Tagged With "Toxic Stress"
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April 28th Mindful Educators Retreat
In support of the growing needs of our students and our schools, we are happy to announce our next retreat for educators, counselors, and parents... Mindfulness for Busy People: Finding Stillness Think you are too busy for mindfulness? Think again! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER In this nourishing retreat for educators, counselors, parents, and anyone working with youth, we'll explore mindfulness practices that fit into your daily life. Participants will learn how to cultivate an inner-resource of...
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Army of ACEs with Nadine Burke-Harris
Samuel Merritt University was honored with a talk by Dr Nadine Burke-Harris. The talk is available on youtube for viewing. Check out our surgeon general and the course of action CA is taking around ACEs and Toxic Stress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mfKrhvq5zY&feature=youtu.be
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Art as an expressive outlet
I just finished watching Paper Tigers and one thing that I found very interesting was how many of the students found art as an expressive outlet. Some students found that drawing, writing or listening to music was what was keeping them alive. I think if we were all to reflect on a time where we sat down and started to draw or listen to our favorite song many can probably relate to that sense of release. I was compelled to do some further research and found a review by Stuckey and Nobel from...
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As California Moves to Screen Children for Childhood Trauma, Poverty Has To Be Part of the Equation
In California, we are coming full circle in recognizing the connection between poverty and health.
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Assisting Refugees: Lessons on Trauma and Resilience
Making do with what you’ve got There are a lot of stories about refugees in the news. Some years ago, I helped resettle refugees from the Vietnam War. Trauma and resilience define what it means to be a refugee. All of them had lived through years of warfare. They had seen friends and family members killed. They had to flee the familiar towns and villages they had lived in all their lives. They arrived in a new country with hardly any resources, in a land where nobody spoke their language or...
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Be the Spark: Igniting trauma-informed change within our communities
Authors note: This piece is co-authored by @Lara Kain and @Christine Cissy White. Though we had never worked together or met, we were asked to co-present on creating t rauma-informed changes in communities by the Attachment Trauma Network for the first national (now annual) Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Summit in Washington, DC. This article is an expanded essay version of that presentation). Be the Spark Oprah Winfrey helped mainstream discussion about...
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Beyond Paper Tigers Presenter Showcase! Lincoln High School’s Trauma-Informed Strategies: Jim Sporleder Reflects on Lessons Learned
“We had no clue whatsoever what it would turn out to be” Jim Sporleder, former Principal, remarks as he looks back on Lincoln Alternative High School, the growing movement of CRI’s trauma-informed community initiative, and the production of the documentary Paper Tigers. Jim’s story is an iconic one. In fact, many have inevitably heard of Jim’s work if they have seen the documentary Paper Tigers; it chronicles the profound impact on Lincoln Alternative High School as Jim, the staff, and the...
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Brain Development Training in Santa Rosa
Explore the neurobiology of resilience as it develops through attuned primary relationships. See how brain structure and function, and how the social environment mediates changes in the brain. Learn techniques to support...
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Bridges to Resilience: Santa Barbara and Sonoma County Share the Passion
On October 16, I joined in Santa Barbara's Second Annual Bridges to Resilience Conference . Surrounded by "our people" or 300+ folks like us who care deeply about ending childhood adversity, I basked in the waves of passion passing back and forth between presenters, participants, and organizers. With the fires raging in our community at the same time, it was hard for me to consider leaving my post at one of the shelters to participate in this event. However, I convinced myself attending this...
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Bringing Baby Home Educator Training
Two thirds of couples experience a decline in relationship satisfaction upon the birth of their first child. This can lead to postpartum depression and reduced involvement by the father in the life of their children. Even the strongest relationships are strained during the transition to parenthood. Lack of sleep, never-ending housework and new fiscal concerns can lead to profound stress. The Bringing Baby Home Educator Training prepares people to independently teach pregnant and parenting...
