Tagged With "Monthly Meeting Notes from Sonoma County"
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Policy Committee Meeting Notes
Meeting Notes: June 8, 2018 It was suggested that we try posting a more informal blog of our meeting, rather than the usual minutes. Please let us know if this is a better way to capture the free-flowing discussion and flavor of our meetings. Note: Sonoma County ACEs Connection is referred to as “SCAC” to save typing. Members attending were Alison Lobb, Lena Hoffman and Allen Nishikawa. Karen Clemmer was unable to attend but had forwarded some helpful links and information to members. Our...
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Portraits of Professional CAREgivers: Their Passion. Their Pain - FREE Screening for ACEs Connection Network!
I am excited to announce that ACEs Connection Network has partnered with the producers of the film, Portraits of Professional CAREgivers: Their Passion. Their Pain . to host a FREE SCREENING of the film for our members. If you have been t hinking of hosting a screening of CAREgivers in your community or are interested in learning more about secondary traumatic stress and what to do about it, join our ACEs Connection Network for a FREE screening of this film and a virtual chat with the...
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Positive Childhood Experiences offset ACEs: Q & A with Dr. Robert Sege about HOPE
Tufts University medical professor Dr. Robert Sege directs the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine and is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that address social determinants of health. He is also the principal investigator for the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).The HOPE framework is based on research that shows how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. Sege and colleagues...
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Post-wildfire report on nonprofit services: mental health a critical need, services to most vulnerable citizens impacted
At the end of 2017, Community Foundation of Sonoma County and Napa Valley Community Foundation enlisted the Center for Effective Philanthropy to conduct a survey of local nonprofit organizations about the impacts of the wildfires on the people they serve and on their organizational capacity to provide services in response. While reading CEP Advisory Services " 2018 Wildfire Response Survey " report through an ACEs and trauma-informed lens, the following findings jumped out at me: 1. Mental...
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Preparing People for Climate Change in California: Sonoma County Listens and Shares
Last summer Bob Doppelt asked me to join a planning committee for a conference on climate change . I was surprised to be asked as my recent professional expertise is tied to addressing childhood adversity. Bob changed my perspective on the relevance by saying, "Adversity and trauma are the social side effects of climate-related disasters. Imagine the social-emotional impacts on Katrina survivors." The connection was a glimmer in my mind, but I agreed to support a California conference .
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Press Democrat Features Paper Tigers Screening and Efforts to Help Struggling Kids
On Saturday May 14th, the Press Democrat featured local ACEs efforts in South Sonoma County in the article "Petaluma schools implementing new approach to work with struggling students." The Petaluma Health Care District and the Health Action Chapter sponsored a Paper Tigers screening on May 12 that drew 221 folks. Reporter Christi Warren captures the experience here: On a recent school day in Petaluma, 57 students were on a waitlist to see a city schools therapist. The number of students...
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Prevent Child Abuse - Sonoma County annual report 2014-2015
In case you missed picking up a copy of the 2014-2015 annual report from Prevent Child Abuse-Sonoma County, here it is. This year, it provides a snapshot of child abuse and neglect data, a two-page overview of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study,...
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Proactively preparing teens and children for 13 Reasons Why, season 2 (Netflix)
By Tracie Dahl, LCPC, Middle School Therapist with Intermountain School-based Services (Helena, MT) 13 Reasons Why is about to drop its second season in just a matter of days. Since Season 2 is no longer adapting Jay Asher's 2007 YA novel and telling a completely new story, as service providers who work with young adults, we would like to know what we can expect from the upcoming string of episodes. We were more reactive than proactive when Season 1 came out and it’s easier to be more...
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Prop. 64 Stakeholder Group: Prioritize Trauma-Informed Approach to Youth Substance Use Education, Prevention and Treatment
In November 2016, California voters legalized adult use and sales of cannabis, and authorized state excise taxes that are estimated to generate up to $1 billion in revenue for regulation, research, public safety, prevention and treatment. A group of stakeholders representing youth-serving organizations and agencies across the state has issued recommendations for use of the tax revenue allocated to youth substance use education, prevention and treatment that emphasize a trauma-informed approach.
