Tagged With "early childhood wellness"
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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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Program promotes the importance of positive parenting [UkiahDailyJournal.com]
There was a sense of urgency at the workshop given by Dr. Matt Sanders at the Ukiah Conference Center on March 12. The workshop focused on “Triple P,” the Positive Parenting Program pioneered by Sanders and his fellow researchers at...
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Prop. 64 Stakeholder Group: Prioritize Trauma-Informed Approach to Youth Substance Use Education, Prevention and Treatment
In November 2016, California voters legalized adult use and sales of cannabis, and authorized state excise taxes that are estimated to generate up to $1 billion in revenue for regulation, research, public safety, prevention and treatment. A group of stakeholders representing youth-serving organizations and agencies across the state has issued recommendations for use of the tax revenue allocated to youth substance use education, prevention and treatment that emphasize a trauma-informed approach.
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Proposed Changes to Sonoma County ACEs Connection Working Guidelines
Holly asked me to review the SCAC Working Guidelines we developed at the retreat and prepare a document for approval at the October meeting. I invite all members to send me any comments or suggestions regarding the current document. For the purposes of this vote, I am limiting proposed changes to only those issues where there is a discrepancy, disagreement or lack of clarity concerning an existing guideline. Any brand new guidelines should be proposed and adopted later. The current version...
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Public Health Matters Blog Posts: Using trauma-informed care to guide emergency preparedness and response
"Exposure to a traumatic event or set of circumstances can negatively affect a person’s mental, physical, social, emotional or spiritual well-being for a long time after the initial incident. We know that not all individuals respond to trauma in the same way and we know that individuals with a history of trauma, especially childhood trauma, are more likely to experience psychological distress and are at increased risk for the development of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with future...
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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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Raising of America evening screening and Parental leave Panel on August 28, 2017 at the CA State Capitol
We wanted to share information with you about an important event taking place next week sponsored by some of our California Essentials for Childhood Initiative partners on Monday, August 28, 2017 from 4:45 pm - 7:00 pm at the California State Capitol, Eureka Room (1315 10th Street, Sacramento - basement). The event - “Equal Rights to Parental Leave: A Strong Start for all Children” - includes a special screening of “The Raising of America,” as well as an interactive forum on the benefits of...
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Raizes Collective Invites You to: Celebrando la Vida or A Celebration of Life
My friend Isabel with Raizes Collective is putting together a special el Día de Muertos event, and invites you to sponsor an altar. (Sponsorship form attached.) The entire community is also invited to come out and celebrate during two special community events. Isabel writes: Raizes continues to be committed to making platforms for artists to mobilize and bring our community together to begin the process of healing through our arts and cultural programming. We are asking for your support by...
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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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Register Today!
Sign up NOW for an amazing conference! Registration is open - the fee includes parking, breakfast, lunch, materials, and CEUs! Space is limited, reserve your seat today! Learn more! Contact Carla Denner: 707-565-6626
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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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Ellen Bauer Speaks with KRCB Radio on the ACEs & Resiliency Fellowship
Check out this fascinating interview with Bruce Robinson of KRCB and Public Health Director Ellen Bauer: http://radio.krcb.org/post/educating-fellows-counter-adverse-childhood-experiences Please share the story on your social networks to help us continue to share the message of ACEs.
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Epigenetics? What does that REALLY mean?
As a health care professional with a passion for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) I was having difficulty wrapping my mind around the emerging ACEs related science. Take epigenetics for example, what does epigenetics really mean? And, how did my grandmother's health influence my health today? As a parent, have my lived experiences influence the wellbeing of my children? These questions and more were laying dormant in my mind, sort of like an itch I wanted to scratch, but could not reach.
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Erin Lund Shares in "Close to Home" the Need to Offer a Hand to Moms Struggling with Opioid Addiction
"At Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, we care for many patients who struggle with addiction; some are women who become pregnant. Our primary goal is to treat them with compassion and respect. It is helpful to view addiction as a chronic disease, similar to diabetes, rather than a moral problem. For many struggling with addiction, especially women, childhood trauma, domestic violence and mental health issues co-exist with substance use. It is hard to treat the addiction without...