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Materials from our Building Resilience on a Solid Foundation: Community of Practice Event
Thank you to all who attended our Building Resilience on a Solid Foundation: Community of Practice. Attached are the materials from our day together. Also, here is the link to Got Your ACE Score? , which has the 10-question ACE survey, an explanation of what it means, and a resilience survey. You can register for our April 25 th Community of Practice event featuring Eddy Zheng at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/o...-tickets-31517247937
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Building trust is now a critical part of health care
In a video clip , a hospital patient turns away in protest as a physician enters the room. “Why do you all keep coming in my room!” she asks in frustration. The physician moves a chair out of the way and sits down at eye level with the patient. “You’ve had to see so many people,” he acknowledges. “And I’m tired of it!” she yells. “I already know I have to get both of my legs cut off. That’s what they keep saying. I don’t have a choice!” “You don’t feel like you have a choice,” he repeats...
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California issues update on state residents' ACE scores from 2011 & 2013 surveys
The latest adverse childhood experiences survey from the California Department of Public Health shows that 42% of the population has an ACE score of 3 or higher; 16% have an ACE score of 4 or higher. Those with an ACE score of 4 or higher are: 3x more likely to be current smokers 4x more likely to have a depressive disorder 2x more likely to have asthma 2x more likely to be obese 4x more likely to have COPD 3x more likely to have a stroke Here are a few other highlights from the six-page...
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Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) Recognized by APA!
Less then 5 years ago long-time trauma informed advocates, Sandra Bloom, MD and Andrea Blanch, PhD, brought together a small group of similarly-minded folks to talk about forming a new national organization focused on trauma informed policy and practice. Months later the Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy and Practice CTIPP was born. In May of 2019, CTIPP was selected by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to receive its Distinguished Service Award for meritorious service to the...
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CAPCC Asks: What It Will Take to Ensure Every Child Feels Loved?
On, August 23, 2019 the Humboldt County Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council (CAPCC) will be joined by Michael Williams, Co-Director for Strategies 2.0, a statewide training and technical assistance program funded by the California Office of Child Abuse Prevention. Williams will be facilitating a very special meeting from noon to 3:00 in the Redwood Room, in the Humboldt Education Resource Center, at Humboldt County Office of Education, 901 Myrtle Avenue, Eureka. This is a no cost...
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Child Parent Institute April 2019 Parenting Newsletter
I recently read that, “According to a [2007] report by the A.C. Nielsen Company, parents spend only 39 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children.” Yikes. That’s less time than it takes me to watch one meaningful episode of This Is Us. Although the report is over 10 years old, I wouldn’t be surprised if this statistic were worse now, given the exponential growth in use of smartphones and social media within the last decade. It makes me wonder how many minutes of...
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Child Parent Institute Resiliency Support List of Offerings
CPI has been working with their staff and community partners to contribute some help to the families in our community. Here is a flyer of free services that we can offer now and in the coming months. Please see the attached file for the complete schedule of offerings.
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Childhood trauma a crucial public health issue [CapitolWeekly.net]
Preventing childhood trauma should be one of the top goals of California policymakers, a coalition of child advocates say. About 150 of the advocates came to Sacramento last week to educate legislators about the devastating effects of adverse childhood experiences. The goal was to help legislators create policies that will better protect kids. Adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs, are experiences that are so harmful to children’s developing brains that they affect their lives decades...
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Community advocates and Bay Area county health agencies work together on trauma-informed systems change
The talk around the table is not what one might expect when community advocates begin a meeting with county health officials. “I went into this [work] through my own lived experience of trauma and family addiction,” said Toni DeMarco, the deputy director of children’s services for San Mateo County Health System. Rocsana Enriquez, who teaches yoga to teens in juvenile hall in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and in high schools for the Palo Alto-based Art of Yoga Project , chimed in. “I’m...
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Community After Disaster, a Therapist’s Musings
Here in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, the entire community experienced prolonged and extensive hyper-arousal – days on end of watching and wondering where the fires would burn next, and far too many sleepless nights. According to the literature on disasters, what follows is a brief honeymoon period, characterized by community cohesion and gratitude. Sonoma County showed up for each other in major ways in the past couple of weeks, and the outpouring of gratitude to the first responders...
