Tagged With "Central Iowa"
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Central Iowa Steering Committee
Centr al Iowa's ACEs 360 is led by the Steering Committee, which guides and directs our coalition efforts. The success of our work is due to the diversity of organizations represented at the table. The attached list reflects organizations on the...
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Champions for Change in Ottumwa, Iowa
Community members working in Ottumwa, Iowa, have spread knowledge about ACEs and related topics and built champions for change—all without a formal coalition.
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Child Health Funding Announcement
Funding Opportunities to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences Full Proposal Deadline: June 1, 2015 Community-based organizations and other non-academic agencies are invited to submit proposals that aim to implement an evidence-based program that...
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Collaborating for a Resilient Iowa [TheGazette.com]
Volunteers at the Coralville Library place plastic beads in a pouch to create a weighted blanket. The blankets are used to soothe children with autism or those who have experienced trauma. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette) __________________________________ The University of Iowa Colleges of Medicine, Education, and Public Health are collaborating with multiple statewide initiatives and governmental agencies to organize an invitation-only workshop titled “Collaborating for a Resilient Iowa Through a...
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Coming Soon! ACEs Response Toolkit
One of the most common, inexorable questions asked when discussing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or traumatic stress: “So, what do I do about it?" The answer to that questions is as complex and unique as the communities and structures in...
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Community-Based Prevention Response
Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is looking to partner with 3-4 teams from communities across Iowa as we expand our Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Response to ACEs project. Teams from selected communities will complete a community readiness assessment...
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Community Learning Circle: The Power of Partnership
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...
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Connections Matter Webinar
Connections Matter is gaining interest in central Iowa, statewide and beyond. Are you interested in learning more about the community movement and how you can get involved? This webinar presentation explains the origins of the Connections Matter...
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Continued Advocacy on ACEs Priorities
The Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition has worked diligently all session to promote legislation that will improve the well-being of children and families in Iowa. In partnership with advocates around the state, the coalition is currently promoting a few key...
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Coordinating Iowa's Response to ACEs
On Tuesday, June 16, leaders from across the state came together to discuss statewide collaboration in responding to adverse childhood experiences. Representatives from statewide public and private entities as well as local trauma coalitions joined...
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Data Update: ACEs In Iowa
Through the leadership and expertise of Child and Family Policy Center, additional data analysis on the Iowa ACEs data is available. This is an update to the 2013 report, “Adverse Childhood Experiences in Iowa: A New Way of Understanding...
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Developing Brain Conference: Continued Engagement
Last week, more than 700 participants attended the Developing Brain, Developing Accountability Conference in Des Moines. The outstanding presentations and the conversation it inspired provide a launching point for future work and discussion. Now it is...
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Do You Live in One of America's 'Healthiest Communities'? (consumer.healthday.com)
The healthiest community in the United States is Douglas County in Colorado, according to the 2019 rankings just released by U.S. News & World Report. For the rankings in the second annual report, nearly 3,000 communities across the United States were evaluated on 81 health-related measures in 10 categories, including education, environment, population health and infrastructure. Iowa has the strongest presence in the rankings overall, with 62 counties among the top 500. Average community...
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Farmers Wash Up ‘in a Fragile Place’ After Historic Midwest Floods (pewtrusts.org)
If you need help, call the 1-800-FARM-AID hotline. In the weeks after flooding drowned the livelihoods of families who’ve farmed along the Missouri River for generations, rural advocates in the Midwest began gearing up for another crisis. The devastating floods increased concerns about the mental health and well-being of farmers who already were struggling with yearslong economic uncertainty. Groups in flood-affected states such as Nebraska say they are preparing to provide mental and...
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Great Day in Iowa Segment
Dr. Kevin Carroll, UnityPoint Behavioral Health, and Lisa Cushatt, Central Iowa ACEs 360, were interviewed on on KCWI's Great Day in Iowa about adverse childhood experiences. Airing on Thursday, July 9, the interview discussed the impact...