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Proposed Changes to Sonoma County ACEs Connection Working Guidelines
Holly asked me to review the SCAC Working Guidelines we developed at the retreat and prepare a document for approval at the October meeting. I invite all members to send me any comments or suggestions regarding the current document. For the purposes of this vote, I am limiting proposed changes to only those issues where there is a discrepancy, disagreement or lack of clarity concerning an existing guideline. Any brand new guidelines should be proposed and adopted later. The current version...
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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...
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‘Public Health 3.0’ represents future of fighting public health problems in Sonoma County
Martin Espinoza of the Press Democrat captured an exciting event which took place in Santa Rosa earlier this week... Public Health 3.0: A high-ranking federal health official visited Santa Rosa on Tuesday to discuss a new direction for local public health departments, one that would push them far beyond their traditional role as watchdogs of communicable and chronic diseases and make them community partners in identifying the “social determinants” of health. Outlining an approach dubbed...
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Raise Money for Schoolbox - The Trauma Informed International Group Helping Sonoma County Schools
Local youth are fundraising for the Schoolbox Project, which provides mobile, trauma-informed education, art and play to children displaced by crisis. (Read our article on ACEs Connection here .) A music event is being planned and executed with help from students at Artquest, Credo, Orchard View, and SunRidge schools. Lineup: Garden Shed Kaya Weber Lilac PFP (Phat Frosh Pit, formerly Pennies for Punks) Radar Washington Hill Vatos These bands have members from Analy High School, Credo, Maria...
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Raizes Collective Invites You to: Celebrando la Vida or A Celebration of Life
My friend Isabel with Raizes Collective is putting together a special el Día de Muertos event, and invites you to sponsor an altar. (Sponsorship form attached.) The entire community is also invited to come out and celebrate during two special community events. Isabel writes: Raizes continues to be committed to making platforms for artists to mobilize and bring our community together to begin the process of healing through our arts and cultural programming. We are asking for your support by...
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Redwood Community Health Coalition gets $500,000 state grant to help people get medical care [Press Democrat]
Pediatric nurse practitioner Julia Chang examines Gabriella Cedillos, 11, during her annual physical, at Roseland Pediatrics, part of Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, in Santa Rosa, on Wednesday, November 30, 2016. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
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Redwood Empire Food Bank offers a DRIVE-THROUGH food distribution
The Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) is offering a special drive-through distribution to our community this week. Station 3990 distribution will be open today, Wednesday, October 18th through Saturday, October 21st from 10:00am-4:00pm at the REFB station house: 3990 Brickway Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Station 3990 is a food distribution created in response to the devastating fires in our region. The REFB assembled the resou rces necessary to make emergency food available to those...
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Register Today!
Sign up NOW for an amazing conference! Registration is open - the fee includes parking, breakfast, lunch, materials, and CEUs! Space is limited, reserve your seat today! Learn more! Contact Carla Denner: 707-565-6626
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Election is OPEN: Sonoma County ACEs Connection Steering Committee
Dear ACEs Connection Members, We would like to invite you to formally participate in the election process for the ACEs Connection Coalition Steering Committee. Please use this link to complete your e-ballot: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/scacelection Our next meeting will be on September 27th. We will be meeting at a new proposed time from 3:30-5:00 and currently in the works on a new location. Please note the following deadlines: September 8 - Elections Close September 27 – ACEs Connection...
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Entrepreneur Akash Kalia Converts Motel into Shelter for Homeless, Veterans (indiawest.com)
A young Indian American has converted his parents’ struggling motel in Santa Rosa, Calif., into a 104-room facility to provide housing for chronically homeless people and veterans, the first such center in the nation. Akash Kalia, 24, will be honored by the city of Santa Rosa Apr. 25, at its 35 th annual Merit Awards ceremony. Kalia will receive a community service merit award . “A hundred people don’t have to worry about where they’re going to sleep tonight,” Kalia told India-West . “This...
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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.
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EQUITY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE & OVERCOMING ADVERSITY - Breakfast Event Sept 14 w/ USDC Judge Troy L. Nunley, Hanna Institute, Sonoma
Judge Nunley is a staunch advocate for children, especially the most vulnerable. He brings rich personal experience to his judicial role; he grew up in the Hunter’s Point neighborhood of San Francisco with a single mother, ultimately rising to one of the highest positions an American lawyer can occupy. SCHEDULE 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Breakfast and Socialize 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Presentation, Discussion, Q&A EVENT DETAILS Thursday, Sept 14th, 2017 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Hanna Boys Center...
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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...
