Blog

By Jack P. Shonkoff and David R. Williams, Center on the Developing Child, April 27, 2020 The COVID-19 virus is ruthlessly contagious and, at the same time, highly selective. Its capacity to infect is universal, but the consequences of becoming infected are not. While there are exceptions, children are less likely to show symptoms, older adults and those with pre-existing medical conditions are the most susceptible, and communities of color in the United States are experiencing dramatically...

By Xenia Shih Bion, California Health Care Foundation, April 20, 2020 Latoyha Young had a birth plan. She was going to have the baby in Sacramento with community doula Joy Dean by her side. Dean was funded by the county’s Black Child Legacy Campaign , which works to reduce the disproportional number of Black infant and child deaths in Sacramento. But in mid-March, when Young went into labor just as Governor Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel...

The opioid crisis presents a vital problem that needs to be addressed as a public health crisis because it increases the risk of the transmission of infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C (CDC, 2018). In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses and of those deaths almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid (CDC, 2018). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, rural areas include some of the most vulnerable populations for injection drug use related HIV...

Unaccompanied minors (UMs) are a rising population within the United States of America (U.S.). This population endures various forms of trauma and have endured at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) prior to arriving to the U.S. and will most likely experience more ACEs during their migration journey and have the potential of experiencing more once arriving. The goal of this project is for UMs to receive the trauma-informed care they deserve, as they are not assured trauma-informed...

Knowing the enemy is often quoted as an essential part of winning battles. Right now, in healthcare, we have an enemy that is associated with numerous negative health outcomes and that enemy is trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Without proper interventions that focus on reducing exposure of adverse childhood experiences and promoting relationships that help combat these negative exposures, our communities will continue to suffer. This program seeks to build resilience and wellness...

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health issue that ravages the lives of millions in the United States each year. [i] There is a growing scientific consensus that the three foundational models of Batterer Intervention Programs used to rehabilitate IPV perpetrators throughout the United States – the psychoeducational model, “The Duluth Model,” and the cognitive-behavioral model - do not have a measurable impact on IPV recidivism rates. [ii] [iii] [iv] Furthermore,...

The world is currently facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that is causing millions of people to move due to wars and violence widespread in their countries of origin. It puts in evidence the urgent need to develop actions that alleviate the pain of these people and promotes social justice within our society. The migratory movements caused, and entail a series of psychological repercussions, social, cultural, and economic struggles for these refugees. This program aims to serve 35%...

Adverse childhood experience (ACE’s) are associated with depressive disorders. Many children who are placed in the foster care system, have had experiences with ACE and as a result are diagnosed with depressive disorders. This program is aimed to provide support to children who are currently in foster care, who have a history of experiencing ACE. The goal is to provide on-going support services to children who have the goals of a goal of reunification with their parents, adoption or...

Our grant proposal is a mental health intervention within the Putnam County fire service. Firefighters across the country are placed in traumatic situations on a daily basis, however, they typically have minimal mental health support available to them. Currently, most fire departments use a concept called CISD, however, research does not support the effectiveness of CISD as an intervention to curtail the mental health effects of trauma. Our trauma-informed approach would call for the...

Adolescent dating violence has been characterized as a public health concern due to its magnitude and the negative health outcomes associated with victimization. Despite prevention efforts existing for multiple decades, rates of dating violence have failed to decline. Even when prevention efforts are finally disseminated, it is unlikely that dating violence will be entirely eradicated. Therefore, programs focusing on the resiliency of survivors are needed. The increased emphasis in recent...

My grant proposal focused on e-cigarette addiction for adolescents within the Alachua County region in Florida. Recently there was a Alachua law change on cigarettes being sold only to people ages 21 and older (Sexton, 2014). However, there is a rise for e-cigarette use in adolescents ages 18 and under (Ikonomidis et.al, 2018). In fact, in 2018 alone, there were 24.8% of high schools students who use electronic vapor products at least once per day in a month (True Initiative, 2018). To...

Adverse Childhood Experiences are highly associated with the development of sexually transmitted infections (Felitti, 1998). People who have experienced just one ACE have a 1.4 odds ratio of having an STI in their lifetime. Whereas those who have 4 or more ACEs have a 2.5 odds ratio (Felitti, 1998). The state of Georgia is not legally required to teach medically accurate sexual health education. In essence, compounding the existing problem of their high HIV incidence. This intervention aims...