Tagged With "Choose Love"
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Do You Have a Story to Tell? Speak at the 2018 Fall Trauma-Informed School Conference
Beyond Consequences is excited to announce that our Call for Proposals for the 2018 Fall Trauma-Informed School Conference has been extended. If you have a great story to share about your experience in working with students who’ve had adverse childhood experiences, we would love to hear from you! Here are some examples of sessions that fit in at our nationally recognized conference: Administrative/School-Wide Track • Mindfulness Instead of Suspension • Special Education Law & Advocacy •...
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Dr. Bruce Perry - Advanced Concepts in Child Trauma & Trauma-Informed Treatment: The Power of Human Connections in Helping Children Heal
Advanced Concepts in Child Trauma & Trauma-Informed Treatment: The Power of Human Connections in Helping Children Heal An inter-disciplinary training for those who work with or are concerned about children $110 (Lunch included) DR. PERRY'S TALK WILL START AT 9A & END AT 3:45P (Lunch provided 12n-12:45p) Parking at the Napa District Auditorium is very limited. Please carpool if possible. (NOTE TO ALUMNI OF THE NAPA IPMH FELLOWSHIP: Please contact Dr. Kristie Brandt directly to...
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Dr. Maria Hess and Ceclia Perez Present ACES at Cook Middle School March 30 5:16 PM
Adverse Childhood Experience Study Understanding the consequences of trauma from early life. * Are you frequently angry or upset? * Do you or someone you love struggle with addictions? * Are you or your child distressed, anxious or depressed? A sensitive and educational lecture in Spanish & English. Via Esperanza Family Resource Center at Cook Middle School Wednesday, March 30, 5:15 – 6:30pm Presenters: Dr. Maria Hess and Cecilia Perez MFT Childcare and snacks provided
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During COVID-19, how does a trauma-informed school pivot to distance learning?
All photos courtesy of Antioch Middle School staff Antioch Middle School seventh-grader Alyssia Garcia was accustomed to scanning the cafeteria during lunch for kids who might need her assistance. “I’d look for kids who looked sad, kids who were sitting alone, kids who looked angry,” says Garcia, a peer advocate at her school. Alyssia Garcia When she’d spot students sitting alone or looking sad, she’d approach them and ease into conversation. “If it’s a sad person, I’ll try to cheer them up...
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Taking Care of Yourself After a Traumatic Event
Dear Friends, Our entire community is in the middle of an event that is causing great stress and duress. We all are experiencing great need for self-care. We are all striving to offer kindness to others. If you need help understanding why you or someone you love is feeling emotional, hyper alert, irritable, restless, moody, teary, sad, helpless, numb or detached, please read the attached document put out by the Petaluma Health Center in both English and Spanish.
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The Developing Brain & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Thanks to an explosion in scientific research now possible with imaging technologies, such as fMRI and SPECT, experts can actually see how the brain develops. This helps explain why exposure to adverse childhood experiences can so deeply influence and change a child's brain and thus their physical and emotional health and quality of life across their lifetime. The above time-lapse study was conducted over 10 years. The darker colors represent brain maturity (brain development). I have added...
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The Power of Photovoice
Today I was able to sit down with Salvador Sanchez Strawbridge, who is apart of the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership. Sal shared with me how his life experiences lead him to where he is today and how he is giving back to his community. Sal did not have an easy childhood and was affiliated with a gang at a young age. I personally do not know a lot about the dynamics of a gang and he was able to provide me with a little more insight. He shared that being apart of a gang filled a void...
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Thoughts About Next Steps for Sonoma County ACES Connection
At our September meeting, we talked about creating an organizational structure for Sonoma County ACES Connection. I have attended plenty of community meetings (perhaps too many) where the deliberations about Vice-Chairs and Secretary-Treasurers...
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Trauma education and mindfulness help youth living amid gun violence
Armon Hurst, 2nd from left, first row, Teens on Target, courtesy of YouthAlive! Eighteen-year-old Armon Hurst serves as vice president of the student body at Castlemont High School in Oakland, Calif. He has a 4.0 grade point average, is an avid baseball player, and is slated to go to college next year. But until a few years ago, Hurst would find himself waking from nightmares in the middle of the night. It was difficult to concentrate at school, and he wasn’t eating well. Armon Hurst “There...
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Trauma Informed Pocket Card Inspires Praise from Community Member
Do you read the Press Democrat or the North Bay Business Journal? If yes, you may have seen Prevent Child Abuse Sonoma County's special newspaper insert. This colorful and helpful resource guide offered stories, tips, resources and tools for helping to strengthen families and reduce child abuse. Page 7 featured an article about "Trauma Informed Care" and included a pocket card folks could use as a tool for letting doctors, dentists, and other care providers they might need some extra care to...
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Trinka and Sam: The Big Fire, Chandra Gosh Ippen's Latest Book for Children
Earlier this month, Chandra Gosh Ippen came to Sonoma County to present the Ripple Effect training on complex trauma. She shared many wonderful concepts and resources with us including her book "Once I Was Scared." Just two short weeks later, fires ravaged our community, and Dr. Gosh Ippen felt inspired to scribe another story to. This story serves as a tool for parents to talk about the fires with their children. (Parents, be sure to read this on your own to preview the content and make...