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Federal funds awarded to Santa Rosa’s Catholic Charities to boost naturalization program (The Press Democrat)
By Nashelly Chavez, for The Press Democrat, October 1, 2019 Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa will ramp up its services for legal permanent residents who need help becoming citizens this month after the organization was awarded more than $237,000 in federal grant money, the nonprofit said. The Santa Rosa- based charity was one of 41 organizations across 24 states selected for the Citizenship and Assimilation Grants Program , which gives money to immigrant-serving organizations...
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‘Film Producer’ Nelson blogs from Sundance: Gary’s movie feast Day 1 [SonomaNews.com]
....“Resilience” was our second film of the day... All about ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) and the need to take this seriously now on our country. Hanna is embarking on an ACE project at Sonoma Charter school this year! The trauma we all experience in our early years has tremendous impact on us educationally and emotionally. To read the entirety of this very short article, go to: http://www.sonomanews.com/home/5114803-181/film-producer-nelson-blogs-from
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Financial Help for Those Who Haven't Been Able to Work
Folks in our local shelters are expressing concern about the loss of work income and uncertainty about their work futures. Sonoma County Human Services wants to help! Please share our attached flyers (in English and Spanish) explaining how to file an Unemployment Claim. Have questions or need assistance? Talk to someone in person: Sonoma County Job Link 2227 Capricorn Way, Suite 100 Santa Rosa, CA 95407 707-565-5550 www.SonomaWIB.org
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Find out about events to observe the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires at SonomaCountyRecovers.org
You may have heard about a number of events that are planned around the county to observe the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires. A listing of these events can be found at SonomaCountyRecovers.org . The anniversary of our October 2017 fires is not just a typical day, it is a day where many may feel disillusioned and realize they are still working their grief. It is a day where while we might have to go to work, we have to remember to take care of ourselves and remember it is...
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Fire Loss FEMA Funding and SBA Loan Deadline is December 11 [sonomacountygazette.com]
FEMA and SBA Deadline to Register for Assistance cannot be extended. DEADLINE: December 11, 2017. APPLY even if you have insurance! Whether people need the funding now, or in 18 months for rental assistance, child care, medical expenses, etc. there is a firm cap of $34,000 per household for renters as well as homeowners. The Small Business Administration (SBA) loan deadline for businesses impacted by the fire is the same - December 11, 2017. APPLY even if you have insurance! FEMA assistance...
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First 5 Shares Resources for Local Families on New Webpage
If you found yourself searching for resources to help families of young children cope during disasters and traumatic events, please allow us to point you to a new comprehensive page curated by First 5 Sonoma County. http://first5sonomacounty.org/Resources-for-Parents/Coping-Resources/
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First Responder Resiliency Center is hosting a conference in Sonoma, CA on June 29-July 1
The First Responder Resiliency Center, a nonprofit organization, is hosting a Resiliency Conference from June 29-July 1. It will be held at Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, CA. To register: https://resiliencytrainingcenter.com/training/conference/june-2018/ The First Responders Resiliency Conference is a comprehensive event where participants will be asked to learn and participate in modalities designed to create new ways of thinking, processing and utilizing creative outlets to mitigate stress...
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For the January Meeting: This is Who We Are
Over the last several months, Sonoma County ACEs Connections (SCAC) has been struggling to develop organizational guidelines and committees. We have attempted to adopt them on several occasions but have not been able to agree on a plan. This has been especially frustrating for some of us, because back in November of 2015, SCAC voted to adopt a group of committees. For a variety of reasons however, folks keep wanting to reinvent that wheel. I am proposing one more attempt to discuss our...
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Former ACEs Intern Asks Press Democrat Not to Sensationalize Trauma
Lesley Field felt moved to action after reading the disturbing and sensationalized headlines in yesterday's paper regarding a young boy's struggle to value his own life. Lesley just recently completed an internship with Sonoma County Department of Health Services, where she focused on developing communication tools around the topic of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma. Today she felt inspired to share some tips on communication with the local journalist who wrote yesterday's article.
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Free Mental Health First Aid Training on 1/25/18
Sonoma County Behavioral Health Division is offering a training on January 25 called "Mental Health First Aid." To register for this event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-first-aid-tickets-42283296478 Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental illnesses, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common supports. This 8-hour course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to...
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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...