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Healing Trauma From a Yoga Mat [iowapublicradio.org]
By Charity Nebbe, Katelyn Harrop, and Sthefany Nobriga, Iowa Public Radio, January 8, 2020 The impacts of trauma can be unexpected, affecting not only mental and emotional health but also physical well being. Through Trauma Sensitive Yoga, a modified yoga practice that prioritizes a healthy realtionship with one's body and similarly informed tai-chi programs, some survivors have found a new kind of relief. On this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talked with Matthew Vasquez, an...
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Hi!
Hello Iowa ACEs Action! As your Regional Community Facilitator, I am excited to work together. I have an affinity for homegrown movements. I, myself, am a part of a thriving collective impact in Nashville, TN called ACE Nashville. I have extensive experience creating a local movement and I hope I can be a resource for you, not just on ACEs Connection but also with your efforts within your cities and communities. I have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to collective impact and collective...
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If we want better school outcomes let's pay attention to Iowa [StateofOpportunity.Michiganradio.org]
One kid’s trauma can be a lot to handle . Managing a whole school of kids who have been traumatized can seem insurmountable. These kids are more likely to act out in class, have attendance problems, and get lower grades than...
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Infographic on Iowa ACEs Data
If you need a visual representation of Iowa ACEs Data, this infographic has been adapted to reflect Iowa data.
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Informational Handouts on Covid-19 in many languages (Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa)
The Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa has informational handouts on COVID-19 in over twenty-five languages. Please click HERE.
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Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition
The advocacy efforts in Iowa to address ACEs and the impact of trauma have been coordinated by the Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition. This coalition is co-chaired by Sarah Ramsey from United Way of Central Iowa and Mary Nelle Trefz from Child and Family...
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Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition Promotes a Resilient Iowa
The Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition kicked off the Iowa legislative session with efforts to promote a Resilient Iowa. With a growing advocacy coalition of community based organizations, associations, advocacy groups, philanthropy and business, the group advances joint policy priorities to prevent ACEs and promote resiliency and trauma-informed care. Last week, the coalition held its first advocacy day at the Iowa Capitol, educating elected officials on Iowa ACEs data. The group also promoted an...
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Iowa ACEs Coalition Continues to Advance Policy
The Iowa ACEs Policy Coalition continued its legislative advocacy this week at the Iowa Capitol. As elected officials shift their focus to the appropriations process, advocates emphasized the importance of two key priorities that will be addressed through funding legislation: Statewide expansion of the 1st Five Healthy Development Initiative Advancement of the Mental Health Workgroup's recommendations More than 25 advocates joined small group meetings with key legislative leaders on these...
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Iowa ACEs Policy Coalition Hosts Advocacy Days
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...
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Iowa ACEs Report
The Central Iowa ACEs 360 Steering Committee has led efforts to research how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the health and well-being of Iowans throughout a lifetime. In 2012, questions were added to the Behavioral Risk Factor...
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Iowa Advances Children's Mental Health System
Last week, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed HF 690 to establish a children's mental health system in our state. After decades of advocacy, the importance of this legislation cannot be understated. While much more is needed, this is a major step forward for Iowa's children and their families and caregivers. Visit the link below for a full article from The Gazette. ...
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Iowa District focuses on students' passions (hechingerreport.org)
Trace Pickering, associate superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, founded Iowa BIG, a district program that gives students an alternative to the traditional school day. The district, located about two hours’ drive northeast of Des Moines, is the second largest in Iowa (after Des Moines), with more than 17,000 students. And parents had to be convinced that it was worth trying something new because schools there already had a good reputation. The district’s students...
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Iowa House Presentation on ACES
On Wednesday, February 4, 2015, a panel presented to the Iowa House Human Resources Committee. Organized by the Iowa ACEs advocacy coalition , the presentation focused on an overview of adverse childhood experiences and the strength of public/private...
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Iowa Ideas: A different kind of conversation [TheGazette.com]
In just a couple weeks, we kick off a project we’re calling Iowa Ideas . The project is meant to stir discussion and ideas to confront challenges and help position the state to thrive in the future. The project comes at a time where political polarization and mistrust is running very high, yet the need to collaborate and uniquely position ourselves to thrive in a global economy has never been more important. The project will focus on an array of topics — education to environment, health care...
