Yolanda Harden grew up a ward of the state in Lawton, Okla. Chaos marked her childhood, the details of which she chooses to keep private, even at age 34. She drank alcohol and smoked marijuana before she was a teenager. She got pregnant when she was 14 and had a son at 15. For most of her life, Yolanda, who now lives in Rockford, Ia., felt like a clenched fist gripped her heart, she told me in a recent telephone conversation. She believed the root of her struggles was that she was simply...

In the wake of the gun violence last fall that claimed the life of 15-year-old Aaron Richardson, community leaders came together to discuss a comprehensive response that would focus on the systemic causes of gun violence and poverty, with hopes their work would make a lasting impact on the community. As a result, the Safe, Equitable, and Thriving Communities Task Force was born in January. The SET Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional committee charged with addressing the systemic causes of...

Dr. Resmiye Oral, clinical professor of pediatrics and director of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine’s Child Protection Program, wrote this guest blog for the Cedar Rapid Gazette: Psychological trauma resulting from childhood and adult adversities is strongly tied to negative health outcomes. Studies since the 1990s have identified that more than half of adults were exposed to at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), which may include events such as child abuse,...

This was produced by KPJR Films, and edited by Jen Bradwell.

Often shouted in anger or groaned in disdain, the question “What’s wrong with you?!” rarely leads to an honest answer about a person’s life or experiences. That’s because it’s the wrong question to ask and the answer is complicated. A new pilot program in Black Hawk County hopes to change that interaction between two people, and in turn, create a stronger community and healthier children. The community-based child abuse prevention response to ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences, project...

The Iowa ACEs Policy Coalition held two successful advocacy days at the Iowa State Capitol, bringing together participants from across the state and various sectors to advocate for preventative and early intervention strategies. Key legislative items for the 2016 session include: expanding the 1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative statewide, creating a statewide system of care for children's mental health, and ensuring access to preventative and early identification services for...

The Appanoose County NEST program has been under the guidance of coordinator Meho Clark for about three years and has been growing steadily. The parent education and support group began about five years ago at SEIDA, but has since moved under the control of Clark at the ISU Extension Office where it currently serves about 60 families and 100 children. The program serves anyone who is pregnant or with a child under five. There are not other restrictions on who can participate. Families can...

The Central Iowa ACEs Coalition has just released a four-page executive summary sharing some initial findings from analyzing three years of ACEs data (2012-2014). The report is centered around hope and resiliency with a focus on opportunities to respond to the ACEs findings. The report also features a story of how little nudges along the way helped a mother find a new path for her future. View the executive summary here . View other resources on our Iowa ACEs 360 website . The four-page...

Registration for the Connections Matter train-the-presenter workshop on January 12th in Des Moines is now open. Please note, this workshop now qualifies for continuing education credits in health care fields! You can sign up through our website at www.connectionsmatter.org/training . Registration is limited so please sign-up early. We hope to see you there!

Since the launch of Connections Matter earlier this fall, more than 250 community members and professionals have been trained in the Connections Matter presentation. Additional train the trainers are planned for December and January across the state....

Central Iowa ACEs 360 hosted its inaugural ACEs Community Learning Circle on November 4, 2015. The learning circles will provide a venue for professionals, community members, stakeholders, and any interested parties to network and be part of the ACEs...

The Des Moines Business Record featured an article, " Initiative to build on child trauma research,"  highlighting the upcoming Connections Matter campaign.   Click here to view the article.