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Dr. Tami DeCoteau, holds the sign-up sheet for a North Dakota trauma initiative, flanked by Dr. Zach Kaminsky, (left), Dr. Mary Cwik, (right) of the Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins University, and Megan DesCamps, health policy advisor for U.S. Senator Heitkamp ________________________ There is often a distinct event that leaders in the trauma movement mention when asked about how it all got started in their community. Many times it is when one of the authors of the ACE...

A new report from the Central Iowa ACEs 360 Coalition shows most Iowa adults have experienced childhood trauma, an indicator of higher rates of chronic diseases, mental illness, violence, risky behaviors, and reduced life expectancy among adults. The 2016 ACEs report, Beyond ACEs: Building Hope & Resiliency in Iowa, examines three years of data collected among adult Iowans measuring eight types of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), defined as physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and...

ACEs ambassadors are urgently needed, to teach that therapy, especially for the young- a time when we're still talking about prevention or mitigation of trauma-related outcomes- is the last thing a struggling economy should cut.

Appearing before the powerful Senate Finance Committee in Washington, DC, recently, Dr. Maggie Bennington-Davis, psychiatrist and chief medical officer of Health Share Oregon, devoted a significant portion of her testimony to the role of adversity and toxic stress during childhood on adult health, both physical and emotional. She explained how Health Share Oregon—that state’s largest Medicaid coordinated care organization—examined the people with the costliest health bills and found them to...

Several governors banned non-essential, state-funded travel to Mississippi. Renee Montagne talks to Peter Shumlin, governor of Vermont, who also banned trips to North Carolina which has a similar law. RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: No sooner had Mississippi's governors signed a religious freedom bill into law than the governor of Vermont and several other governors banned state-funded travel to Mississippi. That new law allows businesses and individuals to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and...

During a balmy 60ºF December morning, Rene Zepeda is driving a Volunteers of America minivan through Salt Lake City, Utah, looking for the homeless who may be camping by the railroad tracks or over by the river, sometimes in the foothills . Rene works for a program called Housing First. It has decreased the number of homeless by an extraordinary 72% — mainly by providing permanent free housing. Critics bemoan the expense, but once the numbers were thoroughly crunched, it was discovered the...

This was produced by KPJR Films, and edited by Jen Bradwell.

The Alaska State House Health and Social Services Committee, chaired by Representative Paul Seaton, took testimony on HCR 21, titled "Urging Governor Bill Walker to join with the Alaska State Legislature to respond to the public and behavioral health epidemic of adverse childhood experiences by establishing a statewide policy and providing programs to address this epidemic." [ LINK HERE ] HCR 21 now goes to the House Finance Committee but it has no fiscal note, so that shouldn't be an...

A hearing will be held April 2 on Alaska House Concurrent Resolution 21 (HCR 21) to respond to adverse childhood experiences. The resolution is very similar to those passed in Wisconsin and California . Testimony will be heard in the Health and Social Services Committee on the bill introduced by Representative Geran Tarr. In her statement about the bill , Tarr calls on Governor Walker “to establish policy and programs to address the public and behavioral health epidemic of adverse childhood...

About 406,000 Texans with mental illness and substance abuse disorders could have health insurance if the state expanded Medicaid, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monday. Texas is one of 20 states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage, opting out of many provisions of the Affordable Care Act. “Today’s report shows that Medicaid expansion is an important step Texas can take to address behavioral health needs, including serious mental illness...

The Centers for Disease Control released their report of their study of gun violence in the city of Wilmington. Report is available on line: http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dms/files/cdcgunviolencereport10315.pdf

A landmark trauma-informed education bill to address “chronic absences of students” in the state’s public schools has passed the Oregon legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. The bill, H.B. 4002 , requires two state education agencies to develop a statewide plan to address the problem and provides funding for “trauma-informed” approaches in schools. While the $500,000 funding level in the bill falls vastly short of the original $5.75 million request for five pilot sites in an...