Tagged With "Giving Back"
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12 MYTHS ABOUT ACEs -- AND THE 12 MYTHS SKILLFULLY DEBUNKED
Author: Jane Stevens Founder, publisher ACEs Connection The two biggest myths about ACEs science are: MYTH #1 — That it’s just about the 10 ACEs in the ACE Study — the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study . It’s about sooooo much more than that. MYTH #2 — And that it’s just about ACEs…adverse childhood experiences. These two myths are intertwined. The ACE Study issued the first of its 70+ publications in 1998, and for many people it was the lightning bolt, the grand...
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ACEs' Strong Effects in Adults . . . and A Resilient Survivor
Addressing ACEs in Adults is Key (https://twitter.com/ACEs_Canada) In response to the post about the effects of ACES in adults cited above, Treva Massey from Tennessee wrote the response below that tells of the suffering caused by ACEs in later life—and the resilience that gives hope and purpose to life. I wrote to ask her permission to repost her response on our site, and she graciously permitted me to do so. I think that her post will be of great interest to those who follow the VBRP site...
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BILLS AFFECTING ACEs IN AROOSTOOK NOW BEING CONSIDERED BY THE LEGISLATURE
(Photo of the State House by Troy R. Bennett, BDN) The following article was featured in the Bangor Daily News of January 31, 2020. Now is the time to mend Maine’s frayed mental health safety net By Malory Shaughnessy, Opinion guest column • January 31, 2020 2:40 pm There’s a common thread that connects some of the most important issues facing Maine today — issues that the governor has highlighted and the Legislature is struggling to address. Whether it’s criminal justice reform , closing...
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Children's Resilience Can Be Strengthened in a Crisis (originally published in Mommy Underground)
Use Your Family Crisis To Teach Your Children Resilience Photo by Ben White on Unsplash With over 10 million Americans applying for unemployment, it’s clear our country is going through a rough patch. Whether your home is experiencing economic hardship, or simply grieving the loss of a school year or extracurricular activities, chances are your children are facing tough times. Even worse, they’re feeling it. Maybe they don’t exactly understand what the coronavirus is, and how a virus could...
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FOSTERCARE IS A GREAT NEED -- AND A HUGE CHALLENGE -- IN RURAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY
April Belyea -- a kindergarten teacher at Teaque Park Elementary School in Caribou -- and her husband Chris Belyea have cared for nine foster children, and adopted two, since becoming foster parents eight years ago. Too many kids, lack of childcare challenge Aroostook County foster care system By Melissa Lizotte , The Star-Herald (Presque Isle, ME) • February 7, 2020 11:21 am CARIBOU, Maine — When April and Chris Belyea of Caribou first became foster parents eight years ago, they knew they...
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HELPING CHILDREN DEAL WITH TRAUMATIC STRESS
Seven Ways to Help a Child Deal with Traumatic Stress by Hilary Jacobs Hendel Life is stressful. That’s a fact. To grow and learn we must try new things. Struggling, prevailing, and tolerating failures along the way builds confidence and the deep feeling in a child that “I can do it.” But the positive aspects of struggle and stress are lost when the amount of stress becomes too great and/or sustained. Persistent and long-lasting stress on the mind and body caused by overwhelming emotions...
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Routines Will Help Kids and Families Cope During the School Shutdown
Parenting in a Pandemic Damon Korb, M.D. Follow Mar 16 · 6 min read Staying organized is the key to keeping your sanity. It is a well-known fact that children thrive when there are routines. This time of year most children wake up, get dressed, eat their breakfast, head off to school where they move from class to class, come home and have a snack, do some homework, have some free time or participate in an afterschool activity, eat dinner, and then get ready for bed. The daily life for most...
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TENNESSEE STUDY LINKS CHILDHOOD TRAUMA TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Below I have extracted some information from an excellent article in the Johnson City (TN) Press about the link between ACEs and substance abuse. ( https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Health-Care/2019/09/02/Clear-link-between-childhood-trauma-and-substance-abuse-addiction-doctor-says.html ) We have witnessed that phenomenon in our own area, and this article reinforces our anecdotal information. I have added some information (highlighted ) comparing Maine statistics to the Tennessee numbers. AN...
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TRAUMA INFORMED JUVENILE JUSTICE MEASURES AND RESILIENCE-ORIENTED EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS IN MAINE
The Maine Center for Juvenile Policy and Law publishes a monthly newsletter, PLACE MATTERS." In the January newsletter there is some interesting and hopeful information about changes (and proposals for change) in the Maine juvenile justice system. In addition, there is a plethora of information about recent research and recommendations for enabling Maine students to attain the education and mentorship they need to reach their occupational goals. Here is a link to that survey. Regretfully,...
