Tagged With "Abused Children"
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Challenges and HOPE for Children During Covid-19 [positiveexperience.org]
By Dr. Robert Sege, 5/7/20, positiveexperience.org Today’s blog is coming from the perspective of Dr. Bob, the pediatrician. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been working with a wonderful team from the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop information for pediatricians around the country. Our goal is to draw pediatricians’ attention to concerns of a possible increase in unreported child abuse during the pandemic. Although child abuse reports are dramatically lower, there are many...
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Changing the Mindset: Foundational Relationships Counter Adversity with HOPE [cssp.org]
By David Willis, MD and Robert Sege | Kay Johnson, 5/21/20, cssp.org The following excerpt was written for the positiveexperience.org blog . Today, the HOPE team leader, Dr. Robert Sege, joined with HOPE National Advisory Board member David Willis and HOPE consultant Kay Johnson to call for a change in mindset for child-serving professionals and organizations. The collaborative post begins with the following excerpt: The three of us have been talking together for years – and have come to...
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Healing in place: Game on to flip the COVID19 threat into a positive experience for our children
As I was considering the children sheltering-in-place this morning and reflecting on lessons from my own childhood, I wondered: Can we heal-in-place too? I was born after the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, another collective trauma affecting everyone. Yet, it was nevertheless passed on to me by the adults in my life in the form of constant reminders that the U.S. could be blown into bits any second. When I started school, there were constant “hide under the chair” earthquake drills I took to be...
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HOPE, Engagement, and COVID19
As children grow and develop, engaging with the larger community around them provides a sense of “mattering” — a sense that their participation in the community really does matter. The emergency conditions now in effect provide numerous opportunities to children and teens to pitch in. Here are a few ideas . . .
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HOPE from Home: An Update [positiveexperience.org]
We hope all is well with each of you and that you are managing during these challenging times. We wanted to update you on the progress of the HOPE project. Please follow along on this positiveexperience.org blog as we continue to use this platform to develop and disseminate HOPE. Here’s an update of our activities to date: Blogs and Media We have published numerous blogs, both on our website and on ACEs Connection. We have had guest posts from HOPE National Advisory Board members David...
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Love in the Time After Covid-19 [positiveexperience.org]
A lot has happened in the month since we first published “ Love in the Time of Coronavirus ” in this blog space. We are now publishing regularly and have featured the perspectives of Drs. David Willis , Danielle Laraque-Arena , Heather Forkey, and Moira Szilagyi . We have also established our own community at ACEs Connection , and post contributions there frequently. Visit our blog to read all posts, our publications page for media coverage, and our presentations page for our recorded...
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Love in the time of Coronavirus: HOPE-informed thoughts for parents
This has been quite a week, and we are now facing major disruptions in our own family lives. There is no doubt that the events of this winter and spring will be memorable for children. In that spirit, here are a few ideas to help make those memories (at least somewhat) happy.
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Love in the TIme of Coronavirus: Inequities and Supporting Children
This blog is re-posted from positiveexperience.org/blog/ Link there for associated resources, and for the other blogs in the series. Having safe, stable, and equitable environments to live, learn and play forms the second of the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE. Children need homes where they feel safe and secure and have their basic needs met. Children thrive in an environment that encourages curiosity and provides opportunities for learning to play and interact with other children. Today’s blog...
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Parents have a right to be stressed. But don't take it out on your kids
Melissa Merrick PhD and Robert Sege MD, PhD wrote this timely and interesting article for CNN online. We encourage you to check it out! Also, please visit and join our Balancing ACES with HOPE community . Just as prior generations were deeply affected by the Great Depression, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and the Kennedys and the horrors of 9/11, the COVID -19 pandemic may well be the defining moment in the lives of today's children. That's why we owe it to our children to focus...
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Positive Childhood Experiences offset ACEs: Q & A with Dr. Robert Sege about HOPE
Tufts University medical professor Dr. Robert Sege directs the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine and is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that address social determinants of health. He is also the principal investigator for the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).The HOPE framework is based on research that shows how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. Sege and colleagues...
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Statewide Convening in Worcester Make Massachusetts a Trauma Informed State
State Senator Harriette Chandler: “You are in the trenches, in the weeds and in the field, this is your issue,” emphasizing that all the parties that came to the table in that room had a role in helping Massachusetts become a more trauma informed and responsive state.
