Tagged With "Foster Parents Needed"
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Notes and materials from our first meeting of 2015
We had a good meeting last Wednesday. Allen Nishikawa greeted us with a mindfulness practice that helped us relax and be present. ACEs Connection staff Alicia and Jesus joined us and it was a pleasure to meet them in person! Karen Clemmer once...
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Notes from 2/25/2015 meeting
We had a good turnout at our last meeting. Lisa Manthe, the clinical director of New Directions School (a program of Child Parent Institute) presented on trauma-informed education and the work of New Directions. New Directions is a non-public...
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Notes from 2-26-2020 SCAC meeting
All were welcomed and each person introduced themselves, highlighting what inspires them to integrate ACEs science into their personal and or professional lives. New members were welcomed! Elizabeth Smith, Founder/ CEO of Project Whole Child introduced herself, and shared that in addition to this role she is a west county school board member , a board member of PeaceTown , and president of the Sebastopol Soroptimist Club ! Whew! When the group’s conversation moved towards identifying a space...
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Notes from 4/22/2015 meeting
Seventeen Sonoma County ACEs Connection members attended our monthly, in-person meeting on April 22. Once again, Allen Nishikawa greeted us with a warm, steamy hand towel so that we could truly “arrive” and be mindful. We agreed that, for...
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Notes from May 27, 2015 meeting
May 27, 2015 Never before in the history of medicine have we had better insight into the factors that determine the health of an individual from infancy to adulthood, which is part of the life course perspective—a way of looking at life not as...
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Notes from our 1-23-19 meeting - Check these out!
ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting NOTES! Date: January 23, 2019 About this community: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. Embedded GREEN text= hyper link just click for more information New Year - New Focus! With start of new year, Sonoma County ACEs Connection will re-start fresh with a community focus, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Welcome & Gather - thanks to Nancy for bringing (lots of!)...
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Notes from our 3.27.19 meeting
ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting Notes March 27, 2019 from 3:30 to 5:00 Location: Child Parent Institute About this community: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. New Year - New Focus! Sonoma County ACEs Connection is starting fresh in 2019 with an emphasis on community, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Welcome & Gather Mindful moment - volunteer to lead? Welcomed several new folks, representing...
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Notes from our 9/23/15 meeting
Twenty of us attended the meeting. We were warmly greeted by Allen Nishikawa with a warms towel ceremony that allowed us to truly arrive and be present. The topics we discussed were the Paper Tigers viewings, Dr. Anda’s presentation at Hanna...
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Nothing About Them Would Stand Out in a Crowd
photo credit: chuttersnap/unsplash.com By Alice M. Kenny (pseudonym) (The article below is an excerpt from my new book, Crazy Was All I Ever Knew: The Impact of Maternal Mental Illness on Kids . I have used a pseudonym to protect the privacy of family members.) The emotions adult children of parents with mental illness experience are a mixed bag. Sometimes a jumble. Guilt, loss, grief, and resentment are among the emotions that persist or bubble to the surface in adulthood. Some feel...
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November 1 Clinician's Training on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: Trauma Informed Intervention Offering
This year's ACEs and Resiliency Fellowship program seeks to engage local therapists and counselors in expanding their trauma informed intervention skill set. Join us for our first training on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, a trauma intervention modality appropriate for individuals in middle school or older. November 1, 2017, 1:00 - 3:00 at Sonoma County Office of Education This training covers the fundamentals of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills: Core Mindfulness, Distress...
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November 18, 2015 Meeting Notes
Fifteen members attended. Attendance was anticipated to be lower, because many members had prior commitments. Allen Nishikawa opened the meeting and introduced Elisabeth Chicoine, Manager of the Public Health Family Health Section. She announced that...
