Tagged With "Quality Rating and Improvement System"
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Mental Health Awareness: When Suffering Is Not an Illness
When I was an adolescent and young adult, I struggled with depression. As I reflect back on that time, so much of what I was experiencing was deeply tied to coming to terms with my sexuality. Growing up in the 1980’s in a relatively conservative town, I was closeted (even to myself) until I was a young adult. The pain and fear of being different, of not belonging, of being judged or rejected for who I was more than my adolescent brain could wrap its conscious head around.
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"Addiction begins with solving a problem, the problem of human pain, emotional pain"
In his groundbreaking book , In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction , trauma and addiction expert Dr. Gabor Maté writes, “There are almost as many addictions as there are people.” ACEs Connection founder and publisher Jane Stevens read that quote as a springboard to asking Maté to define addiction and explain whether or not it is always rooted in adverse childhood experiences. Maté, along with filmmaker Michelle Esrick and Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond,...
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Family Therapy is now a Medi-Cal Benefit
Medi-Cal has just published new policy making family therapy a covered benefit for children and adults with mental health disorders and for children who are at risk for mental health disorders. This will be especially relevant for children with ACEs. Under the guidance of the California Department of Health Care Services, the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program aims to provide health care services to about 13 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The Medi-Cal fee-for-service program adjudicates both...
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Unbecoming an Armadillo: Recovering from Trauma with EMDR
Unbecoming an Armadillo By: Victoria F. Burns, PhD, LSW Victoriafrances49@gmail.com Instagram: @betesandbites “When you are traumatized, you are basically in a permanent defensive mode” — Gabor Mate I’m sitting across from Meg on her charcoal grey love seat. My forearms are resting on a velvety mustard-yellow throw cushion and I’m holding crescent shaped pulsers in each hand. Meg’s my psychologist; a rare gem who specializes in chronic illness and trauma. Every two weeks, we spend an hour...
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This town of 170,000 replaced some cops with medics and mental health workers. It's worked for over 30 years (CNN)
By Scottie Andrew, July 5, 2020, CNN. In the town of 172,000, they were the first responders for mental health crises, homelessness, substance abuse, threats of suicide -- the problems for which there are no easy fixes. The problems that, in the hands of police, have often turned violent . Today, the program, called CAHOOTS, has three vans, more than double the number of staffers and the attention of a country in crisis. CAHOOTS is already doing what police reform advocates say is necessary...
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State budget signed [childrennow.org]
Hello 4CA friends – Sending a quick update on the state budget. Please add on if you have more/different information – thanks! The short story is that many of the worst cuts that were discussed were NOT enacted in the final budget, which is good news. Some of the items most related to childhood trauma include: The final budget rejects the May Revise proposal to reduce $4.5 million General fund from the Black Infant Health Program . While there will be no cuts to Prop 56 Medi-Cal supplemental...
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New Resource: Trauma-Informed Nutrition Factsheet
A newly developed factsheet, “Trauma-Informed Nutrition: Recognizing the Relationship between Adversity, Chronic Disease, and Nutritional Health” has just been released. This factsheet is intended for Registered Dietitians (RDs) and was designed to support and describe the connection between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the impacts of trauma and its relationship to chronic disease, and trauma-informed nutrition practices. This factsheet was developed through a collaborative...
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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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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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Dozens of Prosecutors and Youth Corrections Officials Call to Close All Youth Prisons [imprintnews.com]
By Michael Fitzgerald, The Imprint, July 30, 2020 In a sign of the nation’s rapid rethinking of the justice system prompted by protests against racism and police brutality, dozens of elected prosecutors, corrections officials and probation chiefs have called for all youth prisons to be shut down. They described the lockups as “ineffective, inefficient and inhumane.” The open statement , posted online and announced at a virtual news conference Thursday, goes beyond pushing for “the closure of...
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Does VP Candidate Kamala Harris know about ACEs? You bet!