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We Need a Healing Movement
What if you had developed a cure for the most painful and costly public health problem in America, you had proven that it worked, and you were offering it for free, but could not reach those who need it most because no one wants to talk about the problem? Tragically, this is my reality and the truth about human nature. It is easier to suffer in silence than acknowledge the painful things that happen to us. Over 20 years ago, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser...
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What Does an ACE Score Really Mean? Basic ACES Training for Providers, Part Two
Note: I was asked to repost this blog on the Sonoma County site, so if you have already read this, there is no new content. My ancestry is 100% Japanese, but I probably could pass as Native American. I’m straight, but having worked some 20 years in HIV services, there were many times people assumed I was gay. My ACE score is zero, but I could pretend it was five or six. How would you know what is true? How will all our newly recruited “trauma informed’...
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"What Happened To You? A Journey From Childhood Adversity to Resiliency" Explained by a Compelling Pamphlet
I found a manila envelope on my desk this morning. Inside was a heartfelt letter wrapped around a small stack of pamphlets. I can't remember the last time I held a paper resource guide in my hand, and there is something quite satisfying in this small, tangible resource. As I thumb through the pages, I feel myself drawn into a simple, relate-able story. I'm eager to keep turning pages and to discover how those of us with similar stories can find resources and support. "The pamphlet is...
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What Wildfires Do to Our Minds
A Northern California community offers mental health first-aid to survivors of devastating fires. Yes Magazine-- posted Aug 07, 2018 https://www.yesmagazine.org/ issues/mental-health/what- wildfires-do-to-our-minds- 20180807/ It’s late spring, and I’m hiking Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Sonoma County with therapist, ecopsychologist, and California naturalist Mary Good. A mist is drifting down, and we have the park mostly to ourselves. In October 2017, 80 percent of Sugarloaf’s 3,900 acres...
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Sonoma County ACEs Connection Meeting March 21, 2018
The Sonoma County ACEs Connection continues to have discussions and brainstorming sessions at both the Steering Committee and General Meetings. On March 21, 2018, the larger group broke out into three work groups: (1) What should we name the Sonoma County ACEs Connection? (2) Should our meetings have designated roles such as a host or safety monitor? What roles do you suggest? What might that look like? (3) What should our meeting structure look like? Presentations or experiences? Should we...
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Sonoma County ACEs Connection Meeting Minutes June 2017
Attached are meeting minutes from the Sonoma County ACEs Connection General Assembly.
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Sonoma County ACES Connection Meeting Notes from 7-26-17
07-26-17 Dear Sonoma County ACEs Connection Friends, Thank you to all that participated in today’s ACES meeting. Grace Harris reported out on the Ripple Effect Training that she attended. She shared how Chandra Gosh Ipen discussed core trauma concepts to help us work across disciplines and how we need to look at trauma through an integrated lens that values many perspectives: History, Systems, Strategies, Culture, Development, Pathology. We are hoping to have Chandra Gosh Ipen share her...
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Sonoma County Resiliency Collaborative A Practical Approach to Post-Wildlife Resilience and Wellbeing
The traumatic events of the North Bay wildfires affect our emotional and physical health, social functioning, and overall well-being, both as individuals and as a community. Unresolved, they can damage our health and limit our potential to rebuild a strong community. Join diverse Sonoma County leaders and representatives to participate in dynamic workshop where you will practice tools for effectively addressing personal and team stress after the fires, network with peers, and learn about an...
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Sonoma County to explore divestment from firms tied to migrant detention centers [Press Democrat]
Residents hold up "Divest" signs Tuesday before the public comment portion of a Board of Sonoma County Supervisors meeting. Residents urged supervisors to divest from U.S.-Mexico border detention facility-connected companies. (Tyler Silvy/The Press Democrat)
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SonomaCountyRecovers: Official recovery information for Sonoma County fires
When we experience a disaster, people react with increased anxiety, worry and anger. With community and family support, most of us bounce back. Some of us, however, may need extra assistance to cope with unfolding events and uncertainties. Everyone, even the people that others look up to for guidance and assistance, is entitled to their feelings and deserves support throughout the recovery process. If you or someone in your care needs additional assistance recovering emotionally from the...
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SPOTLIGHT ON: How to be Trauma Informed (repost from Echo Parenting)
Okay, we’ve got it: Not “what’s wrong with you?” but “What happened to you?” That explosive outburst? The child who cannot concentrate at school? The domestic violence survivor who is in a constant state of hyper-vigilance? Yes, most of us in family services are now able to recognize trauma-symptoms and respond with empathy… most of the time. But what does it mean to be truly trauma-informed? For a start, it means that we have patience with others and ourselves as we seek to acquire the...
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Stop Dreaming & Start Doing
With graduation season upon us, I have been thinking a lot about one of my favorite graduation speeches. It’s the speech that Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy, gave in 2014 at Dartmouth College. She references the typical expected advice from a graduation speech: “Follow your dreams. Listen to your spirit. Change the world. Make your mark. Find your inner voice and make it sing. Embrace failure. Dream. Dream and dream big..." And then she says, “I think that’s crap.”