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Oakland, CA, trying out model used in Baltimore to reduce trauma, increase resilience
Oakland BSC activity: Photo/ Courtesy of Trauma Transformed/East Bay Agency for Children When a group of community organizations in Baltimore came together in 2015, they already knew trauma figured large in many lives. There was violence in the community, in schools, and in community members’ homes. Police brutality occurred. Many suffered the loss of loved ones to incarceration or death. There were house fires and homelessness. Much of the dysfunction was systemic and rooted in racism,...
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Oakmont residents greet homeless neighbors at Los Guilicos shelter (Press Democrat)
By Austin Murphy, February 4, 2020, Press Democrat Thanks but no thanks, said the sign on the donation box at Star of the Valley Roman Catholic Church in Oakmont. While the church was grateful for the two pickup truckloads of donations its parishioners had already given to their new neighbors at the Los Guilicos juvenile justice campus, enough was enough. At the present time, Peter Hardy wrote on the sign posted Monday morning, the homeless people who had just moved into 60 prefabricated...
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OCAP needs you! Apply now to become a member of their 2019 Citizen Review Panels
Make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in California. Use your voice to change the child welfare system in California! Convened by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP), they are seeking citizen (YOUR) input at their quarterly meetings. Now is your chance to make recommendations to the State! Apply now t o become a member of the California Child-welfare Citizen Review Panels (CRPs). Meetings are held 4 times a year. Participation can be by phone, computer, or in-person.
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October Meeting Cancelled - Meet Again on November 29
Dear Friends, Let’s join hands during this difficult time, and offer each other strength as we strive to process these events. We all need help to cope and to begin to recover. We’ll strive to post resources on Sonoma County ACEs Connection that will help us: Find housing, income, food, and other resources Find the words to talk to our children about how to cope Find ideas for how to calm our minds and bodies Our Steering Committee plans meeting next week to come up with other concrete...
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Oreos, Apples, Coconuts and Bananas: The Precarious Position of Interpreters. Basic ACES Training for Providers, Part Three
If you work with clients in health or human services, you will at some point work with an interpreter. Have you thought about the awkward position they occupy? Language is only part of the problem. They must be “white” enough to understand and navigate the bureaucratic culture, while being black/brown/yellow/red enough to understand the client’s worldview and concerns and to be able to gain the trust of the communities they serve. When I worked with refugees, I often served...
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Paper Tigers Viewing with Filmmaker James Redford
Child Parent Institute (CPI) is hosting a free viewing of the film, Paper Tigers on Thursday, November 12. This free event includes refreshments and Q&A with the Filmmaker, James Redford. RSVP by Friday, November 6. Paper Tigers at Sally Tomoatoes 1100 Valley House Drive Rohnert Park 4:30 Refreshments and Hors d'Oeuvres 5:30 Screening 7:15 Q&A with Director James Redford Please RSVP to anneb@calparents.org by November 6th .
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Parent Voices Sonoma: Tell Your Story: How to Give a Public Testimony
Our next workshop will be on March 5th 5:30PM at Cook Middle School - Rm. 44, Santa Rosa. We welcome anyone interested to join us regardless of your experience, passion and you do not need to be a parent, but a child advocate!! ¡Reserva la fecha! Nuestro próximo taller será en marzo 5 en la escuela Cook Middle - salón 44 en Santa Rosa. Damos la bienvenida a cualquier persona interesada en unirse a nosotros, independientemente de su experiencia, pasión y usted no necesita ser un padre, ¡sino...
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PARENTING GUIDES: Please share to support parents
During this challenging time, parents need more resources than ever. Please let parents know about the following guides from the Yolo County Children's Alliance and the Yolo Child Abuse Prevention Council. All guides are available at www.yolokids.org/forfamilies , and I have attached a summary of the guides if you would prefer to share that. Please note that we will be releasing our positive discipline guide on 4/1/20 ( Handling Your Child's Challenging Behaviors at Every Age ). The guides...