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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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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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First Responder Resiliency Center is hosting a conference in Sonoma, CA on June 29-July 1
The First Responder Resiliency Center, a nonprofit organization, is hosting a Resiliency Conference from June 29-July 1. It will be held at Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, CA. To register: https://resiliencytrainingcenter.com/training/conference/june-2018/ The First Responders Resiliency Conference is a comprehensive event where participants will be asked to learn and participate in modalities designed to create new ways of thinking, processing and utilizing creative outlets to mitigate stress...
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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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Former ACEs Intern Asks Press Democrat Not to Sensationalize Trauma
Lesley Field felt moved to action after reading the disturbing and sensationalized headlines in yesterday's paper regarding a young boy's struggle to value his own life. Lesley just recently completed an internship with Sonoma County Department of Health Services, where she focused on developing communication tools around the topic of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma. Today she felt inspired to share some tips on communication with the local journalist who wrote yesterday's article.
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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 For a Limited Time: The Raising of America – Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation (Documentary)
We are pleased to inform you of another opportunity to view the acclaimed documentary series, The Raising of America – Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation . In honor of Week of the Young Child (April 10-16), National Public Health Week and National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the series will be made available online for free for a limited time from April 1-17! Please see details below. As you may know, this important film shows how a strong start for all our kids leads to a...
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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 Screening of "Resilience" in Napa March 7, 9 -11 am
Cope Family Center and the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Napa County are partnering with Napa County Probation Department to screen "Resilience: The Biology of Stress & Science of Hope" next Wednesday, March 7 from 9-11 am as part of a community wide initiative, Resilient Napa, to raise awareness of adverse childhood experiences and the power of resilience. Please register here . The screening will be followed by a conversation between attendees and panelists present to answer...
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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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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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Futures Without Violence Presents Webinar Next Week: "The News About Childhood Trauma: Findings and Implications"
Please join us for our free webinar titled "The News About Childhood Trauma: Findings and Implications" , which is brought to you by Defending Childhood in partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Futures Without Violence . Date: Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern Standard Time / 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Central Standard Time / 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Mountain Standard Time / 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Pacific Standard Time / 10:00 am - 11:30 am...
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Gabby Falzone translates the study of trauma [OaklandNorth.net]
When she was 12, Gabby Falzone and her family became homeless in New York. At 15, she ran away. She moved between squats and stints with her family, but said she suffered too much abuse from them to stay for long. At 17, she moved to Boston, where she said she survived by exchanging sex for rent. At 19, she got into a friend’s car and drove to San Francisco. Within a month, she said, she was shooting heroin. “I kept thinking that if I escaped where I had just been, it would get better, not...
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GAO report on challenges that states face in addressing child trauma
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on May 22 on the challenges that states face in their efforts to support children affected by trauma. The findings were based in part on interviewing state and local officials in six states (Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin) along with questionnaires to 16 states. The request for the report was made by two Illinois members of Congress, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Danny Davis, and...
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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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Gov. Newsom's early childhood advisor describes 'whole-child, whole-family, whole-community' strategy [edsource.org]
For the first time, a California governor has created a position in his office focused on early education. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Giannina Pérez as his Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood. Peréz previously worked for Early Edge California and Children Now, both well-known children’s advocacy organizations. As an advocate, she worked to expand training for preschool teachers and child care providers to better support children who speak languages other than English at home. She also...
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Governor Newsom announces Nadine Burke Harris to be CA's first-ever surgeon general
Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the appointment of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a national leader in pediatric medicine, to serve as California’s first-ever Surgeon General. There is overwhelming consensus in the scientific community around early warning signs and childhood determinants of serious health outcomes. As California's Surgeon General, Dr. Burke Harris will urge policymakers at every level of government and leaders across the state to consider the social determinants of health,...