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Community Leaders Connect in ACEs and Resilience Community of Practice
https://nacchovoice.naccho.org/2018/09/25/community-leaders-connect-in-aces-and-resilience-community-of-practice/
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Community Profiles from selected CA ACEs Initiatives and Programs
CA communities and organizations from across the state shared information about their trauma informed and resilience building initiatives at the Child Adversity Policymaker Awareness Day on July 11, 2017 in Sacramento. The event, organized by 4CA ( California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity) , educated state legislators about the impacts of child adversity across the lifecourse and strategies for preventing ACEs, healing trauma and creating resilient communities. A series of twelve...
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Conference Scholarship for Beyond Paper Tigers
Congratulations to Dave Rose and Nikki Jackson of Petaluma City Schools for winning this scholarship! The Sonoma County ACEs Connection Steering Committee voted to create a scholarship for educational professionals to attend the upcoming " Beyond Paper Tigers " conference in Walla Walla, Washington. This event is sponsored by our fellow MARC grant community in Washington, and offers Sonoma County the potential to build on our many local screenings of Paper Tigers. "The documentary Paper...
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Coping with Disaster Begins with Tending to Our Own Bodies and Hearts
I just received a compelling email from the Hanna Boys Center reminding us to care for our bodies and hearts during this time of great stress. One incentive to care for yourself is the idea that "well staff serve well." As my friend Clare suggested earlier today, "It's the idea that we need to put on our own oxygen mask in order to live long enough to help others. Still, many of us don't know where to start with supporting our own wellness. This worksheet (attached) offers many simple...
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Could the remedy for stress really be taking a deep breath?
Have you ever heard Frank Girjalva explain how to regain calm in the middle of crisis or after experiencing secondary trauma? His bold claim that we can all combat stress in under 60 seconds may at first seem unbelievable. He shares how "stepping back", breathing, clenching, releasing, and sipping water can create a physical and mental transformation that improves our ability to think and act. However, his explanation is grounded in science. Here is a great article explaining some of the...
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Cracked Up: Three Exciting Announcements [crackedupmovie.com]
FREE LIVE ZOOM WEBINAR AND Q+A! WITH DARRELL HAMMOND, DIRECTOR MICHELLE ESRICK and TRAUMA EXPERT, BESSEL van der KOLK, MD. MODERATED BY JANE STEVENS, FOUNDER OF ACES CONNECTION Hosted by ACES Connection Monday May 4th following opening weekend on NETFLIX at 4pm PST / 5p MT / 6p CT / 7pm EDT A virtual conversation to connect with our Cracked Up community about the lifelong impact of childhood trauma, especially now during coronavirus lockdown-social distancing-isolation which can trigger...
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Stress-related hormone cortisol lowers significantly after just 45 minutes of art creation
I know that I'm preaching to the choir with this article ( Stress-related hormone cortisol lowers significantly after just 45 minutes of art creation ), but I'd like to share a personal story and along with it a some floating hopes I have in all of this trauma-informed work that we strive to do. My Brief Story I didn't always like to paint. In fact, I hated it because I was high-achieving and didn't think I was good enough to do it. One day my senior year of college, a friend of mine (let's...
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CYW releases "Children Can Thrive: A Vision for California's Response to ACEs"
The Center for Youth Wellness released a new report “Children Can Thrive: A Vision for California’s Response to ACEs”. This report is a follow up to last November’s Children Can Thrive Summit. ...
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Disaster Funds List
Attached you will find a list of participating organizations donating funds to victims from the Northern CA fires. If you or someone you know is seeking assistance, please check out this list.
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Do you live in Arizona, Hawaii, California, Nevada or the US Pacific Islands? Come to our no-cost mental and school mental health Winter Institute!
Do you live in Arizona, Hawaii, California, Nevada or the US Pacific Islands?If so...Check it out! 👇 NO COST. MENTAL HEALTH & SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE. AMAZING FACULTY. JANUARY 14, 15, & 16th! LONG BEACH, CA. JOIN US. 🤝 👏 Learn more here: http://bit.ly/mhttc-winterinstitute-flyer Register here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07egq2f9gaebafa6bd&llr=8wdk4ubab
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Doctor-patient role-playing featured in ACEs Connection webinar
On an ACEs Connection webinar on Monday, Dr. Andrew Seaman, an assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University, showed how he navigates his students through the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). And, in an unusual twist for a webinar, Seaman and O’Nesha Cochran, a peer mentor with the Mental Health Association of Oregon, role-played doctor-patient interactions to show how to develop the skills to communicate with patients with high ACE scores. About 90 people...
