Tagged With "Child life"
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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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Social Innovation and Resilience: How One Enhances the Other by Frances Westley
“Part of building resilience in complex systems is strengthening cultures of innovation.” “In 1972 Bunker Roy and a small group of colleagues set up the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, India. Their vision was an interesting and catalytic one, joining old and new, traditional and radical. Informed by the teachings and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi—giving the poor and the dispossessed the means to produce their own necessities—the Barefoot College trained the poor to build their own...
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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.
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SOLVITUR AMBULANDO - THIS LATIN PHRASE WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU MANAGE PROBLEMS [Quartzy]
From Quartzy, By Ephrat Livni May 25, 2019 All the conveniences of postmodern life don’t seem to be relaxing us. Pop songs are increasingly about anxiety and depression . “Burnout” has become the buzzword of 2019 . We’ve all got problems and don’t know how to solve them, though there’s surely never been a time in history when more advice, self-help books, mindfulness apps, and wellness gurus were so widely available to so many people. Maybe the proliferation of advice is one of our issues.
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Sonoma County ACEs Activity Timeline
Hello, I just wanted to share with everyone this activity timeline that I put together! This timeline looks at all the action and awareness we have spread around Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resiliency throughout our community over the past few years. Thank you all for the wonderful work you do in our community!
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Sonoma County ACES Connection MARC Proposal
Members have asked to see the proposal as submitted. Here it is for your reference.
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Sonoma County ACES Connection Meeting 1/27/16
Dear Supporters & Friends, We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday January 27, 2016 from 12:30 2:00 in the City View Rooms at 625 5 th Street. Our upcoming agenda and meeting materials are attached, and minutes from December follow here: December 14, 2015 Paper Tigers is a testament to what the latest development science is proving: that one caring adult can help break the cycle of adversity in a young persons life. Sonoma County ACES Connection...
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Sonoma County ACES Connection Meeting 4-26-17
Dear Friends, We look forward to coming together to continue our efforts to raise awareness around Adverse Childhood Experiences & Resiliency. Join our community coalition’s meeting on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 12:30 at 625 5 th Street, Santa Rosa in the City View Rooms. Our agenda and meeting notes from March are attached to keep you up to date about our exciting activities and future plans. Your voice, community insight, and local action is helping us achieve community healing. We...
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2017 Kids Count Data Book [aecf.org]
Wednesday June 14th the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2017 Kids Count Data Book - State Trends in Child Well-Being. This comprehensive report is " a premier source of data on children and families." You can download the report from this post, as well as on the Kids Count website , where you can also access an interactive data map in their Data Center . This is an invaluable amount of data available to the public, relevant to anyone working with children and families - with the...
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3 to 5 FREE Counseling Sessions for Those Affected by the NorCal Fires
The Redwood Empire California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist have come together to offer 3-5 FREE counseling sessions for anyone affected by the NorCal fires. See attached or click here for the list of 97 counselors who have offered their services List of RECAMFT Counselors The attached Disaster Survivor Handout is very helpful too. Click here to learn more about RECAMT and to find additional resources Redwood Empire CAMFT
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A Future With Fewer Suicides: Supervisor Shirlee Zane Hosting Special Screening of THE S WORD, July 11th at Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chambers
Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane will introduce the compelling documentary THE S WORD, which will be screened in the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chambers on Wednesday, July 11, at 6 pm. Director Lisa Klein will appear with her film for a special audience Q & A after the screening. Seating is limited and free tickets are required. Tickets are available online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-s-word-documentary-tickets-46897799581 In this powerful, poignant documentary,...
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A National Agenda to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences
What are ACEs and Why Do They Matter? In 2016 1 , nearly half of U.S. children – 34 million kids – had at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and more than 20 percent experienced two or more. The new brain sciences and science of human development explain how ACEs can have devastating, long-lasting effects on children’s health and wellbeing. These events resonate well beyond the individual child to have far-reaching consequences for families, neighborhoods, and communities. ACEs...