Nadine Burke Harris, California’s Surgeon General, has a lot in common with the vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris—Jamaican heritage, surname, home state—and a commitment to addressing ACEs and toxic stress. As reported in the New Yorker article by Paul Tough, “The Poverty Clinic,” Dr. Harris told Kamala Harris, then San Francisco district attorney, about ACEs in 2008 and in response, she offered to help. District Attorney Harris then introduced her to professor of child and...
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Public Health considers itself as a social science. It can be a resource for ACEs activists.
I have just attended two Virtual meetings about public health. Public health agencies have been under funded for years. The covid19 crisis has impacted those institutions heavily. However many Public Health agencies are ACEs aware. They can be useful allies for ACEs activities. What follows is from the Fighting For Our Lives forums follow up communication. The recordings from the forum series are available at the following links. There is a brief registration form before you can view the...
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Upcoming 4CA Webinar on 8/27/20: The Impacts of COVID-19 on California’s Children, Families, and Communities
The California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) invites your participation in an upcoming 1.5 hour interactive webinar entitled “ The Impacts of COVID-19 on California’s Children, Families, and Communities ” on August 27, 2020, from 1:30 PM – 3:00 PST that will explore the economic impacts of COVID-19 and how it has affected, and continues to affect, California communities. Featuring a panel of experts, Dr. Flojaune Cofer, Public Health Advocates, All Children Thrive, California...
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Workers breathing smoke to harvest crops isn't 'resilience' — it's a broken system, farmer says
By Scott Chang-Fleeman, August 26, 2020, An unprecedented August lightning storm and we are back: fire season 2020. Images of masked farmworkers harvesting berries in smoky fields and brave farmers discing firebreaks emerge again on social media, with the hashtags #countystrong, #farmersareresilient, #wefeedyou . Farmers are resilient. We are determined and passionate about our difficult work, and we are dedicated to feeding our communities despite the challenges inherent in food production.
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National Governors Association Chooses Delaware to Participate in Adverse Childhood Experiences Learning Collaborative [Delaware.gov]
Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families | Featured Posts | Date Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Wednesday announced Delaware was one of four states chosen by the National Governors Association to participate in a learning collaborative focused on recognizing and responding to adverse childhood experiences. The State of Delaware will join teams from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wyoming in the Improving Well-being and Success of...
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Black at UC Berkeley: Professor Tyrone Hayes on discrimination in academia (Mercury News)
By Ethan Baron, September 13, 2020, Mercury News. In a nation where Black people make up fewer than 5% of full-time college and university professors, UC Berkeley biology professor Tyrone Hayes stands as an exception. But the road has been hard and even at Cal, with its long history at the center of social justice movements, he’s still fighting for equal treatment. Hayes, born in the South when Black people had to drink from “colored fountains,” has faced discrimination from childhood, when...
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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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Reaching for Resilience
By Iridain Casarez, October 1, 2020, North Coast Journal. New programs were beginning to address the traumatic foundation of Humboldt's health problems. Then came COVID. Mary Ann Hansen probably understands the landscape of early childhood education in Humboldt County better than most. Before she became the director of First 5 Humboldt in 2015, she worked as a full-time lecturer in the Child Development Department at Humboldt State University and had been the head preschool teacher at the...
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Webinar on youth mental wellbeing during COVID-19 and beyond
Join us on Wed., Oct. 14 for a free webinar about preventing trauma and suicide through in-school and out-of-school supports As the school year gets underway, local governments and community-based partners across the country are seeking to increase support for young people and prevent adverse childhood experiences and youth suicide. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of millions of children across the US. The education system has pivoted toward online learning and hybrid models...
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'A Better Normal:' Can universal ACEs screening be equitable? -- Concerns and solutions
Can universal ACEs screening be equitable? A conversation about concerns and solutions. When: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2-3:30 pm PDT/5-6:30 pm EDT This webinar explores what it takes to ensure that equity is built into the process of screening and providing support for families who have experienced trauma and want help. REGISTER HERE Background At the beginning of this year, California, through the ACEs Aware initiative began rolling out universal screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs),...