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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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Group Advocating For Creation Of ‘Trauma-Informed’ Legislation In Sacramento [kpbs.org]
Could state policies be improved by a greater understanding of the lingering effects of childhood trauma? That's the case that social workers and psychologists will be making to California legislators Tuesday as part a policymaker education day. The California Campaign to Combat Childhood Adversity wants lawmakers to learn about the effects of toxic stress resulting from childhood trauma, which they say can influence everything from health care to the economy . "California's children are in...
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Hanna Boys Center Speaker Breakfast - Marc Philpart from PolicyLink (March 9)
Hanna Institute, at the Hanna Boys Center, is excited to announce that Mark Philpart, senior director at PolicyLink , will be the keynote speaker at its second Professional Networking Breakfast on March 9, 2017. Marc will speak about the Boys and Men of Color Framework , which explores the deep evolutions toward equity that are beginning to take place in our communities. There will also be an open forum discussion in how culturally relevant trauma-informed practices can dramatically improve...
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Hanna Boys Center to host renowned UCSF physician, who believes childhood traumas can lead to disease [PressDemocrat.com]
A nationally renowned Bay Area physician, known for his impassioned belief that childhood poverty leads to disease, is bringing that message to the Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma next month as part of an ongoing networking series. Bertram Lubin, associate dean of Children’s Health at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, will speak from 7:30-9 a.m. June 8 alongside Barbie Robinson, Sonoma County’s director of health services and Dayna Long, another physician from UCSF Benioff Children’s...
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Hanna Center takes ‘trauma care’ on the road
For 72 years, Hanna Boys Center has been a place of refuge for disadvantaged boys – boys who, largely by circumstance, were in trouble. Dysfunctional homes, neighborhood violence, feral upbringings, drug abuse: Hanna Boys Center has sheltered all kinds. Over those decades Hanna Boys Center has established itself as a leader in transformational protocols, a vanguard on the fractious front advocating for at-risk youth. ..... ..... Trauma-informed care argues that children who’ve experienced...
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HANNA INSTITUTE NETWORKING BREAKFAST: NADINE BURKE HARRIS
March 8 @ 7:30 am - 9:00 am Speaker: Nadine Burke Harris, MD, MPH, FAAP A pioneer in the field of medicine, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris has earned international attention for her innovative approach to addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, as a risk factor for adult disease such as heart disease and cancer. Her work has demonstrated that it’s time to reassess the relationship between early childhood adversity, child development and health, and how the practical applications of the...
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Hanna Institute Speaker Breakfast - Judge Troy Nunley (Sept. 14th from 7:30a.m. to 9a.m.)
EQUITY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE & OVERCOMING ADVERSITY SEPTEMBER 14: FEATURED SPEAKER Judge Troy L. Nunley United States District Court of the Eastern District of California Judge Nunley is a staunch advocate for children, especially the most vulnerable. He brings rich personal experience to his judicial role; he grew up in the Hunter's Point neighborhood of San Francisco with a single mother, ultimately rising to one of the highest positions in American lawyer can occupy, after being a...
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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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Harvard updates their materials at Developing Child
Updated info on the developing brain and effects of early adversity. http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/five-numbers-to-remember-about-early-childhood-development/#cps Remember the video that said the child's brain makes new neural connections at a rate of 700-1,000 per second? https://youtu.be/_LRjK1pi03Q The Harvard Center on the Developing Child just updated their data: From birth, a child's brain makes new neural connections at a rate of 1 Million per second . Mind blowing!!!
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Have questions about Nat'l Council's Trauma-Informed Learning Community?
They're holding open office hours this Friday: The National Council’s 2015 Trauma-informed Care Learning Community connects you with trauma experts and agencies like yours to make sure you are offering quality...
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Healing From Childhood Trauma — AVAIYA University online course, July 29 - Aug. 6
AVAIYA University is hosting a free online class, Healing From Childhood Trauma, July 29 - August 6, that features 18 physicians, therapists, psychologists & more who share life-changing strategies to heal from childhood trauma. Featured in the course are Dr. Dan Siegel on "Trauma & Mindfulness", Dr. Jamie Marich on "Healing the Wounds of Childhood Trauma", and Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott on "U nderstanding Unresolved Attachment to Heal From Loss & Trauma." I'm doing a session on...
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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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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...