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A place called home: A year after the Tubbs Fire, displaced families can finally look ahead [SF Chronicle]
About this series: One year ago, more than a dozen fires shot to life in the North Bay. One of them, the Tubbs Fire, would become the most destructive wildfire in California history. In the year since, The Chronicle’s Lizzie Johnson has spent hundreds of hours with two couples to report this series, witnessing some of the most intimate, heartbreaking and joyous moments as they rebuilt their lives California was on fire again. Through this past summer, blazes raged across the state. They...
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A Post by Amma Thanasanti on her struggles she faces as a result of the Santa Rosa CA fires
Personal Reflections on the Impacts of the Santa Rosa CA Wildfires Found Here: http://awakeningtruth.org/ blog/grace-amidst-heart-break Grace Amidst Heart Break Thursday, 04 January 2018 Inner landscape These last two months have seen a cascade of change. I write from a pause – a time of calm from my warm room looking out at the treetops. The clouds are low. It is raining today. From this vantage point, I share some of what has been going on. October Fires The first week of October, Northern...
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A Post by Amma Thanasanti on her struggles she faces as a result of the Santa Rosa CA fires
Bob Doppelt shares Amma Thanasanti 's Personal Reflections on the Impacts of the Santa Rosa CA Wildfires originally found Here: http://awakeningtruth.org/ blog/grace-amidst-heart-break Grace Amidst Heart Break Thursday, 04 January 2018 by Amma Thanasanti Inner landscape These last two months have seen a cascade of change. I write from a pause – a time of calm from my warm room looking out at the treetops. The clouds are low. It is raining today. From this vantage point, I share some of what...
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A Wonderful New Movie -- 3 Free Showings in Santa Rosa
Over one million children are being exposed to a toxicity that dooms them to become obese, drug and sex addicts, risk-takers and criminals. This toxin is very real and very damaging. You can’t hold it, see it or smell it, but it can kill just...
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A Year of Ripples and Streams: Sonoma County MARC Update
Holly White-Wolfe, an analyst for the Sonoma County Human Services Department , marvels at the changes that have happened in a short amount of time. A few months ago, she and Karen Clemmer, then Coordinator of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health for the County Department of Health Services , were comparing notes on how their respective agencies were building trauma-informed capacity among employees and trying to embed that knowledge in practice. “A year ago,” Clemmer said at the time, “we...
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ACEs & Resiliency Master Trainer Program - Apply Today
ACEs & Resiliency Fellowship Master Trainer Program Sonoma County ACEs Connection received a grant from the Health Federation of Philadelphia to establish the Master Trainer program. Program This Master Trainer Program is designed to build a group of local experts on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and resilience science. Learn to promote understanding and how to apply the science to improve health and well being across the lifespan. Application Click here for your application (PDF)...
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ACEs, biomarkers and the cost of adversity
How useful and necessary are biomarkers in telling the story of how toxic stress from adverse childhood experiences and resilience can impact a child’s long-term health? In the introduction to an article in the journal BioEssays , Dr. Kathryn Ridout, a Kaiser Permanente San Jose psychiatrist, and her co-authors examine what is known about two biomarkers and quote data on child maltreatment and its economic burden over time that says it all. “When totaling the costs of health care, child...
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ACEs champion pediatricians talk about life and practice in a COVID-19 world
With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers everywhere are changing how they care for their patients. I asked a few members of the ACEs in Pediatrics community what they’re doing differently. Dr. R.J Gillespie, pediatrician at The Children’s Clinic in Portland, OR. Dr. R.J. Gillespie Gillespie says that, as much as possible, they’re switching to virtual visits, which allows them “to comfort and reassure our patients face-to-face as much as possible without risking their...
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ACEs Connection “Map the Movement” now includes an up-to-date section on laws and resolutions
Photo credit: Texasarchitects.org An updated map of laws and resolutions addressing ACEs science and trauma-informed policies is now available in the “Laws and Resolutions” section of Map the Movement (you can also find "Map the Movement" on the navigation bar on the ACEs Connection home page). The earliest law on the map was passed in the state of Washington in 2011, creating an ACEs science public-private partnership. The data base of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is...
