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Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post just posted an inspiring story with a message of hope for communities struggling with tension between police and community members: Activist A.J. Bohannon had organized more than 1,000 Black Lives Matters protesters to march the streets of Wichita on Sunday. But then, days before, he received a call from the new police chief with a different idea. Instead of having an event that drew a hard line between protester and police, why not bring them all...

The July 21, 2016 Press Democrat included a thought provoking letter to the editor today scribed by Bruce Hubbel of Sebastopol. Dear Editor: As we, the 21st world culture, struggle to understand the epidemic of social violence outbreaks, the veil of ignorance as to what are the root causes is beginning to lift, and we are now seeing the fundamental profile of the perpetrator: mental illness developed in early childhood through trauma and child abuse. We aren’t experiencing the effects of...

(Please see the attachment for a nicely formatted version of these minutes.) 5/25/16 Dear Sonoma County ACEs Connection Friends, Thank you to all that participated in today’s ACES meeting. Today, we started the meeting with a meditation for our mindful moment with Kate Jenkins . With just a few breaths and a focus on our intentions, we found improved focus for our meeting. Grace Harris led a discussion around the concept of “Trauma-Informed Care.” Folks turned to their neighbor and shared...

Thanks to all of the members who contributed to our Strategic Planning Session on 6/29/16. The engaging agenda is attached to this post, as is the presentation on the scope of the problem of ACE's in Sonoma County. Our fabulous facilitator, Selena Polston (Innovation Team Program Manager for Public Health) captures some of our meeting highlights in these notes: ACES Connection Retreat: Developing a Vision Statement Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Elsie Allen High School What Makes A Great Vision...

Funding Available to Support Grassroots Organizing for a Healthy Juvenile Justice System The Positive Youth Justice Initiative is entering its third phase, with up to $750,000 in grant funding available for nonprofit organizations in California to advance positive juvenile justice. The Center for Health Program Management will fund grassroots organizations to advance the work of the Positive Youth Justice Initiative through community organizing to accelerate a statewide movement toward a...

Sonoma West Medical Center has been awarded a $3,750,000 federal grant for developing partnerships to keep people healthy after they’ve left the Sebastopol hospital. The funds, to be used over a five-year period, will be used to create processes and services that essentially track and support patient care, beginning with the emergency room or inpatient setting and continuing all the way to the home. The hospital’s potential partners include West County Community Health Centers, home health...

http://bessel.kajabi.com/sq/41611-the-body-keeps-the-score

On Saturday, June 25 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) and ACEs Connection Sonoma County are hosting an interactive conversation on Resilience at the First Methodist Stony Point Worship Center at 2150 Giffen Avenue, Santa Rosa. Please spread the word, come learn about ACEs and the Resilience Scale from our own Grace Harris, and experience AVP interpersonal exercises! Refreshments and socializing are on the agenda, too. We hope to see you there!

This video is about 2 years old, but I just came across it last week and wanted to share with you all. It is a powerful statement by the students at Leadership High School in San Francisco, CA. They speak about the ongoing adversity and toxic stress in their daily lives and in their community, all through the power of music. The youth voice is so important as we work to bring trauma-informed and resilience building practices to communities. Link to video: Toxic Stress, Toxic Streets

A change in federal funding for homeless charities coupled with how the state distributes the money has three Sonoma County nonprofits facing a $1 million shortfall that could reduce their hours, staffing and number of programs. Catholic Charities, Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) and InterFaith Shelter Network were bouyed this month by an $800,000 check from the county board of supervisors for the upcoming fiscal year. That infusion stanched the shortfall, but leaves the organizations...

Many people don’t know that 90 percent of a child’s brain develops before the age of five. The early childhood years are critical for laying the foundation for the rest of a child’s life. Early interaction with parents, child-care providers and siblings all shape the nature and development of a child’s brain. But knowing something and doing something about it are two very different things. We need to ensure that every child in Sonoma County has access to quality preschool to give them a...

I'm not sure if this has already made the rounds, but I didn't see it on after scrolling 10 pages, and it's such good news, it's definitely worth a repost! "Oakland Unified school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to eliminate willful defiance as a reason to suspend any student and to invest at least $2.3 million to expand restorative justice practices in its schools". What a beautiful commitment to the child, to meeting their actual needs rather than just sending them away with their...