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Doctor-patient role-playing featured in ACEs Connection webinar
On an ACEs Connection webinar on Monday, Dr. Andrew Seaman, an assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University, showed how he navigates his students through the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). And, in an unusual twist for a webinar, Seaman and O’Nesha Cochran, a peer mentor with the Mental Health Association of Oregon, role-played doctor-patient interactions to show how to develop the skills to communicate with patients with high ACE scores. About 90 people...
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Dovetail Learning's TOOLBOX a resource for schools seeking to be Trauma-Informed
Bryan Clement, Dovetail Learning, gave a compelling presentation to the ACEs Connection community coalition in late January. He began with a video showing how kids are putting social and emotional skills into action in their school settings (there's a version with Spanish subtitles here ): TOOLBOX clearly offers great tools for strengthening relationships between folks of all ages. It also provides the language and framework creating a strong relationship-based foundation for schools seeking...
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Dozens of stakeholders representing thousands of practitioners send public comments on Calif. ACEs-screening plan
Update: We posted this story on Tuesday evening and received a response from the Department of Health Care Services Wednesday that clarifies additional information. DHCS information Officer Katharine Weir said that subject to budget approval by the legislature and the governor: The reimbursement rate will be $29. Federally Qualified Health Centers will also be reimbursed for screening pediatric patients for trauma through Prop 56 funds and federal matching funds. In response to a question...
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Dr. Mona Delahooke Will Present at The Trauma-Responsive Schools Conference in California
Have you been hearing all the buzz about Dr. Mona Delahooke's new book, Beyond Behaviors ? In my opinion, it’s the best new book of 2019. Dr. Delahooke is a practicing pediatric clinical psychologist of thirty years. She is gaining critical acclaim and grassroots support for challenging the prevalent and pervasive behaviorist bias in schools. As a result, she is an emerging authority in the growing revolution to re-interpret children's misbehavior. She highlights much of the books' content...
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Dr. Nadine Burke Harris Presents at SCVMC-Pediatric Grand Rounds
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris presented today at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center during Pediatric Grand Rounds to a full room (standing room only) of pediatricians, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, public health professionals and allied medical staff. With the show of hands, many of us in the room were familiar with ACEs science and the health impacts of toxic stress. With ease, Dr. Burke Harris dove into great detail of our bodies response to toxic stress and the multitude of...
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DRAFT notes from our October 2019 meeting
Draft notes from our October 23, 2019 meeting Welcome: For all who could join our meeting on October 23rd, thank you for your participation! Together we can broaden our understanding of how ACEs impact our communities and what folks are doing to address ACEs. In October we welcomed David Beck MD a local Psychiatrist, Lynn Burke from Drug Abuse Alternatives Center (DAAC) Perinatal Program and we welcomed the return of Carla Denner LCSW who is now with DHS - BH- Alcohol and Other Drug...
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DULCE helps pediatricians in Oakland, CA, prevent toxic stress in newborns
On a recent day in early March, Laura Lopez met a former patient of hers in the waiting room of Highland Hospital’s pediatric clinic in Oakland, CA. The patient had forgotten her Medi-Cal card and called Lopez asking for help. But in the brief conversation, Lopez, a family specialist with the DULCE program, learned about some dire changes in the patient’s life. Laura Lopez “Without me even asking, she shared with me that she had separated from her partner, that she needs to apply for food...
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During COVID-19, how does a trauma-informed school pivot to distance learning?
All photos courtesy of Antioch Middle School staff Antioch Middle School seventh-grader Alyssia Garcia was accustomed to scanning the cafeteria during lunch for kids who might need her assistance. “I’d look for kids who looked sad, kids who were sitting alone, kids who looked angry,” says Garcia, a peer advocate at her school. Alyssia Garcia When she’d spot students sitting alone or looking sad, she’d approach them and ease into conversation. “If it’s a sad person, I’ll try to cheer them up...
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Better Beginnings is hosting a garden party on...