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ACEs, Race, and Health Equity: Understanding and addressing the role of race and racism in ACEs exposure and healing
Attend this free event to hear from renowned ACEs and health disparity expert Dr. Flojaune Cofer about the relationship between ACEs, race and health disparities, and the role of resilience. Immediately preceding the talk, you can also view the inspiring movie Resilience. This talk is one in a series presented by Resilient Napa on the issue of community adverse experiences, ACEs and resilience. For more information about future talks, contact info@resilientnapa.org. When: Wednesday, February...
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ACES Science 101 (FAQs)
What are ACEs? ACEs are adverse childhood experiences that harm children's developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later; they cause much of chronic disease, most mental illness, and are at the root of most violence. ...
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ACEs Science Champion Series: Dr. Angela Bymaster: This Faith-Based Physician Integrates ACEs Science with Healing Arts
Dr. Angela Bymaster, a family physician at Washington Elementary School in San Jose, CA, operates her clinic in a portable unit on the school property.
Because the unit faces students as they are dropped off by their families, she gets to “pick up the kids” before they are sent to the clinic, practicing “upstream medicine.”
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After 5-year journey to integrate ACEs science, Santa Rosa, CA, pediatric clinic is trauma-informed, from head to toe
Dr. Meredith Kieschnick was among the first physicians in the U.S. to hear the term, "adverse childhood experiences". That was in 1998, early on in her career as a pediatrician, when the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study) published its initial findings in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine . “I attended a conference at which (Dr. Vincent) Felitti spoke,” she recalls. Felitti, at that time director of the Health Appraisal Center at Kaiser Permanente...
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ACEs Champions Science Series: Allen Nishikawa: ACEs Storyteller Helps People Develop Their Resilience
Sonoma County ACEs Connection members Allen Nishikawa and Lena Hoffman at California Policymaker Education Day, 2018 Allen Nishikawa, a sansei, or third-generation Japanese American, majored in political science and American history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he participated in antiwar (Vietnam) marches. But it was his experience as a military brat — moving from school to school across the U.S. and even to Japan as a child — that shaped his own childhood experiences and...
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Alternatives to Violence Project: experience the gifts!
I've been thinking a lot lately about the full spectrum of trauma and resilience. Certainly our internal dialogue, what we tell ourselves, is near the root of other communication and actions. Can we shed light on this "intrapersonal communication" to help heal trauma and support resilience? How do we access what's in our heads? One way is to ask ourselves deep questions and speak our truths in a safe environment. This is one of the ways Alternatives to Violence Project brings humanity and...
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April 28th Mindful Educators Retreat
In support of the growing needs of our students and our schools, we are happy to announce our next retreat for educators, counselors, and parents... Mindfulness for Busy People: Finding Stillness Think you are too busy for mindfulness? Think again! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER In this nourishing retreat for educators, counselors, parents, and anyone working with youth, we'll explore mindfulness practices that fit into your daily life. Participants will learn how to cultivate an inner-resource of...
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Are We Crazy About Our kids? Documentary Short Film and Panel Discussion
Are We Crazy About Our kids? Documentary Short Film and Panel Discussion by Russian River Cradle to Career Collaborative Thursday, April 27, 2017 6:30pm-8:30pm Rio Theatre 20396 Bohemian Highway Monte Rio, CA 95462 TO RSVP CLICK HERE “Every dollar we put into high-quality early childhood education we get $7 back in reduced teen pregnancy, improved graduation rates, improved performance in school, reduced incarceration rates. The society as a whole does better.” President, Barack Obama...