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Ten ways to prevent ACES (during COVID19)
How can we reduce ACEs and toxic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic? Many of us are concerned that increased stress might increase the risk for ACEs. For example, most child abuse happens when adults reach their breaking point. However, we are not powerless in the face of these challenges. Using HOPE ( Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences ) as a guide, here are 10 suggestions to reduce ACEs now: Think about social connection and physical distance , not social distance. Continuing to...
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The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #1: Relationships
HOPE is a natural fit for ACES Connection. To further embrace the members of ACES Connection we have created a Balancing ACES with HOPE community and encourage all to visit and join. Please read our blogs and post your comments. Let us know how you think HOPE could impact your work and personal life. Being in nurturing, supportive relationships are critical for children to develop into healthy, resilient adults. This concept forms the first of the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE . What types of...
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The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #2: Environment
We have been so encouraged to hear how HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) is a natural fit for ACES Connection. Children who grow up in safe, stable and equitable environments are less likely to experience poor mental and physical health as adults. It is crucial to ask caregivers about the types of environments their children are experiencing. Celebrate the positive and work with families to help ensure their child has the opportunity to live, learn and play in safe and...
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The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #3: Engagement
We have been so encouraged to hear how HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) is resonating with the ACES Connection community. Here we present the third mini-blog in our series on the Building Blocks of HOPE. Children need ample opportunities for productive social engagement. Developing a connection to and sense of belonging in a community, as well as a sense that you matter to your community, describes the essence of the third of the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE . What are some...
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The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #4: Social-Emotional Development
We have been so encouraged to hear how HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) is resonating with the ACES Connection community and are thrilled to see our community continue to grow. Here we present the fourth mini-blog in our series on the Building Blocks of HOPE. Children need ample opportunities for productive social and emotional development. Developing social and emotional competencies describes the fourth of the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE . What do we mean by social and...
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We Want YOU to be Part of The League of Extraordinary People
You are extraordinary. Writing this post feels like I have come full circle. In April of 2019, Alfred White reached out to me on ACEs Connection. Shortly after, we spoke at length about the plans he had to create a place of healing and hope in Federal Way and King County, Washington, specifically for individuals with a history of trauma and who were now impacted with symptoms such as addiction and homelessness. I recall sharing with Alfred that there was such a need for this in that...
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Re: The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #1: Relationships
Working with families of preschool children, it has been especially difficult to connect with them via electronic means; many are also busy with older siblings' school assignments. I am encouraging families when I reach out to them that "academics" do not need to be their priority unless they choose it - I let them know if all they are doing is talking, playing, singing, reading, and loving their children, that it is more important they foster that sense of safety and connection with their ...
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Re: The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #1: Relationships
Thank you so much for your comment Melissa. That is great advice. By doing those things they are helping to create positive experiences for their children, which is more important than ever right now.
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HOPE Webinar Summary: Frontline Stories of Inspiration, Concern, and Self-Care [positiveexperience.org]
By Chloe Yang, 5/26/20, positiveexperience.org Last Monday, Dr. Robert Sege was invited by the Maine Resilience Building Network (MRBN) to speak about HOPE and Positive Childhood Experiences during an interactive webinar. Usually an in-person meeting, the gathering attracted nearly 300 virtual participants. Our Zoom screens were tiled with pages and pages of faces, front-line workers across Maine who continue to serve families during this time. Among the audience were teachers, social...
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HOPE Stands with Black Lives Matter [positiveexperience.org]
By Chloe Yang, Dr. Robert Sege, and Dr. Dina Burstein, 6/2/20, positiveexperience.org These past few days, the killing of George Floyd has opened a raw wound, one among many, caused by police brutality and a system built on racism. HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) seeks to create a world in which every child has the chance to live a long, healthy life. The four building blocks promote positive, nurturing relationships. Safe, stable, and equitable environments. Opportunities...
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Addendum to HOPE Stands with Black Lives Matter [positiveexperience.org]
Dr. Robert Sege, 6/4/20, positiveexperience.org Today’s blog is a brief addendum to our blog from Tuesday, June 2, “HOPE Stands with Black Lives Matter.” First of all, thank you very much for the kind words and comments we received by email and phone since the blog was posted. For your interest: this blog has been co-posted at both ACEs connection and the Center for Study of Social Policy websites. HOPE is not alone. We want to draw attention to related activities of our national...
