Tagged With "Center on the Developing Child"
Blog Post
2019 Iowa ACEs Policy Priorities
The Iowa ACEs Advocacy Coalition is poised to meet with Iowa elected officials next week to advocate for our 2019 legislative priorities. Key focus areas are: 1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative Children's Mental Health Prenatal Home-Visitation Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System Medicaid and Children's Health Click here for an overview of our priorities. Visit www.iowaaces360.org/advocacy for more information on our collaborative policy efforts.
Blog Post
2019 KIDS COUNT Data Book (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
The 30th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book begins by exploring how America’s child population — and the American childhood experience — has changed since 1990. And there’s some good news to share: Of the 16 areas of child well-being tracked across four domains — health, education, family and community and economic well-being — 11 have improved since the Foundation published its first Data Book 30 editions ago. The rest of the 2019 Data Book — including the...
Blog Post
A Message from the President of the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Dear Illinois ACE Connection members, Children and families from all demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds in Illinois experience trauma, adversity, and chronic stress. Social determinants such as where we live, work, and play, can further exacerbate positive or negative physical, emotional, and behavioral health issues. The critical factor that determines if a child, family, and/or community can manage trauma, adversity, and chronic stress successfully is resilience : the process by...
Blog Post
A New Effort to Bolster Child Welfare Leadership in State Legislatures [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
State legislatures are an ever-changing landscape. Some states cram in a year of policy into short sessions, and the membership is constantly turning over. It can be a tough environment for child welfare issues to find traction, even with widespread concern over increases in foster youth and shortages in foster homes. One national organization is taking a crack at embedding more state houses with legislators poised to take the lead in this arena. The National Conference of State Legislatures...
Blog Post
A Snapshot of Statutes related to ACEs and Trauma-Informed Policy
A legislative scan in March by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) of bills that specifically include references to ACEs (nearly 40 bills in 18 states) also found seven statutes enacted in six different states. That number increases significantly when laws that reference “trauma-informed” policies are included—the number of statutes totals 20, enacted in 15 different states. These numbers are based on information from various sources (including the NCSL, our own reporting,...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
ACEs Research Corner — October 2018
[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site -- abuseresearch.info -- that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs. Every month, she's posting the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs. Thank you, Harise!! -- Jane Stevens] Harris HR, Wieser F, Vitonis AF, Rich-Edwards J, et. al. Early life abuse and risk of endometriosis. Hum Reprod. 2018 Sep 1;33(9):1657-1668. PMID: 30016439 Using...
Blog Post
Action needed today by trauma advocates to urge Congress to address mental health and trauma in current COVID-19 legislation
The follow is a message from Dan Press, Legal Advisor to the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice ), about the need to contact Congress regarding a COVID 19 funding bill being considered this weekend. He is urging ACEs science/trauma advocates and leaders to send emails to their U.S. Senators and Representatives immediately to address the mental health and trauma implications of this pandemic. All – I hate to bother you on a Sunday, but we urgently need you to contact Congress to...
Blog Post
Addressing Childhood Adversity in Schools (edweek.org)
We welcome guest author Godwin Higa, Principal, Cherokee Point Elementary School City Heights, San Diego whose work with childhood adversity and trauma is making a difference in the lives of children. At Cherokee Point, located in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood, nearly all of our students deal with some sort of childhood adversity. A hundred percent of our students receive free lunches, and most live under the federal poverty guideline. Many of our students' families face daily...
Blog Post
Adverse Childhood Experiences National and State Level Prevalence (Child Trends Research Brief, July 2014)
KEY FINDINGS Economic hardship is the most common adverse childhood experience (ACE) reported nationally and in almost all states, followed by divorce or separation of a parent or guardian. Only in Iowa, Michigan, and Vermont is divorce...