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Iowa project aims to have all pediatricians, family docs screen for ACEs
Dr. Amy Shriver is on a mission: to convince every pediatrician and family doctor in the State of Iowa to screen children for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Dr. Amy Shriver The Des Moines-based Blank Children’s Hospital pediatrician is not alone. She’s part of Central Iowa ACES 360, a regional cross-sector coalition formed in 2011 that is working toward that ambitious goal. And they’re making substantial inroads. Central Iowa ACES 360 has just developed a one-hour trauma-informed...
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Iowa's Taste of Success
ACEs Connection recently posted a link to a great new resource, The Co mmunity Resilience Cookbook . We know that ACEs and toxic trauma can be powerful determinants of our fu ture health and well-being, but they DO NOT HAVE TO. This cookbook looks at...
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Iowa Senate Presentation: ACEs Advocacy Coalition
On Wednesday, January 21, 2015, the Iowa Senate Human Resources Committee heard a presentation on Adverse Childhood Experiences and were asked to provide leadership in policymaking to prevent ACEs and promote resiliency. Speakers included: Leslie...
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Iowa Tries A New Domestic Violence Intervention: Mindfulness [npr.org]
Across the parking lot from a YMCA in Des Moines, about a dozen men sit on black plastic chairs in the basement of a former Catholic high school. This is a court-ordered class for domestic abusers, part of a new statewide curriculum for batterer intervention in Iowa. According to police reports, one man here kicked his wife several times in the stomach. Another threw a lamp at his girlfriend's head. Lucas Sampson - a man with the imposing appearance of a viking but the gentle demeanor of...
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Julián Castro: Partner with tribes 'for a fairer and more prosperous future' (Indian Country Today)
Presidential candidate and former Obama Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro released a comprehensive platform on Indigenous issues, the first detailed plan from a 2020 campaign. Castro will follow up on that announcement with a meet-and-greet on Meskwaki Settlement in Iowa Friday where he will discuss his blueprint for Indigenous communities and vision for the future of our nation. “For generations, Indigenous communities have been treated as second-class citizens rather...
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Lack Of Portable Insurance Adds Health Care Burden To Migrant Workers (iowawatch.org)
Farmworkers who spend their summers in Iowa often come from southern states such as Texas, with employers like Monsanto, whose migrant season is from June to October. The peak is in June and July during which more workers are needed. Health insurance coverage for migrant workers who are U.S. citizens with Medicare transfers no matter the state in which a patient resides. But U.S. citizen workers with low incomes, and with Medicaid coverage, have limited access to health insurance while...
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Mental Health Services Could Disappear with ACA Repeal (eastcountymagazine.org)
March 1. 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Plans to revamp the Affordable Care Act were among President Trump's talking points during last night's address before a joint session of Congress. And one sector of the population stands to be significantly impacted by changes to the healthcare law. Peggy Hubbert, the executive director of the National Association for Mental Illness in Iowa, explains that because of policies and safeguards included in the ACA millions of Americans struggling with mental...
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NAMI Day on the Hill
Members from Central Iowa ACEs 360 and the Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition participated in NAMI-Iowa's Day on the Hill, educating on the impact of childhood trauma on the long-term health and well-being of Iowans. ACEs representatives specifically...
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Re: Who should we be talking to?
Hi Sarah- first of all-I am excited that Iowa has joined the ACEs connection forum! I've been utilizing this site on my own for awhile now and am glad that my colleagues in eastern Iowa now have a way to link to the rest of the state, and the nation, to learn from each other and mobilize our resources. to respond to your question about who to target in outreach efforts, my thinking continues to be targeted on educating public schools, preferably pre-K through 12, but if that's too much than...
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Re: Speakers Bureau For Emerging Communities
Central Iowa ACEs developed standard presentation materials for our efforts in 2013. Here is a link to the page: http://www.iowaaces360.org/training.html . In addition to the slides, we also have guides to lead facilitated discussions. I have been finding that as more people have heard an ACEs presentation or completed online learning modules (available at the same link), we are having more and more requests for facilitated discussions. I think this is a great tool for people to take...