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The Importance of Relationships and Equity in Foster Care [positiveexperience.org]
6/29/20, positiveexperience.org Today’s post is based on an interview with Victor Sims, an active advocate for children in foster care. Victor works as a case manager supervisor at SailFuture , won a 2020 Casey Excellence for Children Award , and is an American Bar Association Reunification Hero . Please introduce yourself and your work for our blog readers. My name is Victor Sims. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, primarily in Polk County. I have been a child welfare advocate since I was...
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The Importance of Relationships and Equity in Foster Care [positiveexperience.org]
6/29/20, positiveexperience.org Today’s post is based on an interview with Victor Sims, an active advocate for children in foster care. Victor works as a case manager supervisor at SailFuture , won a 2020 Casey Excellence for Children Award , and is an American Bar Association Reunification Hero . Please introduce yourself and your work for our blog readers. My name is Victor Sims. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, primarily in Polk County. I have been a child welfare advocate since I was...
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Reflections of HOPE with our National Advisory Board [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Dr. Robert Sege, positiveexperience.org/blog, 7/16/20 The HOPE National Advisory Board met virtually on July 14. This extraordinary and diverse group of leaders is deeply invested in the success of our work. Over the past year, we’ve built the trust needed to have candid conversations about difficult topics. This blog post shares some insights gained from our conversation about the relationship between HOPE, anti-racism, and inequities children face in the United States. One advisory...
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Talking With Children About Race [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Guest Author, positiveexperience.org/blog, 7/21/20 From the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black Americans throughout history, whose lives were taken by police brutality and systemic racism, we have seen how dismantling all forms of racism is critical to the central mission of HOPE: ensuring healthy, equitable child development for all, regardless of race. Systemic solutions, structures of accountability, and addressing individual biases are all...
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Talking With Children About Race [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Guest Author, positiveexperience.org/blog, 7/21/20 From the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black Americans throughout history, whose lives were taken by police brutality and systemic racism, we have seen how dismantling all forms of racism is critical to the central mission of HOPE: ensuring healthy, equitable child development for all, regardless of race. Systemic solutions, structures of accountability, and addressing individual biases are all...
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Offset trauma for students by promoting positive experiences [exclusive.multibriefs.com]
By Sheilamary Koch, Multibriefs: Exclusive, July 27, 2020 When Christina Bethell was little, she lived in a low-income housing complex in Los Angeles where her neighbor, a quiet lady the kids called Mrs. Raccoon, always had her door open for the neighborhood kids. Every Saturday she threw a little tea party with candy to celebrate any child with a birthday that week. Bethell fondly remembers the woman’s kindness as source of comfort during her challenging childhood. Dr. Bethell, now a...
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Resilience in the Face of Covid-19: What the Data Shows [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Dr. Robert Sege, 7/29/20, positiveexperience.org/blog In times and places when Covid-19 is on the upsurge, most of us worry about our own safety and that of the ones we love. Is it a safe to go to work? It is safe for children to go to school? When will the pandemic and this uncertainty ever stop? At other times, public health restrictions are first in our minds—we can’t gather to celebrate or mourn, we need to wear masks to protect others even if we don’t feel sick ourselves, and every...
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Resilience in the Face of Covid-19: What the Data Shows [positiveexperience.org/blog]
In times and places when Covid-19 is on the upsurge, most of us worry about our own safety and that of the ones we love. Is it a safe to go to work? It is safe for children to go to school? When will the pandemic and this uncertainty ever stop? At other times, public health restrictions are first in our minds—we can’t gather to celebrate or mourn, we need to wear masks to protect others even if we don’t feel sick ourselves, and every interaction with the outside world, even going grocery...
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Introducing HOPE's Newest Team Member [positiveexperience.org/blog]
8/12/20, positiveexperience.org/blog Over the last year, HOPE has continued to evolve and grow. Now, we’d like to share an exciting development: a new research assistant joined the team last week! We are so happy to have our newest member, Loren McCullough, on board with HOPE. For this post, we asked Loren to answer some questions about herself—read her answers below! Before we get to know Loren, however, we’d like to share another recent HOPE development. Our core funding was recently...