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Montana Demonstrates How Community Groups Can Band Together to Make a Difference
BY: Anndee Hochman In Toole County, Montana, deputy sheriffs call a school counselor, from their patrol cars, after responding to a traumatic incident—a domestic abuse call, an overdose, an arrest—that involves a child. “Handle with care,” they tell the counselor, and they give the child’s name. The counselor passes that information to teachers: a quiet heads-up that the student might be hungry or sleepy, tearful, angry or distracted by whatever happened at home. “My teachers love it,” says...
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"ALL YOU NEED IS INSIDE YOU"
The New Science of Thriving Our well-being—individually and as a society—depends on mindfulness. Story by Christina Bethell • Illustrations by Joel Nakamura I n the early 1970s, my grandmother had a disagreement with the Beatles. When she heard “All You Need is Love” play on the radio, she would reply, “All you need is inside of you.” When I was a PhD student in the early 1990s, these messages bounced around in my mind along with my epidemiology and econometrics lessons. It was then that I...
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You'll Be Surprised To See How Relevant This Is For Aroostook County
Does Your Organization Unconsciously Operate with a White Supremacy Culture? 4 White Supremacy Culture Scenarios By IYA AFFO As we endure the pain of lost loved ones, manage the anxiety of financial insecurity and potentially fret over becoming ill, it is a brilliant time for change in our country and around the world. There is a special kind of racist exclusion in America. When I took my young son to live in India, initially, he struggled everyday on the bus to school. There was a lot of...
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Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network, first to join ACEs Cooperative of Communities, shows what it means to ROCK!
In 2012, Greater Richmond SCAN and five other community partners hatched a one-year plan to educate the Richmond, Virginia, community about ACEs science and to embed trauma-informed practices. Eight years later, the original group has evolved into the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network (GRTICN) with 495 people and 170 organizations. And they're just scratching the surface.
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THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME -- ACEs AREN'T JUST MEMORIES
TITLE: This wasn't the first time BY: Rafael Maravilla (ACEs Connection Staff) Going out to buy groceries, going out for a walk, driving your kid back home from school. For most people these activities are normal, everyday things with little to no excitement, as they should be. Unfortunately, getting food, exercising, and supporting my son’s education have been a little more out of the ordinary for me. You see, I am a Mexican Indigenous man, brown skin, shaved head. My ethnicity and physical...
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CHILDREN NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DEFEND AGAINST BULLIES
How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school. By Stacey Colino, Laura Broadwell, Corinne Schuman, Suzanne Peck Bullying can exist in many forms: It can be physical (pushing, punching, or hitting); verbal (name-calling or threats); or psychological and emotional (spreading rumors or excluding someone from a...
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UNIVERSAL ACES SCREENING FOR CHILDREN -- GOOD IDEA? / BAD IDEA?
Painful Questions: What Happens When Doctors Uncover Adverse Childhood Experiences? By Karen de Sa and Nadra Nittle • Aug 19, 2020 (EXCERPTED FROM CALIFORNIA HEALTH REPORT) Illustration by Christine Ongjoco. California launches widespread screening for adverse childhood experiences. Critics question the science, and the consequences. Has your child ever lived with a parent or caregiver who went to jail or prison? Has your child’s parent or caregiver ever had depression, schizophrenia,...
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OST -- an effective response to homeless children's needs
Out-of-school Time Activities a Vital Part Of Oklahoma School For Homeless Students By Stell Simonton Posted on September 29, 2020 PHOTOS BY SIMON HURST PHOTOGRAPHY A child reads to Kelly Berger, Positive Tomorrows’ director of family support, in the school family room.First of several in a series (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of several articles in an occasional series about the intersection of OST and students experiencing homelessness.) Last spring, a teacher in Oklahoma City,...
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"A Better Normal" Community Discussion Series- Our Reckoning with Race and Equity at ACEs Connection
Register for A Better Normal- Our reckoning with race and equity at ACEs Connection
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EPIGENETICS, ACES, and ADHD An article by Kristen Hovet
The Kids Are Not Alright https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2020/10/30/childhood-trauma-kids-not-alright-part-explanation-may-linked-epigenetics/ This article or excerpt is included in the GLP’s daily curated selection of ideologically diverse news, opinion and analysis of biotechnology innovation. K ids are resilient. Kids bounce back. Tell that to Dave Brethauer , a performance coach in Chicago, who told Genetic Literacy Project that he spent the better part of his adult life “fighting to...