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Peer Voices Now! Spring 2018 Newsletter
Kalia Mussetter of Living Bridges " Bringing people together for transformative community service," invites you to read the attached Peer Voices Now! newsletter. Kalia writes: "Please enjoy this beautiful newsletter. It is rich with fine, heartfelt writing by many local mental health Peer Providers; talented individuals who serve our mental health stakeholder community every day. There is a focus on experience of both loss and healing from the recent fires, as well as moving accounts of peer...
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Petaluma Group Inspired to Prevent, Heal, Treat ACES
A local Petaluma group kicked off 2016 by inviting Karen Clemmer, PHN, and Brian Farragher, Executive Director of Hannah Boys Center to speak about preventing, healing, and treating Adverse Childhood Experiences. Erin Hawkins, Community Outreach Program Manager of the Petaluma Health Care District, encouraged members of the Community Health Initiative for Petaluma Area (affectionately known as "CHIPA" to many members) to ponder the impact of ACES on the health of Petaluma...
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Petaluma Health Care District trains local care providers on trauma response [North Bay Business Journal]
The Petaluma Health Care District (PHCD) is playing a critical role in helping those impacted by the fires self-heal by serving as a catalyst for collective community action. “The fires caused anxiety and stress throughout the region, elevating the need for education and access to trauma-informed care,” said Ramona Faith, CEO. “To respond to this need, PHCD offered special trauma-focused training sessions for health providers and those in other disciplines.” A renowned bicultural and...
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Petaluma Health Center leads effort to link women to services
Sonoma County was one of six sites selected nationally to participate in a CityMatCH practice collaborative to prevent substance exposed pregnancies. In 2012 Rebecca Munger CNM, PHN the Sonoma County Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health Coordinator lead a broad coalition of reproductive health champions who worked across sectors and settings to develop a trio of strategies to reduce substance exposed pregnancies. The first strategy developed with CDC and WHO technical support was a bundled...
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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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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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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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Program offers hundreds of young men, boys safe space to heal from ACEs
Dennis McCollins recounts some of the experiences that caused him to harden against the world as a teenager. “There were times I went to more funerals than birthdays,” says McCollins, who is the clinical director of the School Based Health Center at Greenwood Academy in Richmond, Calif. And it took its toll: “I spent time homeless. I got expelled [from school]. I was so angry and upset and mad,” he says. Dennis McCollins Then a man that he met when he was sent to Job Corps as a teen turned...
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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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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...
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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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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.
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Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development
Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child shared a provocative report: Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development . "New scientific research shows that environmental influences can actually affect whether and how genes are expressed. Thus, the old ideas that genes are “set in stone” or that they alone determine development have been disproven. In fact, scientists have discovered that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off...
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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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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...
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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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Erin Lund Shares in "Close to Home" the Need to Offer a Hand to Moms Struggling with Opioid Addiction
"At Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, we care for many patients who struggle with addiction; some are women who become pregnant. Our primary goal is to treat them with compassion and respect. It is helpful to view addiction as a chronic disease, similar to diabetes, rather than a moral problem. For many struggling with addiction, especially women, childhood trauma, domestic violence and mental health issues co-exist with substance use. It is hard to treat the addiction without...
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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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Factors Associated with Whether Pediatricians Inquire About Parent's ACEs
Families trust and look to their pediatricians for guidance about parenting and help with managing behavioral, mental health and developmental problems. Pediatricians have since realized that how parents raise their children is heavily rooted in the parent’s own childhood experiences. As you may know cumulative adverse childhood experiences, especially in the first three years of life, have a profound negative effect on a child’s physical health, brain development and mental health. This...
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Families Affected by Parental Substance Use in Pediatrics Journal July 2016
Karen Clemmer shared this article noting it is very relevant to Maternal Child Adolescent Health-focused work, including preventing perinatal substance use, supporting the perinatal mental health system of care, and raising awareness about ACES. The article also highlights how field nursing can be a protective factor for children impacted by these issues. Pediatrics July 2016 From the American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report Families Affected by Parental Substance Use Vincent C. Smith...
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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...
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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...