In August, the National Council on Behavioral Health released a new toolkit to help organizations create sustainable system-wide change that addresses trauma and fosters recovery for the people they serve. More from the NCBH: The opioid crisis has affected families across the nation. Approximately 10.3 million people live with an opioid use disorder and there were more than 46,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2018. We know that trauma is a significant driver of substance use disorders...

Anyone else feel exhausted lately? Sure, we are in the middle of a global pandemic, waves of civil and social uprisings, and we just survived the dreaded holiday season…but besides that, most of us are just plain TIRED. Our TISC Initiatives team has spent much of the past year talking to folks about things they can do – like adjusting expectations and setting boundaries – to increase their ability to manage all that life has to throw at us. However, the one thing that we all seem to struggle...

In the past year, many of you may have been hearing more and more about “mindfulness” and instantly think of someone sitting cross-legged on the floor in flowing white clothes, with long hair and peace signs around their neck. Even the Oxford Dictionary describes mindfulness as “a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations…” Pretty “new agey”, right? Well, maybe, but it...

Regulate. Relate. Reason. These “3 Rs” (developed by Dr. Bruce Perry) are an easy way to remind adults of how the brain is structured and develops and how communication is impacted when we are under significant stress. But how do you explain this in a way that kids can understand? Enter Nathan from Walnut Creek Elementary School in Austin, Texas. Walnut Creek has been working to implement the Neurosequential Model in Education as part of a pilot project in the Austin Independent School...

The Wisdom of Trauma, Featuring Dr. Gabor Maté - global digital film premiere June 8-14. In addition to the film, Dr. Maté will host 7 days of learning with trauma experts from around the world, including Dr. Peter Levine, and Dr. Dan Siegel. See the trailer and learn more about the film, workshops, and filmmakers here . "Trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside you, as a result of what happens to you". - Gabor Maté About the film: Trauma is an invisible force that...

Repost from PACEs Connection member Shenandoah Chefalo: Creating lasting change is no small task. Still, it’s frustrating when most organizations fail to create the sort of lasting change that is the hallmark of effective social justice and DEI work—and the reason why is complex. If we were to boil it down to the simplest answer possible, it would be that organizations hyper-fixate on the technical while leaving the cultural unaddressed. What does that mean, exactly? Let’s use a relevant...

Repost from PACES Connection Member, Shenandoah Chefalo (9/30/22): Trauma-informed leadership is crucial if you want to accomplish trauma-informed change in your organization. Here’s some expert advice on how you can become a trauma-informed leader. 1. Acknowledge that cultural change is just as important as technical change Our problem-solving brains often focus on technical change when we talk about organizational change. We ask, “What processes can we put in place to prevent this issue?”...

PACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.

2023 has been a year full of wonderful opportunities to share the HOPE framework with partners from across the state and 2024 promises to be even better. I'd like to take a moment to share with you a 2022 blog post from the HOPE National Resource Center that is a great example of opportunities to infuse Positive Childhood Experiences into our everyday lives. Here's wishing you a safe and restful holiday season! Originally posted by Tufts HOPE on 12/08/22: School is out for the holidays, and...

The culmination of thousands of hours from our Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC) team in developing our TREC Model, we launched TRECeducation.com website on Thursday, January 25, 2024. Craig Beswick, Vice-President, School Development Division, Lifelong Learning Administration Corporation (LLAC) opened up our exciting launch, which was hosted by the beautiful UCSD Park & Market in downtown San Diego. Craig warmly welcomed over 200 attendees to our Awards Ceremony and TREC...