ministry. I'm not saying that the pastor must...
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What Do We Do? What Do We Do Now?
People’s response to the great chasms of structural inequities glaringly laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic have been further inflamed by the murder of George Floyd and deaths of other African Americans in recent weeks. The acute emergency of the pandemic has eased, but the violence inflicted on racial minorities and now those who are protesting the inequities in our society has compounded the outrage. Right after the pandemic began running riot across the US, I often heard people ask: When...
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Black Immigrant Pastors in US Share Similar Experiences of Racism (VOANEWS)
By Elizabeth Lee, June 10, 2020, voanews.com LOS ANGELES - Steve Adarkwa grew up in Ghana. What he saw on television shaped his image of America. “Beautiful streets (and) beautiful people. I'd never seen racism before because I was coming from a country where everything was African,” Adarkwa remembered. Living in the United States as a black man shattered the glamorized image portrayed on TV. “I actually saw the intensity of racism or racial divide in this country,” said Adarkwa. He said he...
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Racism's Effect on Health, and the Heartbreak of Being a Black Parent Right Now: California's Surgeon General Speaks [kqed.org]
By KQED Science, KQED, June 14, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic and the recent killing of George Floyd have brought longstanding racial inequities into sharp focus. One of those disparities concerns the high rate of coronavirus transmission among people of color. To talk about the intersection of race and health, KQED's Brian Watt spoke last week with California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who is known for her pioneering work on the role that childhood stress and trauma play on...
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A Better Normal Friday, June 19th at Noon PDT: LGBTQ+ Identity and Race in the US: An Intersectional Discussion On Historical and Generational Trauma
Please join us for the ongoing community discussion of A Better Normal, our ongoing series in which we envision the future as trauma-informed. LGBTQ+ Identity and Race in the US: An Intersectional Discussion On Historical and Generational Trauma With Panelists Rev. Dr. D. Mark Wilson and Alexander Cho, Ph.D., Moderated by ACEs Connection staff members Jenna Quinn and Alison Cebulla Friday, June 19th, 2020 Noon to 1pm, PT (3pm to 4pm ET) >>Click here to register<< Please join us...
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THURSDAY!! Cracked Up, The Evolving Conversation: Generational Trauma - Breaking the Cycle [crackedupmovie.com]
CRACKED UP THE EVOLVING CONVERSATION Episode 4: Generational Trauma - Breaking the Cycle with Darrell Hammond, Comedian, actor, SNL Legend Michelle Esrick, Filmmaker, activist Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Author of The Body Keeps the Score Jane Stevens, Founder of ACES Connection and special guest Jane Fonda Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author and activist Thursday June 25th at 1pm PDT / 2p MT / 3p CT / 4pm EDT Hosted by ACEs Connection THE PRICE OF THIS LIVE EVENT IS $12.50 We have...
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Resilience for Children & Families: Being Brave When Things are Hard
Building Resilience with Children During Racial Discrimination & Violence: This attached Resilience Brief for Children has been the hardest one I have written yet. I have been an active advocate for the equal treatment of people from all backgrounds, religions, ethnic heritages, orientations, and families my entire life. It is hard to see the pain present today, not only due to COVID19 but also due to the harm and anger we see daily in the news. I want to share a story about the person...
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"A Different Distribution of Power": ACEs, Trauma and Resilience Networks Sharpen Focus on Racial Justice and Equity
For the leaders of Sarasota Strong (or "SRQ Strong") Florida, anti-racism work isn’t about inviting people of color to tables long-occupied by white professionals fluent in academic jargon and theories of change. It’s about venturing, with humility and openness, into spaces where Black people worship, work and live. Helen Neal-Ali from SRQ Strong. Photo courtesy of Andrea Blanch. Which is why, before SRQ Strong even had a name or held a formal event, educator/minister Helen Neal-Ali launched...
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Help Navigating the Road to Community Resiliency
The first time I ever heard the words trauma-informed care and the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study was in the summer of 2014. At the time, I was working for the local Police Department as the Director of a grant-funded Crime Reduction Project aimed at reducing drug-related and violent crime. Of the many program goals, one was to develop a rehabilitative corrections program for felony offenders with addictions in order to reduce recidivism. Though I’ve lived in this region for...
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Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network, first to join ACEs Cooperative of Communities, shows what it means to ROCK!
In 2012, Greater Richmond SCAN and five other community partners hatched a one-year plan to educate the Richmond, Virginia, community about ACEs science and to embed trauma-informed practices. Eight years later, the original group has evolved into the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network (GRTICN) with 495 people and 170 organizations. And they're just scratching the surface.
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Trauma-informed policing: Learn how three highly experienced community leaders strengthen ties between police and community
ACEs initiative participants in communities where there is tension between the community and law enforcement will want to join Becky Haas in a compelling conversation on law enforcement, ACEs science, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement and protests. Haas is a nationally recognized adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) science initiative builder and trainer. She and colleagues Renee Wilson-Simmons, the head of the ACE Awareness Foundation of Memphis, Tennessee, and Maggi Duncan,...
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Re: Trauma-informed policing: Learn how three highly experienced community leaders strengthen ties between police and community
How wonderful to read about initiatives and programs that are actually making a difference in the lives of children. This is how change will come to homes and communities.
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Baby courts: A proven approach to stop the multigenerational transmission of ACES in child welfare; new efforts to establish courts nationwide
The organization Zero To Three estimates that in the U.S., a child is taken into the child welfare system every six seconds. “Many of society’s most intractable problems can be traced back to childhood adversity. Being in the child welfare system increases the likelihood of more adversity and criminality. Baby court is a proven approach to healing the trauma of both child and parent, and breaking the cycle of maltreatment,” says Mimi Graham, Ed.D ., director of the Florida State University...
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A Shadow ACE in Christian Babycare
As a former La Leche League Leader I became familiar with the teachings of Gary Ezzo (“Raising Kids God’s Way,” "On Becoming Babywise") in the early 1990’s. Leaders in my area began getting a lot of phone calls on our warm line that followed the same basic story: a baby not thriving and a case of very low milk supply despite the Mom’s exclusive breastfeeding and a strong desire to breastfeed. It gradually emerged that a local church had begun promoting a rigid rules-based practice of baby...
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Does racism make us sick? Amid a national reckoning, the question gains new importance [sfchronicle.com]
By Tatiana Sanchez, San Francisco Chronicle, August 24, 2020 Elaine Shelly has lived with multiple sclerosis for 30 years. But she said she still panics whenever she has to see a new neurologist because of racial discrimination she’s experienced in the past. Even getting a proper diagnosis for her illness was a battle. “I’d go to these neurologists who would tell me that Black people don’t get M.S. and that I must be mentally ill,” said Shelly, 63, of San Leandro. A former print journalist,...