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Preparing for a cold, hungry winter: Food insecurity and heating costs add to COVID-19-related ACEs in Maine
In the morning hours of a sunny October Sunday in Dover-Foxcroft, over 50 cars sit idle alongside North Street awaiting their turn to receive an allocation of food from the Dover-Foxcroft Food Cupboard. The organization served more than 150 individuals and families by the end of the day. Photo by Bailey Beltramo.
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PATIENCE, TENACITY, AND SUPPORT: A RECIPE FOR CHILDHOOD RESILIENCE
A Recipe for Raising Resilient Children - Skills and Factors that Contribute to Resiliency BETH TYSON 1 DAY AGO It's no secret that in 2021 mental health problems will continue on a steep rise for children and families. Resiliency is described by many as the ability to bounce back after facing hardships in life. It is a trait that we can develop, which is good news for those struggling right now. Tenacity is our lifeline for surviving the challenges of 2020, 2021, and beyond. This critical...
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HOW SCHOOL KIDS ARE AFFECTED BY COVID-19
Pediatricians: schools must reopen now to relieve children’s suffering From the San Diego Union-Tribune FEB. 7, 2021 6:06 AM PT By KRISTEN TAKETA ‘What we’re seeing is frightening because it is hard to see these faces. They are just empty,’ one pediatrician said. Pediatricians across San Diego County say they are deeply troubled by what they see school closures doing to children. Dr. Janet Crow, a pediatrician at UC San Diego, talks every day with middle and high school kids who are heading...
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ACES and PCES: There are ADVERSE Childhood Experiences -- but there are POSITIVE Childhood Experiences, too!
7 Positive Childhood Experiences that Help Kids Grow into Successful Adults Posted by Idaho Youth Ranch on May 1, 2020 5:00:42 PM Just as there are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that play a role in the future success of kids, there are also 7 positive childhood experiences (PCEs) that can offset their damage. This recent discovery comes from a John Hopkin’s study published in 2019. Researchers were looking to determine if any “protective childhood experiences” could be linked with...
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The college essay that proves Positive Childhood Experiences work for my family
I am going to give you a little context before I share the College Essay that prove PCEs DO mitigate ACEs. I was young when I had my first born and his life started off rocky. His father asked me to abort him when I was 8 months pregnant right after he was discharged from the military for being an alcoholic. We tried to make it work and the alcohol won. My infant son and I moved away across the country to start anew, never looking back. I struggled for a long time trying to get on my feet. I...
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Talking About Mental Health Issues Is Not Attention-Seeking
Originally posted by Nikki Kay on Medium “People who go on and on about how messed up they are seem like they’re just looking for attention or sympathy.” “At some point you have to grow up and get over it.” How many times have you heard these arguments used against survivors of childhood trauma? After all my work recovering from my own childhood an d speaking out about trauma recovery, it will come as no surprise how close to home these comments hit every time I hear them. I feel indicted by...
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Adverse childhood experiences, the brain, and sleep
Sufficient, good quality sleep strengthens the brain wounded by ACEs in many ways. Intelligent sleep strategies improve mood, brain (and medical) health, brain function, and the capacity to rewire negative neural pathways imprinted in childhood.
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Nightmares and ACEs: They No Longer Need Rule the Night
Recurring nightmares lead to much needless suffering for survivors of adverse childhood experiences—suffering that goes well beyond disturbed sleep. Five steps help take back the night.
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How to manage your mental health as traumatic events pile up
Those still suffering financial, emotional, and logistical tolls from the pandemic can feel that added anxiety from war and other stressful events can feel like too much to process.
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Small victories for the PACEs movement are included in the Omnibus Spending bill for FY’22
The massive bipartisan $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill for FY ’22 signed by President Biden on March 15 contains funding that demonstrates a growing awareness and support in Congress for programs and policies to address trauma. The incremental nature of the legislative process makes it difficult to see progress readily but there are bright spots in this legislation to celebrate.
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Maine Adult Education Launches HiSET Completion Campaign and Announces Two Years of Free Community College
The Maine Department of Education’s Office of Adult Education launched a campaign today to encourage adult learners to complete the HiSET, Maine’s high school equivalency test. Those who complete the HiSET are eligible for two years of free community college in Maine.
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Debunking the Kubler-Ross Five Stages of Grief
It's the middle of the night. My Nokia cell phone vibrates me awake somewhere under the covers, and I manage to locate it just enough to hit silent. A few moments later, the vibrating is present again. This time I look to see that it's my brother in a time zone three hours behind me, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm just too sleepy. The third round of vibration begins. "Alright, I better answer this"…. Me: "Hello?" Brother: "Mom's dead! Mom's dead!" (Heaving and sobbing). What...