Blog Post
Advocacy in the time of COVID-19—Lessons from New York to create a trauma-Informed legislature
Jenn O'Connor of Prevent Child Abuse New York and Senator George Borrello (R-NY57) Before the official start of her day on March 16— a virtual call with staff members of Prevent Child Abuse New York (PCANY) — Jenn O’Connor, director of policy and advocacy for the organization, and I spoke about how her personal life (suddenly becoming a parent who homeschools) and her worklife changed overnight. O’Connor is managing an ambitious effort to create a trauma-informed legislature in New York. She...
Blog Post
Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach [Afterschool Alliance]
“A trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens must be a part of everything we do.” This statement by Laura Norton-Cruz, Director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, sums up the key message of last week’s Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing for Congressional staff which focused on “Afterschool Programs and a Trauma-Informed Approach.” On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the Senate Afterschool Caucus* — in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, Alaska Children’s Trust – Alaska Afterschool Network,...
Blog Post
Alabama 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for Alabama. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input, we’ll...
Blog Post
Alaska 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for Alaska. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input, we’ll...
Blog Post
Alaska legislature takes up ACEs resolution similar to those passed in Wisconsin and California
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...
Blog Post
Alaska passes trauma-informed legislation
In the dark early hours of Mother’s Day, May 13th , before the 2018 Alaska legislative session adjourned, Senate Bill 105 was approved by both the Alaska House and the Senate...making Alaska one of only a handful of states to pass ACEs awareness into statute. This represents years of education, collaboration, and some creative and dogged advocacy this last legislative session. It also represents a promising path forward.
Blog Post
All Together Now: Working for Families in 2019 [ascend.aspeninstitute.org]
With historic demographic shifts in Congress this year, there is even more momentum to address broken policies that can improve the lives of families across our nation. The Aspen Family Prosperity Innovation Community (Family Prosperity) is bringing policy, practice, philanthropy, research, and private sector leaders together to capitalize on the energy and opportunities materializing at the local, state, and national levels to improve family-supportive policies. Family Prosperity is...
Blog Post
America’s Cities Are Going Mindful (mindful.org)
Imagine what our communities would be like if mindfulness and compassion were at the heart of city leadership. This vision is driving the Mindful Cities Initiative, a new social innovation project of the Foundation for a Mindful Society. The Mindful Cities Initiative heralds a new phase in the development of mindfulness in society. People are increasingly talking about the benefits of mindfulness practice in holistic terms: about personal wellness and public health, about mindfulness in the...
Blog Post
Arizona 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for Arizona. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input, we’ll...
Blog Post
Arizona ACE Consortium: Catalyzing a Statewide Movement [MARC.HealthFederation.org]
The elementary school principal routinely broke into tears. At Wednesday afternoon meetings of the Creating Trauma Sensitive Arizona Schools work group, a committee of the Arizona ACE Consortium , the leader of a high-need, inner-city K-5 school frequently wept as she talked about the trauma her students carried into the classroom and the ways it percolated throughout her campus: in lagging test scores, behavior problems, even teacher retention. The other committee members became her...
Blog Post
Arizona legislation would create “Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Committee”
Dr. Veenod L. Chulani ___________________________ The Arizona House of Representatives Committee on Health heard presentations on Feb. 9 on “Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences: Creating Hope for a Healthier Arizona.” During the meeting, House Health Chair Heather Carter noted that the hearing was the first step in an ongoing discussion about the importance of addressing childhood trauma. Rep. Carter H.B. 2198 , sponsored by Rep. Heather Carter and co-sponsored by Rep. Regina Cobb who...
Blog Post
Arkansas 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for Arkansas. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input, we’ll...
Blog Post
As coronavirus spreads, the bill for our public health failures is due (washingtonpost.com)
Richard E. Besser, a physician, is president and chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J. In spring 2009, the H1N1 influenza virus surfaced in Mexico, swiftly evolving from “outbreak” to “pandemic” in just two months. As acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time, I led our work to issue preliminary warnings and evidence-based recommendations to help Americans reduce their risk of infection — very similar to what we’re...