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Re: Central Iowa ACEs Sets Direction
Thank you to your exemplary team collectively! Very much appreciating your insight and expertise, please know our SD County ACEs Connection online group and our SDTIGT (San Diego Trauma Informed Guide Team) will glean your wisdom for our learning communities. As an Iowa farm girl, I'm always excited to learn from the Champions on the front line in my home state. In gratitude, Dana Brown ACEs Connection San Diego County Community Manager
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Re: Introduction To Group
Hi George, Welcome to ACEs Connection and our Iowa ACEs Action group! We look forward to learning from you and sharing with you George. Please find a couple of links below for your perusal. https://www.pacesconnection.com/...of-east-central-iowa https://www.pacesconnection.com/...a-ideas-symposiums-7 Please consider joining Iowa Ideas on June 7th in Cedar Rapids should you have the time availability to do so. Your voice matters. Please know too I'll peruse through our membership for...
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Leistikow: Kirk Ferentz has power, voice to bring more than football wins to Iowa (hawkcentral.com)
Kirk Ferentz publicly repeated a message Wednesday that he privately shared with his Iowa football players two days earlier. That he’s a 64-year-old white football coach. And that he’s still learning about the reality of racism and inequities in our country. More importantly, Ferentz has expressed to players and media this week that is he willing to listen. Willing to learn. Willing to change. Willing to act. Protests against police violence and racism were something Ferentz, the current...
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New Iowa ACEs report provides roadmap to improve Iowans' health
Iowa ACEs 360 released a new report that showcases progress made to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), Iowa data on the challenges that still persist, and new opportunities to take action. “After a decade of working to raise awareness of ACEs in Iowa, we are seeing significant efforts to help Iowans heal from ACEs and to prevent ACEs with future generations,” said Nicole Beaman, president of Iowa ACEs 360s’ board of directors and vice president of Orchard Place Child Guidance...
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A college professor's Thanksgiving message to students is bringing people to tears (upworthy.com)
A college student on Twitter shared a pre-Thanksgiving e-mail she and her classmates received from a professor, and it's just the best example of real human-kindness. It reads: "Good morning. I know this has been a difficult time for a lot of you—some of you have had Covid, some of you are currently in quarantine, and some of you may not be able to go home for Thanksgiving as you have family members who are socially distancing. I don't want anyone to feel alone at Thanksgiving, or to miss...
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New Iowa ACEs Module
Iowa ACEs 360 has launched a free online course, Healing Iowa: An Overview of ACEs in Iowa and How to Respond. This interactive online learning module takes about an hour to complete and covers the following: Iowa research about adverse childhood experiences and how trauma impacts health and well-being. Factors that contribute to childhood trauma Ways that Iowans are responding to trauma. When the course is complete, participants will receive a certificate of completion. The course can be...
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Advocacy for Iowa's Families
The 2021 Iowa Legislative Session kicked off last week at a time when the needs of families are great. The pandemic and the inequities it furthers for low-income Iowans and Iowa communities of color and the systemic discrimination that continues to disenfranchise our neighbors all mean we have much work to do to create systems that prevent trauma to Iowa’s children and families. Over the past few months, Iowa ACEs 360 has partnered with local coalitions and organizations to hold advocacy...
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Measuring Equity Through City Trees (yesmagazine.org)
The term “urban forest” may sound like an oxymoron. When most of us think about forests, we may picture vast expanses of tall trunks and dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, far from the busyness of the city. But the trees that line city streets and surround apartment complexes across the U.S. hold great value, in part because of their proximity to people. “Per tree, you’re getting way more value for an urban tree than a tree out in the wild,” says Mark McPherson, founder and...
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Iowa facing maternal health crisis [messengernews.net]
By Robert O'Connor and Amy Ferguson, The Messenger, March 15, 2021 Like the rest of the United States, Iowa is facing a maternal health crisis. The maternal mortality rate in Iowa has almost doubled in recent years and significant racial disparities exist. Black mothers in Iowa have a pregnancy-related maternal mortality over six times higher than their white counterparts. But Iowa lawmakers have the chance to pass legislation that could reduce maternal mortality rates and improve outcomes...