Tagged With "Foster Parents Needed"
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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 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...
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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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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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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...
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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...
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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 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 screenings of Resilience, Paper Tigers April 13, 27 in San Rafael, CA
"Volunteers-4-Youth" is pleased to announce the showing of two important films that explore factors that affect the wellbeing of young people. Resilience View Trailer HERE and Paper Tigers View Trailer HERE These films are free of charge and open to all people who work with and are concerned about the future of our youth. To attend, you need to sign up through the Brown Paper Tickets link (see below). Please sign up soon, as seating is limited. Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the...
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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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Got time for a little brainstorming with ACEsConnection?
On Friday, March 20, 2020, you're invited to join me to talk about how we, as a community, can continue to guide and educate ourselves about to deal with the effects of the spread of Covid-19, and how to continue those efforts with people who don't yet know about ACEs science. And, given this last week, how we can provide more support to stay in the front of our brains instead of feeding our amygdala.
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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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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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H. Res. 443 Recognizing the Importance and Effectiveness of Trauma-Informed Care PASSES UNANIMOUSLY!
On Monday, February 26, 2018 the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR443 with unanimous bipartisan support, affirming and advancing trauma-informed care throughout the United States. The Resolution includes: Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the importance, effectiveness, and need for trauma-informed care among existing programs and agencies at the Federal level; and (2) encourages the use and practice of trauma-informed care within the Federal Government, its...
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Healing with Yoga
Did you know that yoga can reduce stress and heal the mind, body, and soul? Let me explain how yoga can prevent, treat, and heal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and toxic stress. In my personal experience as a Sonoma County preschool teacher, I noticed many children, parents, and teachers in our program had very high levels of stress and anxiety. We all live busy lives and tend to focus on the next activity instead of the one at hand. So I decided to try yoga. I started doing yoga with...
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Help for Those Needing Temporary Housing
A major source of stress for many right now is finding housing. This #Sonoma Proud effort connects those in need with those who can give. ATTENTION: FIRE EVACUEES IN NEED OF TEMPORARY HOUSING SHARE Sonoma County is matching fire evacuees seeking housing with compassionate home providers. FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, COUPLES, INDIVIDUALS AND PETS ARE BEING ACCEPTED. PLEASE CALL US IMMEDIATELY AT: (707) 765-8488, EXT 126 OR VIA EMAIL AT amy@sharesonomacounty.org VOLUNTEERS ARE STANDING BY TO...
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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...
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Hidden in Plain Sight & Why Eliminating Health Inequalities Should be a Top Priority
Pete Golis wrote an editorial piece in this weekend's paper highlighting a local research brief of sorts many of us might never hear about, but all of us can benefit from reading. " Hidden in Plain Sight " (scribed by the Sonoma County Community Foundation) paints a picture of the "growing, graying, and diversifying" Sonoma Valley. The report introduction begins with this compelling invitation to consider the assets and challenges: "American philanthropy is in the midst of an historic...
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Homeless population receives help from grant [SonomaStateStar.com]
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has approved a grant allocating $630,000 to three different non-profits to help with the homeless situation. Supervisors signed off on the grant Tuesday, also continuing the safe parking program, which designated sites around Santa Rosa for people to sleep in their cars overnight. According to a 2015 report conducted by Applied Survey Research, Sonoma County has a homeless population over 3,000, with 67 percent living unsheltered. Unsheltered is...
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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...
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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,...
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How does a regional healthcare organization integrate trauma-informed care?
Slowly, but at warp speed. That’s what it feels like to take on educating 16,000 staff member in 21 hospitals that serve 29 counties, says Becky Haas, trauma informed administrator for Ballad Health. Turning around a culture, especially a health culture that’s more familiar with doing things the “traditional” way rather than embracing change, will take time and lots of repetition.
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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...
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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...
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Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults
The article by Felitti et al., looked at the impact of abuse and household dysfunction during childhood in relation to health risk behavior and disease in adulthood. Studies often focus on one type of abuse at a time, but this study looked at more than one type of abuse and this idea of cumulative influences. Adverse childhood experiences can include childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, and household dysfunction. This study took place in in a primary care setting and aimed to...
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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...