Blog Post
Bad news-good news: Each additional ACE increases opioid relapse rate by 17%; each ACE-informed treatment visit reduces it by 2%
Each additional type of adverse childhood experience increases a person’s risk of relapse during medication-assisted opioid treatment by a whopping 17 percent. And each visit to a clinic that integrates trauma-informed practices based on ACEs science reduced the relapse rate by two percent, which can carry a person perhaps not to zero, but to a minimal risk of relapse.
Blog Post
Bi-partisan trauma resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
A bi-partisan resolution “Recognizing the importance and effectiveness of trauma-informed care” ( H. Res. 443 ) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 13 by Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and co-sponsor Danny K. Davis (D-IL). The impetus for the resolution resides with the First Lady of Wisconsin, Tonette Tonette Walker Walker, who has taken a strong leadership role in advancing trauma-informed policy and practice statewide through Fostering Futures and of late with the new...
Blog Post
Bipartisan, bicameral trauma legislation provides support for community initiatives and workforce development
In the current polarized political environment, it is no small feat for a bill to be introduced with bipartisan support in both chambers—a fact that bodes well for the future of the “Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion (RISE) from Trauma Act of 2019.” Identical bills titled “The RISE from Trauma Act of 2019” were introduced in the Senate and the House on June 10, with bipartisan support from members of Congress representing diverse states, districts, and constituencies. While...
Blog Post
Building Community Resilience - Policy Guide & Webinar
Blog Written by Jeff Hild Policy Director, Redstone Center for Prevention and Wellness At the Building Community Resilience (BCR) collaborative and network — based at the Redstone Center for Prevention and Wellness , George Washington University School of Public Health — we are working to improve the health and wellbeing of children, families and communities across the country. We do this by working to align systems to address the “Pair of ACEs” — adverse childhood experiences in the...
Blog Post
California 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for California. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input,...
Blog Post
California moves to curtail expelling children from preschool — yes, preschool [edsource.org]
After successfully reducing expulsions in its K-12 schools , California is now moving to restrict the practice with even younger children — at the preschool level. To that end, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation last month that bars state-subsidized preschool programs from expelling kids unless an exhaustive process aimed at supporting the child and family is followed first. Children can be expelled from preschool as a result of any number of aggressive behaviors that could jeopardize the...
Blog Post
California’s Surgeon General Readies Statewide Screening for Child Trauma [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
By Jeremy Loudenback, Chronicle of Social Change, September 19, 2019 Soon after being appointed California’s first-ever surgeon general, Nadine Burke Harris took off on a barnstorming tour across the state to talk about adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress, an issue she calls “the biggest public health crisis facing California today.” Before the pediatrician was appointed to her position in January by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Harris had founded and led the Center for Youth Wellness,...
Blog Post
CARES Act Funding: Opportunity for Trauma-Informed Programs in Indian Country [natlawreview.com]
By Daniel S Press, The National Law Review, May 11, 2020 There will be many demands on the funds that Tribes and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) receive from the $2.2 trillion U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, but allocating funds to implement trauma-informed programs to address the surge in mental health problems caused by COVID-19 should not be overlooked. As quarantines end, the trauma caused by COVID-19 will become apparent and tribal communities will be...
Blog Post
Child Trends submits comments on a clearinghouse of evidence-based practices (Child Trends)
Child Trends responded to a request for comments from the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), about the development of a clearinghouse of evidence-based practices in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018. The Family First Act is a powerful new opportunity for states to extend the largest federal funding source, Title IV-E of the Social Security Act , to include services and supports that can prevent...
Blog Post
Child Welfare Agencies By State
This comprehensive list was created back in July of 2014 and undoubtedly already needs some updating. But, most of it is likely current. This list was NOT created to harass ANY state child welfare employee, but rather to make it possible...
Blog Post
Children with special health care needs are more likely to have adverse childhood experiences [ChildTrends.org]
Authors: Deborah Seok, David Murphey, Fadumo M. Abdi Publication Date: December 10, 2019 The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is higher among children and youth with special health care needs than among their peers without special health care needs, according to Child Trends’ analysis of data from the 2016-17 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). The survey asks parents or guardians to report whether their child has experienced any of nine ACEs. The percentage of...