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Article/audio: How Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to Identify Early Childhood Trauma in Kids Might Make Healthier, Smarter Students
From Capital Public Radio, comes an article and audio on insights to our Governor's plan for California's children: "Nurse Wendie Skala worked with teens who were victims of street violence — and she always felt she was getting to them too late. Eventually, she learned about something called “adverse childhood experiences,” or ACEs : The idea that trauma early in life can cause disruptive and unhealthy behavior. And that’s when Skala says a “huge light bulb” went on. “Instead of saying,...
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As California Moves to Screen Children for Childhood Trauma, Poverty Has To Be Part of the Equation
In California, we are coming full circle in recognizing the connection between poverty and health.
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Assisting Refugees: Lessons on Trauma and Resilience
Making do with what you’ve got There are a lot of stories about refugees in the news. Some years ago, I helped resettle refugees from the Vietnam War. Trauma and resilience define what it means to be a refugee. All of them had lived through years of warfare. They had seen friends and family members killed. They had to flee the familiar towns and villages they had lived in all their lives. They arrived in a new country with hardly any resources, in a land where nobody spoke their language or...
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Berkeley City College group screens Resilience, looks at ACEs through a social justice lens
As far back as she can remember, Berkeley City College Mental Health Specialist Janine Greer understood that there was a connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and health. She had a sense early on that racism figures large in that equation. “Looking around in my community – I’m African American, I noticed that even people who had healthy habits got funky diseases,” she said. “And I’m thinking there must be some sort of health trouble that happens if you’re always stressed.”...
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Beyond Paper Tigers Presenter Showcase! Lincoln High School’s Trauma-Informed Strategies: Jim Sporleder Reflects on Lessons Learned
“We had no clue whatsoever what it would turn out to be” Jim Sporleder, former Principal, remarks as he looks back on Lincoln Alternative High School, the growing movement of CRI’s trauma-informed community initiative, and the production of the documentary Paper Tigers. Jim’s story is an iconic one. In fact, many have inevitably heard of Jim’s work if they have seen the documentary Paper Tigers; it chronicles the profound impact on Lincoln Alternative High School as Jim, the staff, and the...
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Bringing ACEs Passion to the Commission on the Status of Women
Harnessing the wisdom that comes from challenging life experiences is a gift - and, it takes strength. Finding a pathway to healing , through expressive art, writing, and kayaking are just some of the ways that Michelle Denham role models the value of self-care. Michelle brings this wisdom to her role on the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women . CSW Commissioner Michelle Denham As a passionate Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) champion , Michelle brings a trauma informed lens...
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Bringing Baby Home Educator Training
Two thirds of couples experience a decline in relationship satisfaction upon the birth of their first child. This can lead to postpartum depression and reduced involvement by the father in the life of their children. Even the strongest relationships are strained during the transition to parenthood. Lack of sleep, never-ending housework and new fiscal concerns can lead to profound stress. The Bringing Baby Home Educator Training prepares people to independently teach pregnant and parenting...
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Buck Institute in Novato [CA] gets $6 million grant to study negative health effects from menopause (The Press Democrat)
By Guy Kovner, The Press Democrat, October 1, 2019 Wading into an area little known to science, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging on Monday launched a study of the harmful health effects women experience after menopause , paid for with a $6 million gift from Nicole Shanahan, a Bay Area tech entrepreneur and philanthropist. Shanahan is married to Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and among the wealthiest people in the world. Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Novato research group,...
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Building Resilience Grant
https://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?ep=yGCdD8CRbHY3xIKXk_NtCs4FUb3AniOPEXihaJv83LFH6mhv-5acjUuQ2dFLxdZdUIp4INv-ZMN0tuPTQCEGSpqzR0gFmOgvH_d2IXxSjFvv-b5v1SHK2GNT6ddniIjq
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Materials from our Building Resilience on a Solid Foundation: Community of Practice Event
Thank you to all who attended our Building Resilience on a Solid Foundation: Community of Practice. Attached are the materials from our day together. Also, here is the link to Got Your ACE Score? , which has the 10-question ACE survey, an explanation of what it means, and a resilience survey. You can register for our April 25 th Community of Practice event featuring Eddy Zheng at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/o...-tickets-31517247937
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Building trust is now a critical part of health care
In a video clip , a hospital patient turns away in protest as a physician enters the room. “Why do you all keep coming in my room!” she asks in frustration. The physician moves a chair out of the way and sits down at eye level with the patient. “You’ve had to see so many people,” he acknowledges. “And I’m tired of it!” she yells. “I already know I have to get both of my legs cut off. That’s what they keep saying. I don’t have a choice!” “You don’t feel like you have a choice,” he repeats...