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FREE Train-the-Trainer to enhance resilience and meditation skills in a post-fire Sonoma County
A new coalition, the Sonoma County Resiliency Collaborative, is offering a free train-the-trainer taught by the Center for Mind Body Medicine. The training program is about the neuroscience of trauma (including new studies about the difference between men and women) with a focus on environmental disasters and trauma and the various techniques to heal from trauma, mainly training a cohort in different forms of meditation. If you weren’t able to join us on July 26 to hear about this...
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FREE TRAINING: Charlie Appelstein- No Such Thing As A Bad Kid
FREE TRAINING! March 7, 2018 8:30 AM- 3:00 PM PST North Coast Builders Exchange 1030 Apollo Way, Santa Rosa, CA TO REGISTER: https://t.e2ma.net/click/waunn/05g51o/guq58e Join Prevent Child Abuse Sonoma County (PCASC) and Charlie Appelstein for an informative and motivational training on March 7, 2018! Charlie Appelstein, M.S.W. is an internationally prominent youth care training specialist, author and motivational speaker whose primary focus is on teaching positive, strength-based theories...
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Free Webinar Tomorrow: Trauma-informed Care of Immigrant and Refugee Children
Trauma-informed Care of Immigrant and Refugee Children Wednesday, November 16 Noon – 1:30 pm ET This free webinar hosted by the National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse and co-sponsored by the AAP Immigrant Health Special Interest Group will examine the effects of trauma on immigrant children, discuss mental health screening of immigrant children, review strength- based approaches to build resilience and heal trauma, and offer insight on how to utilize the medical home/care...
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FREE: Whole Child Model workshop; English & Spanish speaking families encouraged to attend!
It's free, plus gift cards for families! Families and providers - sign up now for The Whole Child Model workshop! The workshop is FREE and a light meal will be provided to all. To register , contact Molly Keithly mollyk@lakefrc.org | 707-279-0563 *See attached for details in English & Spanish This workshop is for: Professionals who work with CCS families, Families who have a child in both CCS and Medi-Cal 14 counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Marin, Modoc, Napa,...
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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
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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...
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Futures Without Violence Presents Webinar Next Week: "The News About Childhood Trauma: Findings and Implications"
Please join us for our free webinar titled "The News About Childhood Trauma: Findings and Implications" , which is brought to you by Defending Childhood in partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Futures Without Violence . Date: Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern Standard Time / 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Central Standard Time / 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Mountain Standard Time / 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Pacific Standard Time / 10:00 am - 11:30 am...
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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...
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"Growing Through Adversity" Bulletin by Sonoma County Office of Education
Are you wondering how schools are fostering recovery and resilience after the North Bay Firestorm? Sonoma County Office of Education shares: The firestorm’s toll on Sonoma County schools Sonoma County schools show what they’re made of Fostering post-disaster growth: Teaching after the firestorms Resources for fire recovery Read this compelling Bulletin here: http://scoe.org/files/Fire_Bulletin_Online_Final.pdf
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H.R.6964 - Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 (congress.gov)
Reauthorized and signed into law by President Trump on 12/21/18, some aspects include; * to support a continuum of evidence-based or promising programs (including delinquency prevention, intervention, mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, family services, and services for children exposed to violence) that are trauma informed, reflect the science of adolescent development, and are designed to meet the needs of at-risk youth and youth who come into contact with the...
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Hanna Boys Center Speaker Breakfast - Marc Philpart from PolicyLink (March 9)
Hanna Institute, at the Hanna Boys Center, is excited to announce that Mark Philpart, senior director at PolicyLink , will be the keynote speaker at its second Professional Networking Breakfast on March 9, 2017. Marc will speak about the Boys and Men of Color Framework , which explores the deep evolutions toward equity that are beginning to take place in our communities. There will also be an open forum discussion in how culturally relevant trauma-informed practices can dramatically improve...
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Hanna Boys Center to host renowned UCSF physician, who believes childhood traumas can lead to disease [PressDemocrat.com]
A nationally renowned Bay Area physician, known for his impassioned belief that childhood poverty leads to disease, is bringing that message to the Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma next month as part of an ongoing networking series. Bertram Lubin, associate dean of Children’s Health at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, will speak from 7:30-9 a.m. June 8 alongside Barbie Robinson, Sonoma County’s director of health services and Dayna Long, another physician from UCSF Benioff Children’s...