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Fighting Food Insufficiency in the Time of Covid-19 [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Loren McCullough, 8/26/20, positiveexperience.org/blog HOPE involves a change in mindset. For many of us, our professional training and inclinations lead us to discover risks, problems, and deficits. In this blog (the first from our new team member, Loren McCullough), we examine national data that points to severe problems with the food supply – as experienced by families. Hidden within the data, we also see evidence for hope. Family and community engagement have buffered some of these...
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Survey for ACEs Connection: PCEs, ACEs, and Health Outcomes
ACEs Connection, we need your help ! We are performing a research study to better understand the relationship between positive childhood experiences (PCEs), ACEs, and health outcomes in adulthood. All we need is 5-10 minutes of your time and your honesty to complete the following anonymous survey. With your help we can find a better way to combat ACEs and to support the development of children into resilient adults. Just a little bit more about the survey: This survey is sponsored by the...
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HOPE in the Time of Coronavirus: 10 Ways to Promote Positive Childhood Experiences [positiveexperience.org]
By Dr. Robert Sege, 9/16/20, positiveexperience.org/blog This past spring, we began blogging about ways to look at the world from a child’s eyes, in order to make sure they’re having the positive childhood experiences that they need to grow and be healthy, even in the face of disruption and adversity. In the six months or so that we have been experiencing the pandemic, the HOPE team has seen and heard many stories from around the country of families that are doing just that. Now, as the...
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HOPE, Civic Engagement, and Voting [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Dr. Robert Sege and Chloe Yang, 9/24/20, positiveexperience.org/blog Today’s blog post focuses on civic engagement, one of the building blocks of HOPE. HOPE emphasizes how positive childhood experiences (PCEs) improve lifelong health outcomes and promote healing after trauma. The four building blocks — nurturing relationships with caregivers and peers , safe, stable, and equitable environments , social/civic engagement , and opportunities for social/emotional development —describe the...
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Positive Childhood Experiences in Ojibwe Culture [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Zhawin Gonzalez (compiled by Chloe Yang), 9/30/20, positiveexperience.org/blog HOPE knows that all families, communities, and cultures have inherent strengths. In recent webinars with The Montana Institute , we’ve learned real world examples of this from co-presenters at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) . Zhawin Gonzalez, or Wasegabo, is the MIWRC Education and Resource Coordinator. In this blog post, Zhawin shares his insight on the long tradition of positive...
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New HOPE Resources and Photo Contest [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Chloe Yang, 10/7/20, positiveexperience.org/blog These past few months have been very busy for HOPE, with digital workshops reaching hundreds of providers and frontline workers across the country, research projects under way, and more. For a comprehensive update of what we’ve accomplished in September, check out this month’s newsletter at this link . You can keep up with HOPE by clicking here to subscribe to our newsletter . Recently, HOPE developed new resources for you to learn from and...
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Making the Case for Love, Compassion, and Positive Childhood Experiences [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand and Chloe Yang, 10/14/20, positiveexperience.org/blog A growing body of work recognizes the important health effects of highlighting and creating positive childhood experiences. Today’s blog post makes the scientific case for this, based off of an interview with Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand, professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology at Stanford School of Medicine. Below, Dr. Anand details how positive childhood experiences buffer against adverse ones and explains the biological...
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Back to the Basics of HOPE [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Dr. Bob Sege, 10/22/20, positiveexperience.org/blog [...] The spirit of HOPE is simple: children are not products to be graded, sorted, and labeled, and parents are complex human beings who love their children and do everything in their power to care for them. This sounds simple. However, we live in an age where accountability has been translated into systematic evaluation–including children’s physical and developmental progress, parents’ and caretakers’ mental health education and...
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ACEs Connection Survey Results: "A Pattern of Remarkable Strength"
By Loren McCullough and Dr. Robert Sege Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) National Resource Center In this blog, we report the results of a survey of ACEs Connection members that shows that positive childhood experiences appear to counteract the long-term effects of childhood adversity. In the face of worldwide changes in childcare and schooling, researchers have become even more invested in understanding the impact of PCEs on health and how they interact with ACEs. Within...