Better Beginnings is hosting a garden party on Saturday, May 2 at 5:30 at the Sebastopol Masonic Center, 373 North Main Street, Sebastopol. Food, silent auction, activities for the kids. Dr. Mark Sloan will speak on "Stress! How it affects the growing...
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Taking Care of Yourself After a Traumatic Event
Dear Friends, Our entire community is in the middle of an event that is causing great stress and duress. We all are experiencing great need for self-care. We are all striving to offer kindness to others. If you need help understanding why you or someone you love is feeling emotional, hyper alert, irritable, restless, moody, teary, sad, helpless, numb or detached, please read the attached document put out by the Petaluma Health Center in both English and Spanish.
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‘Tapping’ brings stress reduction to Sonoma’s fingertips [Sonoma Index Tribune]
To some people the word “tapping” may no longer involve dance steps or metal taps on shoes. Tapping now also refers to a holistic technique that relieves pain, stress and anxiety. Those interested in learning more can attend a workshop on “Tapping,” which will be held at Presentation School on Feb. 28 as part of the school’s yearly Speaker Series. “The school has been introducing students to ideas such as growth mindsets and mindfulness and stress reduction for years,” said Scott Parker,...
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The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Resiliency Fellowship Begins!
Tomorrow in Sonoma County, a constellation of passionate folks is coming together to begin an incredible journey of working to heal our community by addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences and promoting Resiliency. 60 folks applied and were selected to participate in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Resiliency Fellowship. These local leaders will serve as community educators on the topics of toxic stress and resiliency. Some of the school counselors, peer advocates, home...
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The Conversation: How childhood experiences contribute to the education-health link
Dube writes on February 7, 2018 a compelling article on the Conversation . "The interconnection between education and health is well established. Take, for example, smoking. Smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. The highest percent of smoking is seen among persons with less than a high school or General Educational Development (GED) high school equivalency diploma , and the lowest is among persons with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Trends in...
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The Developing Brain & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Thanks to an explosion in scientific research now possible with imaging technologies, such as fMRI and SPECT, experts can actually see how the brain develops. This helps explain why exposure to adverse childhood experiences can so deeply influence and change a child's brain and thus their physical and emotional health and quality of life across their lifetime. The above time-lapse study was conducted over 10 years. The darker colors represent brain maturity (brain development). I have added...
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The Economics of Child Abuse: A Study of California
While the impact of maltreatment on a child and their family is devastating, child maltreatment also has serious effects far beyond those for the victim. Maltreatment results in ongoing costs to taxpayers, institutions, businesses, and society at large. Local communities bear the brunt of these costs in the form of medical, educational, and judicial costs, though more tragic signs are seen in homelessness, addiction, and teen pregnancy. To create a concrete understanding of the widespread...
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The Schoolbox Project Trains Parents and Educators to Address Crisis in Sonoma County with a Trauma-Informed Approach
Live Oak Charter School in Petaluma hosted the Schoolbox Project on Sunday and Monday October 15 and 16 to help train and support volunteers, parents and educators in responding to the crisis in our community. Without an understanding of basic trauma-informed principles, there is potential for even the most well-meaning volunteers to engage in behavior that is overstimulating or even re-traumatizing to vulnerable populations. Dr. Gabriela Bronson-Castain, Clinical Director of the Behavioral...
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Toxic Stress and its Effect on Development.
Here is a short video clip that explains how toxic stress effects development. Learning to cope with stress is an important part of healthy development. When experiencing stress the stress response system is activated and once the stress is relieved the stress response winds down. In severe situations of abuse or neglect where there is no caring adult to act as a buffer from the stressor, one’s stress response stays activated. Absence of response from adults and constant activation of the...
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Toxic stress from El Paso, Dayton, Gilroy shootings addressed in Thursday Community Resilience Model Webinar
An ACEs Connection webinar will offer helpful self-regulation tools to those rocked by recent shootings in Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX , and Dayton, OH. The Building Resilient Communities webinar is offered by ACEs Connection this Thursday, August 9, at 10:00 AM PDT / 1 :00 PM E D and will last approximately 1 hour. Elaine Miller-Karas will teach her Community Resilienc y Mode l. Find registration details below. This webinar is free and open to the public. It serves professionals and community...
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Toxic Stress, Toxic Streets (4 minute video)
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