Tagged With "Echo Parenting"
Blog Post
Proposed Changes to the SCAC Working Guidelines: Vote at October Meeting
At our October meeting, we will vote to approve a set of working guidelines for Sonoma County ACES Connection. Attached you will find a description of the recommended changes. Please read and be ready to discuss and vote on the proposed changes at our meeting on the 26th. How we developed these recommendations I had requested that SCAC members post any comments or concerns about the proposed guidelines. I received comments from a few persons and invited all of them to participate in an ad...
Blog Post
Raising of America evening screening and Parental leave Panel on August 28, 2017 at the CA State Capitol
We wanted to share information with you about an important event taking place next week sponsored by some of our California Essentials for Childhood Initiative partners on Monday, August 28, 2017 from 4:45 pm - 7:00 pm at the California State Capitol, Eureka Room (1315 10th Street, Sacramento - basement). The event - “Equal Rights to Parental Leave: A Strong Start for all Children” - includes a special screening of “The Raising of America,” as well as an interactive forum on the benefits of...
Blog Post
Early childhood educators learn new ways to spot trauma triggers, build resilience in preschoolers
A hug may be comforting to many children, but for a child who has experienced trauma it may not feel safe.
That’s an example used by Julie Kurtz, co-director of trauma informed practices in early childhood education at the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies (CCFS), as she begins a trauma training session. Her audience, preschool teachers and staff of the San Francisco-based Wu Yee Children’s Services at San Francisco’s Women’s Building, listen attentively.
Blog Post
Eleven state-specific profiles feature ACEs-related data and ACEs/trauma-informed/resilience-building initiatives
One of the resources shared with participants in the Sept. 13-14 convening of First Spouses in Milwaukee to address trauma was a series of state information sheets that featured data on ACEs prevalence and ACEs/trauma-informed/resilience-building initiatives. These one-pagers provided a succinct summary of state highlights on trauma that in some instances were well known to the First Spouses but for others, provided new information. In partnership with state trauma leaders, ACEs Connection...
Blog Post
Epigenetics? What does that REALLY mean?
As a health care professional with a passion for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) I was having difficulty wrapping my mind around the emerging ACEs related science. Take epigenetics for example, what does epigenetics really mean? And, how did my grandmother's health influence my health today? As a parent, have my lived experiences influence the wellbeing of my children? These questions and more were laying dormant in my mind, sort of like an itch I wanted to scratch, but could not reach.
Blog Post
Evaluations for three Paper Tiger screenings
Thanks to Karen Clemmer for putting this together.... Tuesday 8-25-15 9-11:00am at Family Youth & Children 17 participants 13 evaluations submitted (Social Workers = 9, Clerical = 2, Nurse = 1, Administrative = 1) Questions: Responses: Before 2 out of 13 rated their understanding of ACES as GOOD or EXCELLENT After 5 out of 13 rated their understanding of ACES as GOOD or EXCELLENT After 9 out of 13 rated their confidence for using trauma informed...
Blog Post
Father Engagement Training
Join us to learn the six stages of becoming a father friendly agency! With the support of the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership, CPI is hosting a FREE training on father engagement for community service providers. This training is limited to about 20 participants so we encourage you to select someone from your agency to attend. Our speaker, Tom Grayson has been speaking passionately about his subject for over 14 years both regionally and internationally. The training will take place...
Blog Post
First health-related cost of ACEs study shows $113 billion price tag for California; just one ACE costs $28 billion
Researchers who have been looking for a way to quantify the health toll of ACEs in dollar terms, now have an example in a newly-released study of California. ACEs exacted a toll costing an estimated $113 billion annually, according to the study in the journal PLOS One. ACEs-associated cardiovascular disease was the condition that lead author Ted Miller dubbed “the giant in the room.” It accounted for $29.6 billion in spending, more than three times higher than the next ACEs associated...
Blog Post
Foster families needed in Sonoma [Sonoma Index-Tribune]
Staff Report, July 28, 2019, Sonoma Index-Tribune Every day, 50 to 75 Sonoma County children and teens need a safe place to live. There is currently an urgent need for foster parents and adoptive families to open their homes to local foster children, according to the county’s Sonoma Foster Care agency. Local families can learn more about foster parenting at Explore Foster Parenting, a one-hour discussion held monthly, 6 to 7 p.m., at 2255 Challenger Way, Suite 100, Santa Rosa. The dates for...