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Replacing detention with meditation
Often when a child acts out at school they are sentenced to detention or suspension. The Robert W. Coleman Elementary School decided this was no longer going to be the case. Instead of detention this elementary school created the Mindful Moment Room. This room was created for children to go and talk through what had happened and provides them with the space and time to practice breathing and meditation. Studies have shown that mindful meditation could improve a person’s attention span and...
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Request for Proposal Announcement - Trauma Informed Care Consultant
Valley of the Moon Childrens Home is looking for a consultant to helpstaff transition to a 10-day stay shelter by 2017. Valley of the Moon wants to incorporate the latest research on trauma informed care intotheir program design and staff training. See attached documents for further details or contact: Briana Downey Program Planning & Evaluation Analyst Valley of the Moon Children's Center 112 Children's Circle Santa Rosa, CA 95409 (707) 565-4348 bdowney@schsd.org...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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San Mateo (CA) launches county initiative to tackle ACEs and build resilience
Attendees at the San Mateo event participate in ice-breaking exercise When you’re working with people who've had a lot of childhood and adult adversity, it’s hard for you to believe that anyone else can have a bad day, says Laura van Dernoot Lipsky. “Your neighbor or your best friend says: ‘I’ve had a bad day.’ And you think, ‘Oh, I’m sorry you had a bad day; were you sex trafficked today? No, you were not!'” Laura van Dernoot Lipsky Van Dernoot Lipsky, the author of Trauma Stewardship: An...
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Save the Date: July 11, 4CA Policymaker Education Day in Sacramento
Save the Date: Tuesday, July 11 4CA Policymaker Education Day on Childhood Adversity, Sacramento The California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) invites you to Sacramento for Policymaker Education Day. Our lawmakers need to hear from you about how adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma affect your community and what they can do to help. Join with allies from across California to engage your elected officials on this important issue. Who: 4CA Policymaker Education Day...
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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!
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SCAC Member Request: Please Complete this Short Survey
At our November meeting, we asked members to select a committee and we were also asked to create an official contact list. Please complete this short survey, even if you have already signed up for a committee. We need to verify your contact...
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Section 8 stock fails to meet housing need [SonomaWest.com]
Anyone who’s ever searched for a rental on Craigslist has seen the parenthetical message next to a listing: No Section 8. It’s a barrier to many who can’t afford Sebastopol’s median rent of approximately $2,000. The Section 8 housing voucher choice program assists low-income individuals and families with their rental payments. In Sonoma County, the program is administered by the county’s Community Development Commission (CDC), spearheaded by executive director Margaret Van Vliet. According...
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Self-care leadership
Join the SELF-Leadership Cohort Your inner-state makes all the difference, as a care provider and/or leader. We are in a time of disruptive change that has us challenged and facing higher stress loads. We can turn to the N.E.A.R. Sciences to help us upgrade our practices for navigating change (N.E.A.R. = Neuroscience, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resilience). Are you ready for new strategies and self-care practices? Join the six-week SELF-Leadership Cohort . The cohort launches June 9 th with...
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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
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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! ...
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Simple Resilience Tips
(This is a written version of a presentation I gave at our January Meeting.) For the past year, Sonoma County ACEs Connection worked to make more people aware of Adverse Childhood Experiences. But especially after the big fires, it feels important to also talk about resilience. I want to start a discussion about simple resilience techniques that anyone could apply in their work, social and/or personal life. This is not new information, because the best resilience methods have been used by...
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Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Training in Santa Rosa on July 27-28.
Dear Colleagues, We would like to invite you to join us for a Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Training that we are hosting in Santa Rosa on July 27-28. The attached flyer includes a more detailed description of the content and link for registration. It isn’t often that we have the chance to attend training on evidenced-based practices to care for clients affected by natural disasters. Caring for wildfire survivors is clinically different in its approach – yet very few local...
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So. Co. Behavioral Health and Health Services in the county jail [Community Voice]
The Sonoma County Civil Grand jury recently released two reports related to their review of the County’s Behavioral Health Division (BHD) 2018-2019 budget and an inspection of the Jail’s Main Adult Detention Facility ( MADF ) health care resources and services. The jury commended the Sheriff’s Office for doing a job “it was not designed to do and doing so competently.” This includes providing inmates with opportunities for adult education and implementing a Jail-Based Competency Restoration...
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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.