Blog Post
Colorado 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for Colorado. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input, we’ll...
Comment
Re: H-0299 As Introduced (2).pdf
Hello everyone, Here's the new ACEs bill from the state of Vermont. It was just released yesterday afternoon - it hasn't been introduced yet. We are very fortunate to have a state Representative who is not only very passionate about addressing early adversity, he is open and collaborative. There are sections in here for many different areas - as written, the bill would require a state-wide inventory of available trauma treatment and prevention resources, of who is screening for early...
Reply
Re: Improving the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Scale
But if you are asked, "What is your evidence behind your screening tool?" Ask "What is the evidence behind yours?"(for example for pediatric bipolar). You will find that the DSM is a group of academic doctors getting together to decide these symptoms mean this diagnosis. The evidence is slim at best. They can give not genetic, epigenetic, demographic or you name it ... answers....However an association called "The Directors of State Mental Health Providers asked them to put Developmental...
Reply
Re: Improving the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Scale
Tina, in Vermont, we are working with our legislature. Elizabeth Prewit did two (?) pieces about the Vermont activity, which I'm sure you can find on the ACEs Connection website. I took issue with them on prescisely this issue - the screening. The ACE study is an incredibly valuable study. It is a watershed moment in the childhood trauma world. It did not, however, develop screening tools, and it is not "trauma informed." The ten-item ACE questionnaire is not a validated screen - it came out...
Comment
Re: State profiles for 50 states and District of Columbia
Cobscook Community Learning Center's TREE Program is a collaborative educational initiative recently launched in far Downeast Maine. Partnering with students, teachers, families, and community members, the program seeks to create emotionally and socially supportive environments where all children can learn. TREE ~Transforming Rural Experience in Education is based on the understanding that adversity, stress, and trauma are not just individual mental health issues, but also systemic,...
Comment
Re: South Dakota 2018 State Profile
Thank you for preparing this document. A few updates on the highlights... Children's Home Society partnered with Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment on the statewide initiative to support trauma informed care through resilient communities. An inaugural initiative event in January brought Dr. Robert Anda, co-founder of the Adverse Childhood Experience study, and Laura Porter, former director of the Washington Family Policy Council, to kick off the South Dakota ACEs and Resiliency...
Comment
Re: Vermont 2018 State Profile
Hi Morgan, Thank you for the excellent work creating the state profiles. It is really impressive. I'm wondering if there is an opportunity to add material? The Vermont profile is very heavily focused on the legislature and leaves out a great deal of the on-the-ground work that has been happening in Vermont prior to the 2013 conference, and to an even greater degree, since. We have the Child & Family Trauma Workgroup, a public-private group that has been meeting for 15 years and was the...
Comment
Re: Kansas 2018 State Profile
Thanks for putting these together! There are a few corrections to be made. KPoP is organized by KCSL as the Prevent Child Abuse Chapter for Kansas in partnership with KDHE. Also, the link you have for the Midwest Trauma Training Center goes to a Medical Trauma training site for nurses. There are others we would love to add from across our great state - just let us know the best way to do that!
Comment
Re: Mississippi 2018 State Profile
Dear State ACEs Action Community, Several colleges/universities in Mississippi are creating Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) Programs that adhere to curriculum standards from the National Child Protection Training Center. For example, my institution, Mississippi State University, will develop a 3-course sequence for a certificate program that adds a credential in experiential, interdisciplinary training in child/family trauma and response. The certificate is meant to be open to community...
Comment
Re: "How to talk policy and influence people": a Law and Justice interview with Dr Wendy Ellis
This was excellent! I always love to hear Wendy share her perspective. We're using the Pair of ACES Tree this week in a large virtual convening in Oklahoma that's focused on the intersection of child welfare and early childhood. It's a featured part of the meeting, as we are trying to engendered a new mental model with regard to what drives young children and their families into the child welfare system.