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Burnout From an Organizational Perspective [ssir.org]
Instead of pressuring already-stressed individuals to fix themselves, true wellness requires organization-level interventions. By Leah Weiss Oct. 20, 2020 The term “burnout” first came into use in the early 1970s in the context of air traffic control, after an increase in human error-precipitated collisions was linked to frustrations with increased traffic, poor human-machine interfaces, and the general monotony of the work. Described by the WHO as “resulting from chronic workplace stress...
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The Stuart Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to improving life outcomes for young people through education
For folks in CA and WA .... The Stuart Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to improving life outcomes for young people through education. For 35 years, we have contributed to the conditions in which all children can develop into successful and contributing adults. We do our work in California and Washington State . The Foundation’s grantmaking is driven by our aspiration for education systems that improve life outcomes for young people, especially those furthest from opportunity. We...
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"A Better Normal" Community Discussion: Suicide Awareness and Community Cafes
Join us on Friday November 6, 2020 from noon to 1:00 PST as we come together and join Satya Chandragiri MD, Bonnie O’Hern RN, Denise PNP, & Michael Polacek RN for a discussion around the tender issue of suicide. Together we will discuss ways people and providers can support each other and encourage communities to take action to support one another around suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and the layers of culture and structural barriers to care. A special emphasis will be on...
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ACEs science transformed David Magallon’s life, now he’s a parent educator
Learning about ACEs science changed David Magallon’s life in a profound way — and now he’s made it part of his mission to share that knowledge with other parents who really need it. Since 2017, Magallon has served as a court referral programs manager at the Child Parent Institute (CPI) in Santa Rosa, California. The non-profit agency offers child therapy, parent education, and other resources for families throughout Sonoma County. Magallon works with families in a probation program mandated...
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TODAY! 12/2 at noon - FREE! Supporting Patients in Pregnancy: ACEs and Maternal Health
ACEs Aware presents " Supporting Patients in Pregnancy : ACEs and Maternal Health" Wed, Dec 2, 2020 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST Add to Calendar: Outlook ® Calendar | Google Calendar™ | iCal ® Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: info@acesaware.org How to Join the Webinar 1. Click the link to join the webinar at the specified time and date: Join Webinar Note: This link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you. Before joining, be sure to check system requirements to...
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UC to Launch Its First Bachelor's Program in Prison [kqed.org]
By Vanessa Rancano, KQED, December 15, 2020 UC Irvine and the state prison system have reached a deal to create the first University of California bachelor’s degree program behind bars. Since California opened the door for community colleges to teach in prisons in 2014, some 2,000 incarcerated men and women across the state have earned associate degrees, said Brant Choate, director of rehabilitative programs for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. But opportunities...
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California Citizen Review Panel Recruitment Opportunity
The Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP ) oversees California’s three Citizen Review Panels (CRPs). Each one focuses on a specific topic: child and family services, the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and critical incidents. The responsibilities of the CRPs involve evaluating child welfare policies, practices, and procedures, assessing systemic barriers, and making recommendations to improve and remove barriers. The CRPs can make recommendations that will improve the lives of...
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Road Map for Ending Domestic Violence in California: A Life Course Approach to Prevention
Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) is excited to share A Road Map for Ending Domestic Violence in California: A Life Course Approach to Prevention with the ACEs Connection community. The Road Map , a policy paper supported by Blue Shield of California Foundation, draws upon our work at FUTURES as well as research and study on best practices for preventing violence. It presents four evidenced-based prevention and intervention strategies to prevent and end domestic violence in California:...
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A Better Normal Friday, March 26, 2021: PACEs and HOPE with Dr. Christina Bethell
Please join us for our next installment of A Better Normal, our live webinar series in which we imagine and create our society as trauma-informed! You may have seen we changed our name recently from ACEs Connection to PACEs Connection. Please join us to learn all about the groundbreaking research of Positive Childhood Experiences and how this is going to transform the work we are all doing. >>Click here to register<< PACEs and HOPE Live Event Friday, March 26, 2021 Noon PT / 1pm...