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California Child Trauma Advocates Eye Policy Impact
Jeremy Loudenback from the Chronicle of Social Change posted a story about last week's California Policy Convening on Childhood Adversity that the Center for Youth Wellness (CYW) hosted in San Diego. Here's the beginning: Last...
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California Child Welfare Policy and Progress, Winter Issue
The California Child Welfare Co-Investment Partnership Report This issue of in sights provides an overview of the latest legislative developments in California, including data and perspectives on the policy and practice transformation taking place with the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR). Beyond a comprehensive summary of child welfare state legislation, this issue also includes a discussion on the key provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act. The issue concludes with...
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California issues update on state residents' ACE scores from 2011 & 2013 surveys
The latest adverse childhood experiences survey from the California Department of Public Health shows that 42% of the population has an ACE score of 3 or higher; 16% have an ACE score of 4 or higher. Those with an ACE score of 4 or higher are: 3x more likely to be current smokers 4x more likely to have a depressive disorder 2x more likely to have asthma 2x more likely to be obese 4x more likely to have COPD 3x more likely to have a stroke Here are a few other highlights from the six-page...
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Childhood trauma a societal issue, says Hanna speaker [SonomaNews.com]
Ace is a three-letter word usually indicating greatness or excellence. But when those same letters stand as an acronym for “adverse childhood experiences,” it loses that luster – and can lead to mental, physical and...
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Childhood Trauma And Its Lifelong Health Effects More Prevalent Among Minorities [NPR.org]
By Tara Haelle When researchers first discovered a link in the late 1990s between childhood adversity and chronic health problems later in life, the real revelation was how common those experiences were across all socioeconomic groups. But the first major study to focus on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was limited to a single healthcare system in San Diego. A study published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics — the largest nationally representative study to date on ACEs — confirms that these...
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Close to Home: Why we need to expand access to early childhood education [PressDemocrat.com]
Many people don’t know that 90 percent of a child’s brain develops before the age of five. The early childhood years are critical for laying the foundation for the rest of a child’s life. Early interaction with parents, child-care providers and siblings all shape the nature and development of a child’s brain. But knowing something and doing something about it are two very different things. We need to ensure that every child in Sonoma County has access to quality preschool to give them a...
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Community After Disaster, a Therapist’s Musings
Here in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, the entire community experienced prolonged and extensive hyper-arousal – days on end of watching and wondering where the fires would burn next, and far too many sleepless nights. According to the literature on disasters, what follows is a brief honeymoon period, characterized by community cohesion and gratitude. Sonoma County showed up for each other in major ways in the past couple of weeks, and the outpouring of gratitude to the first responders...
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Community Profiles from selected CA ACEs Initiatives and Programs
CA communities and organizations from across the state shared information about their trauma informed and resilience building initiatives at the Child Adversity Policymaker Awareness Day on July 11, 2017 in Sacramento. The event, organized by 4CA ( California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity) , educated state legislators about the impacts of child adversity across the lifecourse and strategies for preventing ACEs, healing trauma and creating resilient communities. A series of twelve...
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Community Voices: Creating a Just, Healthy and Resilient World
Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) is a vibrant learning collaborative of fourteen sites actively engaged in building the movement for a just, healthy and resilient world. Using the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and resiliency as their organizing framework, these communities have built strong cross-sector networks to help heal and prevent early childhood adversity. From October 2016 through May 2017, we were privileged to travel to all fourteen MARC...