Blog Post
Four Windsor Middle School students arrested after back-to-back fights [PressDemocrat.com]
Ed. note: These kids are 13 years old! It sounds as if this school administration and staff is in dire need of learning about trauma-informed schools, and of taking measures to institute trauma-informed practices! Has the Sonoma County ACEs Connection group had any luck in reaching out to them? ___________________ Back-to-back fights this week injured two Windsor Middle School students and led police to arrest four others on suspicion of assault or weapons possession. One boy...
Blog Post
Franciscan Partners With Online Community Platform to Address Childhood Trauma [nwitimes.com]
By Joseph S. Pete, The Times of Northwest Indiana, November 22, 2019 Childhood trauma causes long-term harm, both emotionally and physically, taking a toll on one's health. Abuse, witnessing violence or substance abuse in the home, having a parent in jail and other adverse childhood experiences or ACEs have been linked to heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, diabetes and suicide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that at least five of the top 10 leading causes...
Blog Post
FREE! Drama Spectrum! Fall 2019 (Child Parent Institute)
RSVP Now! 8 Sessions | Tuesdays | October 22 - December 10 | 4:00pm - 6:00pm CPI Kinder Gym | 3650 Standish Avenue, Santa Rosa Connect with other students on this FREE eight session adventure to explore the theater arts! Find your unique role to play as we get creative to learn about and practice qualities that make strong communities, friends, and leaders. Drama Spectrum offers a nurturing creative home for young people ages 12 - 18 interested in learning more about the dramatic arts and...
Blog Post
FREE Evening at CPI Making a Difference During Disaster
Please join the Child Parent Institute for an evening supporting our children and families affected by the fires in our community. FREE! Friday October 20, 2017 from 4 to 7PM 3650 Standish Ave Santa Rosa, CA 95407 This a drop-in event, completely free of charge, please come visit us any time between the hours of 4pm - 7pm. Children and adults can participate in art projects to thank all the agencies that helped fight the firestorm throughout Sonoma County. Our counselors will be onsite and...
Blog Post
FREE Fire Recovery Groups & Events at Child Parent Institute
Child Parent Institute is inviting parents who have lost their homes to the North Bay fires to participate in parenting groups that teach about the progression of post-disaster recovery. By gathering in a forum with others who have endured a similar experience, participants have been receiving support, empathy, and resources, and gaining strength, hope, and concrete strategies. Parents are able to safely process their own experiences and share insights about guiding their children. As...
Blog Post
Free of Violation of Rights - Legal Imperatives That Could Address the Impact of ACEs
Last week, I took a call from a passionate suicide prevention advocate, James Gallant who wanted to discuss an approach for reducing ACEs. "Do you assess kids with disabilities for violations of their legal rights?" James asked. I was stumped at how to answer this, and didn't immediately see the connection to ACEs. But as James went on to share his expertise on the subject, I felt more compelled to find out what we are doing locally. James makes the case that kids with an ACE score of 1 are...
Blog Post
Friendly Reminder: Open meeting for ACEs enthusiasts Wed at 3:30!
ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting *4th Wed of each month June 28, 2019 from 3:30 to 5:00 Location: Child Parent Institute Sonoma County ACEs Connection About this community: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. Sonoma County ACEs Connection has a fresh focus in 2019 with an emphasis on community, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Please join us! PAGE ONE PAGE TWO
Blog Post
From Awareness to Action, with Voices of Lived Experience: Wisconsin’s Collective Impact Initiative
Perhaps it wasn’t the optimum time to update the network’s vision and values statements: a virtual meeting held in the midst of a global pandemic. But a record number of people—51, compared to the typical 30—tuned in for the May 1 Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) Collective Impact Council, and they gave the new values statement, which highlights inclusivity and collaboration, an enthusiastic thumbs-up. At the virtual table were members from key state departments—Children...
Blog Post
Grand jury uses ACEs science to issue stinging critique of local health department
Editor's note: The Sonoma County Department of Health Services Public Health Department's response to the Grand Jury was filed in September 2017. It is attached to this post. The 2016-2017 Sonoma County (CA) Civil Grand Jury issued a remarkable report today. Tucked among the "Sales Tax Report" and "Elementary School Truancy" was — " Maternal Child and Adolescent Health: Caring for the Most Vulnerable ". The 10-page report casts an unblinking eye on the consequences of adverse childhood...
