(For a picture-filled and engaging version of these notes, please see the attachment.)
5-24-17
Thank you to all that participated in our May ACES meeting. Grace Harris started us off with a mindful moment. This “mindful moment” encouraged us to focus on being present.
Jane Weil and Tré Vasquez from Restorative Resources shared with us a film that provided an overview of Restorative Resources. Restorative Resources is using trauma-informed practices in multiple schools throughout Sonoma County, as well as working with our court systems. Restorative Resources uses a restorative justice approach. Restorative Justice is a community-based approach to dealing with crime, the effects of crime, and the prevention of crime. A Restorative Justice process operates from a belief that the path to justice lies in problem solving and healing rather than in punitive isolation. Restorative Practices embrace and expand upon the principles of restorative justice. Beyond the peaceful resolution of harms, the practices focus on building positive relationships and a strong community to enable communities to together develop creative and effective solutions to community issues, which prevent wrongdoing and conflict.
Jane and Tré shared information about the restorative conferencing their organization facilitates in Sonoma County. Restorative Conferencing puts the principles of Restorative Justice into action. Bringing together victims, offenders, and other impacted parties for a facilitated group dialogue, a restorative conference explores how the offender has affected others and what needs to happen to make things as right as possible. Community volunteers sit in on these conferences and represent the needs of the community, which is always affected when a crime or wrong-doing occurs. Santa Rosa School District has seen a significant decline in suspensions and expulsions since the District began collaborating with Restorative Resources and investing in restorative practices.
Alea Tantarelli provided a Steering Committee update and shared that Sonoma County ACEs Connection is providing a $1,200 scholarship for Dave Rose and Nikki Jackson from Petaluma City Schools to attend Beyond Paper Tigers Conference June 28-29 in Walla Walla, WA. They will report back to us when they return. ACEs Connection will also be providing three scholarships to attend Hanna’s quarterly networking breakfast. Ellen Bauer, Sue Stephenson, and Andrew Leonard will be attending the June 8th networking breakfast featuring Dr. Betram Lubin of UCSF Benioffs Children’s Hospital, as well as Barbie Robinson, Director of Sonoma County Department of Health Services. Alea also shared that the Steering Committee is working to define roles and responsibilities in order to begin accepting nominations for those roles in June/July. Terms would begin in August.
Holly White-Wolfe shared that according to the evaluation that Elizabeth Najmabadi has been working on, since the ACEs and Resiliency Fellowship began, there have been 47 presentations on ACEs and resiliency in our community. These are only the presentations that have been documented by Master Trainers and Presenters on the shared database. Initial result show that community awareness is improving.
ACEs Connection members shared highlights of local trauma-informed efforts. Dr. Meredith Kieschnick shared that Elsie Allen and Roseland clinics have screened over 8,000 individuals with their trauma screening tool and will be presenting their findings at the next ACEs Connection meeting on June 28th. Carla Denner discussed the Early Childhood Mental Health Summit that she is working on, scheduled for September 28th from 9:00am-4:00pm at Flamingo Conference Resort in Santa Rosa. This event will feature keynote speaker Barbara Stroud, Ph.D and focus on building relationships to support families in times of stress. Terese Voge discussed how she has been working to weave trauma-informed concepts into her tobacco prevention program’s motivational interviewing/smoking cessation trainings.
Kate Jenkins shared her Treasurer’s report. The Sonoma County ACEs Connection account currently has $5772.92 in the account.
Please post news of your activities on the ACEs Connection webpage.
https://www.pacesconnection.com/...unty-aces-connection
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