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Newly Launched: the HOPE Pilot Learning Module [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Chloe Yang, 11/2/20, positiveexperience.org/blog The HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) National Resource Center has long held interactive workshops—made virtual during the pandemic—which teach participants about positive childhood experiences, the science of HOPE, the evidence-based Building Blocks of HOPE, how to translate HOPE into practice, and more. In this time of disruption and adversity, there is an especially urgent need for HOPE’s strengths-based approach. In...
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Preventing Cognitive Skill Gaps with Positive Experiences [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Guest Author, positiveexperience.org/blog, 11/12/20 More and more evidence points to the important role positive childhood experiences play in child development. Today's blog post is based off of an interview with Dr. Ron Ferguson , founder and president of The Basics (a public health approach to supporting social, emotional, and cognitive development of children from birth to age three). In this post, Dr. Ferguson walks us through The Basics and several experiences that benefit child...
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Ayanna Presley unveils plan to combat childhood trauma [baystatebanner.com]
By Morgan C. Mullings, The Bay State Banner, November 5, 2020 U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley is introducing a bill to fight childhood trauma, as children across the nation witness multiple crises that will shape their future. The STRONG Support for Children Act targets the root causes of childhood trauma and the inequities that contribute to it through grant funding for public health services. In a virtual conversation on Oct. 27, Pressley brought together several Boston residents who...
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Recording Available: Supporting Early Learning Students Remotely
Click here to watch the recording of Supporting Early Learning Students Remotely: Implementing Relationship-Based Strategies During COVID-19. This presentation was offered from Rise to Resilience. Rise to Resilience was created to support individuals and organizations primarily within the education field, as well as others who serve children and families in varying capacities. For more information, visit www.risetoresilience.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/resiliencetogether.
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Policy Opportunities to Spread HOPE [positiveexperience.org/blog]
By Bob Sege and Kay Johnson, 11/19/20, positiveexperiences.org/blog This week, we focus on opportunities to spread HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) with the new Biden-Harris Administration. With the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, families feel more stress than before, adding to long-simmering concerns about child poverty and its implications. On a more positive note, the recent resurgence in calls for racial justice have spurred many more Americans to work...
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A HOPEful Thanksgiving [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Dina Burstein, positiveexperience.org/blog, 11/24/20 Thanksgiving in 2020 is proving to be very challenging for many families. The dangers of spreading Covid-19 to loved ones is keeping families apart, and many are facing significant economic challenges. Yet, we know families and children across the nation are finding ways to safely create positive experiences, too. To spotlight these efforts, the HOPE team sought out some stories of HOPE for this Thanksgiving, and we want to share them with...
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The HOPE team needs your help!
HOPE is seeking individuals who will review our pilot learning module and leave feedback! Click here to take the module , and click here to give feedback on your experience. The HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) team is working with the Education Development Center to make our trainings accessible to even more individuals, through an online curriculum for HOPE-informed care. The full curriculum teaches participants about positive childhood experiences, the science of HOPE,...
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Federal Opportunities to Advance Child Health Transformation and Spread HOPE [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Charles Bruner and Kay Johnson, 12/21/20, positiveexperience.org/blog Our country and the world are eager to move toward the coming new year. In 2020, the triple crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturn, and reckoning on racism have elevated attention to social injustice in both the health care system and our country as a whole. Because of COVID-19, the public and policy leaders have heightened awareness of the importance of physicians, nurses, community health workers, child care...
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Happy Holidays from the HOPE National Resource Center [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Dr. Robert Sege, 12/22/20, positiveexperience.org/blog We wish everyone a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday season! Whatever traditions or beliefs your families hold, this is the time of year when many of us can pause, reflect, and celebrate that the long nights of winter are already getting shorter. Over at the HOPE National Resource Center, we have been thinking about everything we have heard, seen, and read in our personal and professional lives. Children’s experiences form the center of...
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Ringing in a HOPEful New Year [positiveexperience.org/blog]
Chloe Yang, 1/6/21, positiveexperience.org/blog Happy New Year from the HOPE National Resource Center! In the new year, you can expect to see even more workshops, partnerships, and resources from the HOPE team. We look forward to another year of engaging with you, learning from our conversations and collaborations, and bringing HOPE to families and children across the nation. In this post, we’ll share some upcoming events and developments to watch out for in the near future. 2021 National...