Blog Post
Helping Young Children Recover after the Northern California Wild Fires
Helping Young Children Recover after the Northern California Wild Fires In the aftermath of the wild fires in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Solano countie s that started on Sunday, October 8, 2017, many children and their parents may be experiencing varying levels of distress related to events associated with the fires. The way in which this time of acute stress is handled can be very predictive of the long-term impact of the fires on each of us, especially children. The most important thing...
Blog Post
How collaboration helps clinic in San Mateo County, CA, tackle ACEs in children
Dr. Elizabeth Grady is a pediatrician at the South San Francisco Clinic, a community clinic of San Mateo Medical Center. She and Susana Flores , a senior public health nurse with San Mateo County Health, spoke with me about how the clinic and other health agencies in San Mateo have been able to craft ways to work together to prevent and heal toxic stress in children. Grady also talked about how she and Flores have been working with the Resilient Beginnings Collaborative (RBC), a group of...
Blog Post
How do these pediatricians do ACEs screening? Early adopters tell all.
Last week, three pediatricians — with a combined experience of 15 years integrating ACEs science into their practices — reflected on the urgency they felt several years ago that prompted them to begin screening patients for childhood adversity and resilience when there was practically no guidance at all. Along their journey , they accumulated a list of lessons learned for other pediatricians and family clinics to use. The three pediatricians participated in the ACEs Connection webinar,...
Blog Post
How Early Experiences Get into the Body: A Biodevelopmental Framework
Excellent graphic representation of the roots of early childhood experiences across the life course. Attached is a printable version. Copied below is one of several images from the document. " This biodevelopmental framework highlights the shared early childhood roots of lifelong outcomes in learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health. An integrated approach to addressing disparities in those outcomes offers a promising opportunity to devise interventions that attack societal...
Blog Post
Register Today for the Trauma-Informed Agency Champion Training at SCOE on 12/11/17
Register with Sonoma County Office of Education now here: https://www.scoe.org/pub/htdocs/class.html?class_id=7308 This second offering of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Resiliency Fellowship will focus on developing former Fellowship members (ACE Interface Master Trainers and Presenters) as Trauma-Informed Agency Champions. As a collaboration between the Sonoma County Office of Education, Sonoma County Human Services, Department of Health Services Behavioral Health and...
Blog Post
REMINDER: SCAC Monthly Meeting 2.26.20!
This is a friendly reminder that our Sonoma County ACEs Connection (SCAC) meeting is today [2.26.20] at 3:30 . Please plan to attend, and bring a friend too! A simple agenda is attached and we can amend it when we come together today. Did you know that since our last meeting ..... Partnership Medi-Cal Managed Care announced an expansion of its substance use disorder services in Sonoma County. Plus, they are building a Wellness and Recovery Program in several N CA counties - but not yet...
Blog Post
Request For Proposal Resource Family Training Services
You are invited to participate in a County of Sonoma solicitation. Review this information and use the URL below to login and bid on this solicitation. RFP Resource Family Training Services Description: The County of Sonoma is pleased to invite you to respond to a Request for Proposals for Resource Family Training Services. The Family, Youth & Children’s Services (FY&C) Division within the County of Sonoma Human Services Department is seeking a single qualified entity to provide a...
Blog Post
Resilience Begins at Home
Retired Physician Sue Stephenson shares her recent experience at the Dr. Macy workshop offered by Hanna Boys Center. As I am becoming more involved in ACEs work, I realize that trauma-informed care and resilience begin at home. We were treated to an interactive seminar with Robert Macy, pioneer in the field of psychological trauma, psycho-social recovery and resiliency, on February 10 at Hanna Boys Center entitled "Can You Control Your Children?" The short answer was "No". We discussed...
Blog Post
Resilient Berkeley rolls up its sleeves and gets to work
Angela Jernigan (left), Donielle Prince (center), Nicole Powell (right) Photo by Laurie Udesky Angela Jernigan and Nicole Powell of Resilient Berkeley met with ACEs Connection’s Donielle Prince on Monday, April 23 to discuss an event that they’re organizing, which incorporates ACEs science into parenting education. They plan to hold a gathering at one of Berkeley’s public libraries. (Stay tuned for details as they emerge!) Jernigan and Powell bring to their work an appreciation for ACEs...