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Sonoma Connect, a New ACEs network of care is now hiring!
Sonoma Connect is the new initiative funded through ACEs Aware to build a network of care to prevent, address and heal ACEs throughout Sonoma County. We are currently hiring two full-time contracted positions - Network Manager and Initiative Support Specialist - to help rapidly grow and support a system that allows people to get the resources they need, when they need it, to be resilient. As part of the backbone staff for the network you will have the opportunity to work with Medi-Cal...
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California child advocates review bills in the pipeline, strategies for educating lawmakers
California will receive $26 billion through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal legislation recently signed into law by President Joseph Biden to help state and local economies recover from the pandemic. Media outlets have reported that the money will help fund everything from a stronger COVID-19 response to small businesses, housing, anti-poverty programs, and education, but little has been written about the other ways the act will benefit children. The law’s impact on...
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ACEs Screening in Rural California: Exploring Provider Perspectives & Experiences [phi.org]
By Sue Grinnell, Kathryn Stewart, Shauna Olsen, and Lisa Tadlock, Public Health Institute, July 20, 2021 The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can be seen in communities across the state of California and beyond. The prevalence of ACEs varies across counties yet, rural Northern California has a toxic stress crisis that affects not only the current well-being of the communities but also future generations: the region has the highest rate of ACEs in the state, per capita. This...
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New Release: Humboldt County Home Visiting Program Environmental Scan
In partnership with First 5 Humboldt and funded by the First 5 California Home Visiting Coordination Grant, the California Center for Rural Policy has just released the Humboldt County Home Visiting Program Environmental Scan. The findings and recommendations in the environmental scan are grounded in partner workgroups, interviews, and surveys that occurred in 2020-21 and capture the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on home visiting services. Excerpts: "The organizations that provide home...
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California State Park and Recreation Commission Renames Patrick’s Point State Park to Sue-meg State Park and Approves General Plan for Auburn State Recreation Area (California State Parks Department)
For Immediate Release: 9/30/2021 Contact: Gloria Sandoval I Newsroom@parks.ca.gov At a virtual public meeting today, the California State Park and Recreation Commission voted to rename a state park to honor the place name used by the Yurok people since time immemorial and adopted a long-range management plan for Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA). The Commission voted unanimously to rename Patrick’s Point State Park to Sue-meg State Park. The action is one example of how California State...
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Me & My Emotions: A New, Free Resource for Teens
The pandemic has had a lasting effect on youth mental health. Moved by a desire to reduce youth’s toxic stress and increase their resilience, The Dibble Institute, in partnership with a team of students and alumni from ArtCenter College of Design and author Carolyn Curtis, PhD, is releasing Me & My Emotions —a new, free adaptation of our beloved Mind Matters Curriculum. The mobile-friendly Me & My Emotions website features engaging graphics and bite-sized lessons teens can access and...
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Register for Webinar: Historic Funding Opportunities to Improve School Climate: Highlight on Community Schools
Public schools, counties, and cities in California will see some of the largest-ever increases in one-time funding over the next 3-4 years due to unprecedented federal and state COVID-19 relief funds and much higher than expected state budget revenue. Panelists will share where these dollars are going, and how local leaders and organizers can engage in these opportunities to shape local initiatives to improve school climate including major funding for mental health supports, expanded...
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Strength Through Unity: Nurturing Trauma-informed Resilience in Families Displaced by Violence Through the CRC & the PACEs Movement
Beyond Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), our members seek to deeply understand strengths-based insights embedded in the remaining ACEs quadrant: Adverse Community Environments, Adverse Climate Experiences, and Atrocious Cultural Experiences.
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Creating Resilient Communities in 2024: The Year of Cultivating Resilient Networks Through Healing Centered Cultural Wisdom
As we head into our full CRC curriculum this January, we invite current and future CRC Accelerator participants to join us with collective care and self care in mind.