Tagged With "Collective Impact"
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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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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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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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Public Health Policy Nerds, Unite!
Public Health Policy might seem kind of boring to most people, but I love it! Yesterday was especially exciting! I was at the California Endowment in Sacramento with an incredible group of public health nerds who did their best to...
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Register now: Free ACEs Connection Webinar on the Human Impact of Climate Change
A year after 85 people died in the wildfire that swept through Paradise, CA, and nearby towns, one of the town’s survivors will talk about how she and others are using resilience practices in their recovery from the trauma. On Wednesday, Nov. 13, Paradise resident Kelly Doty will have a conversation with Elaine Miller-Karas, who developed the Community Resiliency Model (CRM). Doty, who lost her home in the fire, and Miller-Karas will discuss resilience education skills designed to help...
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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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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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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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‘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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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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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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Free evaluation tools measure community development's impact on health
Developed by NeighborWorks America's Success Measures program, a suite of 65 user-friendly measurement tools is now available to help organizations evaluate and document how their work improves the health of people and communities. You can download the tools at no cost, thanks to funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Kresge Foundation. Attend a free webinar to learn how to benefit from the tools and hear how organizations are using them today. Download the measurement tools
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FREE full-day perinatal substance use conference with Dr. Ira Chasnoff in Napa on September 11.
The Queen of the Valley and the Perinatal Substance Abuse Committee bring you the special opportunity to participate in a full-day conference with Dr. Ira J. Chasnoff. Join in a full-day conference about how substance use during pregnancy can affect both the mother and child. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Upon completing this program, the participants will be able to: Count participation for CEUs or CMEs, if applicable Discuss the epidemiology of substance use in pregnancy Describe the psychosocial...
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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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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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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 principal addresses the ‘devastating consequences’ of childhood trauma [SonomaNews.com]
Hanna Boys Center Executive Director Brian Farragher wrote this for the Sonoma Index-Tribune: Since I arrived at Hanna in June of 2014, we have been focused a great deal on the impact of trauma and adversity on the boys and families we serve. Over the course of the last 20 years, research has been conducted on the negative impact “childhood trauma and adversity” has on the developing brain, how these early experiences disrupt neurodevelopment and set children on a...
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Health Action to Discuss Addressing Trauma After a Disaster on Friday 12/1/17
Health Action staff writes: "Last month brought an unprecedented catastrophe to Sonoma County and to our neighboring Northern California counties. We want to express our condolences to those of you personally affected by this disaster. We know that many of you and your staff have been directly impacted by the fires, yet you continue to provide relief and services even in the face of your own personal losses. Thank you for all of the work that you and your organizations have done and will...
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helping inmates with children transition back into society
October 28, 2015 UW team to lead research efforts on initiative for incarcerated parents Deborah Bach The University of Washington will play a key role in a new initiative aimed at helping inmates with children transition back into...
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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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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 have the recent fires impact you?
Kate Jenkins is sharing her feelings about the recent fires and is wondering how others are doing. Please feel free to post a comment . It will be sometime before we have another face-to-face meeting and this might be a good way for us to stay connected. I've lived in this county for 47 years. This is longer than I've lived anywhere else. I consider this home. Each glimpse of the devastation hurts my soul.
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How Mindfulness and Storytelling Help Kids Heal and Learn by Juli Fraga
Here is a wonderful article by Juli Fraga that shares how REACH Academy in Oakland, California turned to mindfulness and storytelling to help kids heal from trauma. Research has shown that traumatic experiences can affect brain development and impact a child’s ability to relax and concentrate. Therefore affecting their ability to learn. REACH Academy noticed that their students needed tools to help regulate emotion. It took time for the students to adopt this new life skill, but once they...
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How Mindfulness and Storytelling Help Kids Heal and Learn
Here is a wonderful article that I read by Juli Fraga that shares how REACH Academy in Oakland, California turned to mindfulness and storytelling to help kids heal from trauma. Research has shown that traumatic experiences can affect brain development and impact a child’s ability to relax and concentrate. Therefore affecting their ability to learn. REACH Academy noticed that their students needed tools to help regulate emotion. It took time for the students to adopt this new life skill, but...
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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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Rising from the Ashes: How Trauma-Informed Care Nurtures Healing in Rural America [The Rural Monitor]
By Jenn Lukens April 17, 2019 It was late July 2018 when the Mendocino Complex wildfire broke out in rural Lake County, California. It burned more than 450,000 acres and destroyed 280 structures before it was contained. Ana Santana managed to fill some storage bins with sentimental items – her kids’ blankets, pictures, and art projects – before fleeing her home. Santana is the facilitator of the Lake County Children’s Council and Program Director for Healthy Start Youth and Family Services ,...
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Road Map to Trauma Informed Care [Trauma Informed Oregon]
Programs, organizations, and systems that make a commitment to implementation will differ in many ways–from the service context, to the motivation for change, to hoped-for outcomes, and resources available. Nonetheless, in a developmental way, implementation moves through a number of common steps that we’ve tried to reflect in the Road Map below. The Trauma Informed Care Screening Tool (found below the Road Map) builds on the Road Map by delving into each phase and offering a series of...
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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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Santa Rosa forum discusses emotional, psychological impact of fires (pressdemocrat.com)
More than five months after the North Bay wildfires, those most affected by the disaster continue to struggle with stress, anxiety and depression with many overburdened by the task of rebuilding their homes and dealing with the devastating loss of community. The ongoing emotional and psychological plight of local residents who lost friends, loved ones, pets, homes and businesses was at the heart of a mental health forum held at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa Thursday night. Dubbed the...
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Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma
This new technical assistance tool from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) offers a variety of approaches for screening adults and children for adverse childhood experiences and trauma, including examples of screening protocols used at several provider practices that have embraced trauma-informed care.
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Self Care Webinar on 11/16/16 Hosted by Futures Without Violence
Compassion Fatigue & Self-Care for Individuals and Organizations Brought to you by Futures Without Violence’s Supporting Organizational Sustainability Institute (SOS Institute) in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women. Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 Time : 9:30 a.m. PT, 10:30 a.m. MT, 11:30 p.m. CT, 12:30 p.m. ET (1 Hr. 30 Min.) ***Closed caption will be provided. Registration Link:...
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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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Soco Rises Updates 7.16.18
SOCO RISES UPDATES... Summit Video is now available! If you happened to miss the excellent speakers and discussion that occurred at our Summit on Equity, Recovery, & Resilience, or would like to refer back to some of the advice and experience shared by our guests, a full recording is now available on the Summit website. Choose from one speaker's presentation, the question & answer panel, or the entire summit. You can also view the results from the audience participation activities...
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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...
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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.