Blog Post
Resources for Dealing with Wildfire Related Trauma
In response to the wildfires in California, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help families and communities. These resources include: Parent Guidelines for Helping Children Impacted by Wildfires En Español Wildfires: Tips for Parents on Media Coverage En Español Simple Activities for Children During Evacuations or When Playing Outside is Restricted Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic...
Blog Post
Right Start Town Hall - See You There?
So...who joins me in wanting to give our children the best start possible in life? It turns out, there is a long list of passionate supporters in our County. We urge you to come to the upcoming Town Hall and connect with folks like you who are committed to preventing childhood adversity and supporting resilience. Thursday, October 5, 2017 ∙ 6 - 8 PM The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Information fair, refreshments, onsite free childcare (limited by appt.) available at the event...
Blog Post
Safe & Sound: Integrating protective factors and ACEs science to end child abuse in San Francisco in 50 years
It was almost a ritual, but one that regularly disrupted the parenting class at a San Francisco-based child abuse prevention organization. Every time a siren blared in the streets below, a female participant bolted out of the room to seek safety in the windowless interior rooms of the multilevel labyrinthine white Victorian that houses Safe & Sound . Molly Jardiniano And it didn’t just happen in the parenting class. “When she heard the fire trucks, she said she would become paralyzed,...
Blog Post
San Francisco Dept of Public Health Trauma-Informed Systems Initiative
I thought you might be interested in taking a look at the 2014 year in review from the SF Dept of Public Health's Trauma-Informed Systems Initiative. It's attached, below. The Department made the commitment to train all of its 9,000 staff...
Blog Post
SCAC meeting notes for 8.28.19 community meeting
*BOLD BLUE text = hyperlink to more information *pdf attached ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting *4th Wed of each month August 28, 2019, from 3:30 to 5:00 Location: Child Parent Institute / Sonoma County ACEs Connection About us: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. Sonoma County ACEs Connection has a fresh focus in 2019 with an emphasis on community, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Please join us!
Blog Post
September 20th, 2017 Gang Awareness Training for Parents
Gang Awareness Training for Parents September 20th, 2017 Wednesday, 6:00pm-8:00pm Roseland Elementary The two-hour workshop is designed to engage parents by bring in violence prevention experts and resource specialists who will respond to questions and concerns so together, we can gain greater parent involvement and find positive alternatives for today's youth. Free food, Childcare, and Parking with Spanish & English For more information go to www.srcity.org/ThePartnership
Blog Post
Sharing two ACEs-related references
Karen Clemmer sent the following as an email yesterday: Dear Sonoma County ACES Connection members, Since our last meeting, a couple items that might be of interest have come across my desk and both frame ACES around a Life Course perspective! ...
Blog Post
Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) Hosting Free 8-Week Counseling Groups
Many people continue to feel impacted by the fires from October 2017. Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) is hosting free 8-week counseling sessions to help heal and recover after the devastation. The Child, Teen, and Young Adult Groups will use play, art, journaling, and self-care techniques while the Parent Education group will focus on teaching parents how to support their children and learn stress reduction techniques for themselves. Please see flyer below for more information.
Blog Post
Solano County launches its ACEs and resilience initiative inviting all to take action
Elizabeth Huntley recalls the day when her family’s life was turned upside down. “One day my mom woke up and she packed up all of our clothes, all five of us…and she took me and my younger sister who had the same father… down to my paternal grandmother’s house…and she left us there. She took my middle sister to a town near Birmingham, Ala., and left her there. She took my only brother and an older sister back to Huntsville and left them at a sister’s house. Then she went back to that housing...
Blog Post
Solano County's (CA) ACEs initiative, a robust community effort, makes room for input from all
In a house called “Johanna’s House” on a tree-lined side street in Vallejo, Calif., four women are filling out the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) survey given to them by Maria Guevara, the founder of Vallejo Together, an organization that serves homeless residents in Vallejo. The house was named for Johanna Dilag, a homeless woman who was found dead along with her dog.
Blog Post
Sonoma County ACEs Activity Timeline
Hello, I just wanted to share with everyone this activity timeline that I put together! This timeline looks at all the action and awareness we have spread around Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resiliency throughout our community over the past few years. Thank you all for the wonderful work you do in our community!
Blog Post
Sonoma County ACES Connection MARC Proposal
Members have asked to see the proposal as submitted. Here it is for your reference.