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Supporting Your Child Through the Wildfire Disaster: 6 Tips From a Child Psychologist
Wellness Blog by Kirsten Kuzirian Supporting Your Child Through the Wildfire Disaster: 6 Tips From a Child Psychologist October 10, 2017 / Kirsten Kuzirian In the last 48 hours, our California communities have been thrown into survival mode as they race to protect the people, animals, and structures they cherish. As families leave their homes for safe shelter or stay monitoring media updates with bags packed, parents are wondering how this will impact their children. Napa and Folsom Child...
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Syrian Children in a state of Toxic Stress
An article posted by BBC News captures what the children of Syria are experiencing and how many of these children don't know anything but war. This is a huge public health concern that could lead to irreversible damage to an entire generation of children. Save the Children shares, "Millions of Syrian Children could be living in a state of "Toxic Stress" due to prolonged exposure to the horrors of war." I have attached the Report, Invisible Wounds produced by Save the Children if you're...
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Wildfire Mental Health Services Collaborative Invites You to RSVP to August 2, 2018 Meeting
Dear Colleagues, Summer is flying by and we want to honor our commitment made to you at the May wildfire mental health services mapping session by reconvening our group for an update on August 2 from 9:00 to 11:00 am. The location for our meeting is Medtronic, 3850 Brickway Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA, 95403. There are no special parking instructions. Enter through the main entrance and check with the receptionist. There will be signs to direct you to our meeting room. Because this is a secure...
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Will You Marry Us?
An open letter to Sonoma County ACES Connections members We have some exciting news! We were just selected to receive $100,000 to expand our ACES work! It is thrilling, scary and inspiring all at once. This changes many things. We now have...
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Youth court banishes blame; leads with ACEs science
YMCA Marin County Youth Court in San Rafael, California In her opening statement, 17-year-old youth advocate Eva advises jurors how to proceed and summarizes her “client’s” good qualities. “As you will see, Julian is genuine, well-spoken and friendly. I recommend asking him about his friends and family, his future plans and his activities outside of school.” (First names only of all minors are used to protect their privacy.) Welcome to the YMCA Marin County (CA) Youth Court, one of 1,400...
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Re: Thoughts About Next Steps for Sonoma County ACES Connection
Love this! Thank you for continuing to push the needle Sonoma County ACEs Connection! May we (ACEs Connection coordinators) share this with other communities as a source of inspiration and guidance?
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Re: Sonoma County ACES Connection Meeting 3-23-16
Love the agenda format - looks like an exciting meeting!
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Re: Oreos, Apples, Coconuts and Bananas: The Precarious Position of Interpreters. Basic ACES Training for Providers, Part Three
Wow! Allen, your recent blog posts are so compelling. I am engrossed in your stories and learning so much through your shared experience. Keep them coming! Also, if you have any ideas for how to bridge cultural gaps in communication, I'd love to hear those as well.
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Re: Oreos, Apples, Coconuts and Bananas: The Precarious Position of Interpreters. Basic ACES Training for Providers, Part Three
Thanks Holly (and all the other persons who have commented on my posts): I enjoy reading all the scholarly articles and news stories about ACEs, but I also like reading personal stories. To me, ACES is about listening to a person's narrative and understanding that each person deals with their experiences in a special way. It is never a case of "You experienced X, so you must be Y as a result." (By the way, I 'm not suggesting that the incidents I described in my posts are, or should be...
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Re: Lumpers and Splitters: Who Doesn’t Believe in ACES?
Now I want to go home and write my narrative! I'd love to have something I could share with the nay sayers in my life to inspire them to soften their view or open their minds to the emerging concept of ACES. Thank you again for sharing, Allen!
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Re: Notes from May 27, 2015 meeting
Where are the presentations you can use for "medical purposes?" I would like to look over them!!! Thanks a bunch!!! Tina (From Michigan but I love Northern California and Hawaii).
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Re: Art as an expressive outlet
I love the way Isabel Lopez and the Raizes Collective use art as a healing modality locally.
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Re: Gabby Falzone translates the study of trauma [OaklandNorth.net]
This story is so profoundly inspirational! I love the way this person helped others all along the way - even raising other foster kids.
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Re: WALLA WALLA Data Collection
Hi Nick, I think you may be looking for the report the was produced following the interventions that were highlighted in the Paper Tiger film? Please see the attached document and see if it is what you were looking for. Thanks, Karen
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Re: Those transitioning into the community from SDC..
I would love to meet up and hear more about your work and how you think it is going to impact the Sonoma Valley and greater county. Nick Dalton Assistant Director of Hanna Boys Center ndalton@hannacenter.org
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Re: My hopes for a trauma-informed California
Thank you so much for enthusiastically sharing your experience at this pivotal event! I am intrigued by the "R&R" term and would love to know what it means... Can you share?
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Re: Stress-related hormone cortisol lowers significantly after just 45 minutes of art creation
I love your "floating hopes"! You're a gifted story teller - my first "thought safari"! I hope you share more... and maybe even additional examples of creativity and healing. Thank you so much! Karen