Blog Post
Sonoma County ACES Connection Meeting 10-26-16
Dear Friends, We’ll be gathering at the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home for our next meeting of the Sonoma County ACEs Connection. (Many of you may already plan to be there for the “ACEs, Trauma Informed and Self Care” workshop with Brian Farragher.) During this compelling meeting we’ll hear about the Master Training event with ACE Interface and Dr. Anda, the California ACEs Conference hosted by the Center for Youth Wellness, among other exciting announcements. We will also be doing the...
Blog Post
Sonoma County ACES Connection Meeting 4-26-17
Dear Friends, We look forward to coming together to continue our efforts to raise awareness around Adverse Childhood Experiences & Resiliency. Join our community coalition’s meeting on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 12:30 at 625 5 th Street, Santa Rosa in the City View Rooms. Our agenda and meeting notes from March are attached to keep you up to date about our exciting activities and future plans. Your voice, community insight, and local action is helping us achieve community healing. We...
Blog Post
2017 Kids Count Data Book [aecf.org]
Wednesday June 14th the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2017 Kids Count Data Book - State Trends in Child Well-Being. This comprehensive report is " a premier source of data on children and families." You can download the report from this post, as well as on the Kids Count website , where you can also access an interactive data map in their Data Center . This is an invaluable amount of data available to the public, relevant to anyone working with children and families - with the...
Blog Post
4 years after integrating ACEs science, Pueblo, CO clinic improves services for families; cuts ER costs, doctor stress
Four years ago, Dr. Leslie Dempsey would never have talked about ACEs — adverse childhood experiences — with her patients. Now ACEs is a common topic. “Just as I don’t feel awkward asking someone if they smoke or do intravenous drugs, I don’t really feel awkward talking about their childhood traumas in a way that it relates to their health. It’s just integrated into obtaining background and social history,” she says. Dr. Leslie Dempsey Dempsey is a physician in obstetrics who oversees a team...
Blog Post
9/27/17 Meeting Minutes
(For a colorful and well formatted version, please see the attached .pdf.) Thank you to all that participated in today’s ACES meeting. Lisa Manthe lead us through a meditation that she does with her students. Lisa shared with us that she begins and ends every school day with meditation to help foster routine and a sense of grounding for the mind body connection. Lisa Manthe from New Directions School joined us to share her experience using art therapy as a way of healing. New Directions...
Blog Post
A Community Coalition is Born!
Today our group conducted a few straw polls to ordain ourselves with a name, mission, and Pro Tem leaders. Looking back we can agree we'd outgrown the party room at Mary's Pizza shack as we have more than 30 regularly participating community partners. (82 Community Members asked to be on our meeting invite list and participate as they can!) But were we ready to move from an informal group to a partners united under one mission? The energy during our meetings always makes the room feel a buzz...
Blog Post
A National Agenda to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences
What are ACEs and Why Do They Matter? In 2016 1 , nearly half of U.S. children – 34 million kids – had at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and more than 20 percent experienced two or more. The new brain sciences and science of human development explain how ACEs can have devastating, long-lasting effects on children’s health and wellbeing. These events resonate well beyond the individual child to have far-reaching consequences for families, neighborhoods, and communities. ACEs...
Blog Post
A Year of Ripples and Streams: Sonoma County MARC Update
Holly White-Wolfe, an analyst for the Sonoma County Human Services Department , marvels at the changes that have happened in a short amount of time. A few months ago, she and Karen Clemmer, then Coordinator of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health for the County Department of Health Services , were comparing notes on how their respective agencies were building trauma-informed capacity among employees and trying to embed that knowledge in practice. “A year ago,” Clemmer said at the time, “we...
Blog Post
ACEs and Resiliency Fellowship - New Offering for Trauma-Informed Action
We are excited to report we secured additional funding and support to continue the ACEs and Resiliency Fellowship! We are now ready to offer all of our Master Trainers and Presenters additional training opportunities as “Trauma-Informed Agency Champions.” (Limited spots will also be offered to other community members who want to join in.) Our new program will combine two tracks, led by Sonoma County Office of Education: Trauma-Informed Agency Champion workshops (register for 1-3 workshops)...
Blog Post
ACEs & Resiliency Master Trainer Program - Apply Today
ACEs & Resiliency Fellowship Master Trainer Program Sonoma County ACEs Connection received a grant from the Health Federation of Philadelphia to establish the Master Trainer program. Program This Master Trainer Program is designed to build a group of local experts on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and resilience science. Learn to promote understanding and how to apply the science to improve health and well being across the lifespan. Application Click here for your application (PDF)...