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By Gregory S. Schneider, Photo: Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post, The Washington Post, May 16, 2022 The board that oversees James Madison’s Montpelier estate has chosen 11 new directors recommended by a group representing descendants of enslaved workers, claiming a milestone in diversity at a major historical site. Monday’s vote creates full parity for the descendants of the enslaved in the leadership of the Montpelier Foundation, and amounts to a sharp turnaround from the board’s effort...

Updates from the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) on White House, Agency, and Congressional action on trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Agencies on Board White House National Drug Control Strategy On April 21, 2022, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released its National Drug Control Strategy to tackle an array of challenges with drugs in the United States with several encourag ing initiatives aimed to prevent and address...

Because in his 180-page diatribe, 18-year-old Payton Gendron provided a motive for shooting 10 people in Buffalo, NY, on Saturday night, police didn’t need to search for one, as they often have other in mass shootings. But if we want to prevent mass shootings, using motive as a way to prevent mass shootings will just get you a useless answer to the wrong question.

Two years ago, instead of retiring as planned, Dave Ellis decided to apply for the new position of “executive on loan” to create and lead the New Jersey Office of Resilience (OoR) in the Department of Children and Families (DCF). It is the first state-level office to integrate policies and practices based on the science of positive and adverse childhood experiences. His appointment electrified the national PACEs movement, not only because he was a pioneer in the movement, but because the...

Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with mental health struggles. The collective trauma of COVID-19 has exasperated our country’s mental health crisis. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This month, co-hosts, Ingrid Cockhren, CEO of PACEs Connection, and Mathew Portell, director of communities, speak with guests about this country's science, support, education, advocacy, and policies focused on mental health. This week's episode—at 1 pm PT, 4 pm ET,...

These triggers are unique to parenting and care-taking, meaning they will show up when you become a parent, because the child becomes the trigger.

Calling all companies, businesses, and organizations! We wanted to personally invite you to our upcoming webinar, Method to The Madness: Mental Health Awareness Made Manageable, May 26, 2022 @ 10 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST. We are passionate about helping organizations manage the emotional and mental health needs of employees in the workforce. We know businesses are struggling to mitigate the effects of mental health and social and civil justice issues we are facing. As mental health...

A Forward-Facing Approach to Optimal Performance When I was 11 years old, I tried out for junior league baseball. I did not make the team. It was devastating for me because I had played first string catcher and batted third in the lineup since I was eight. However, the tryouts were held the year after my parents had finalized an acrimonious divorce and I was bounced between my two parents multiple times during that year. During the tryouts, I was in the outfield and one of the coaches hit a...

A new research-based book for children's ministry leaders explains trauma-informed principles in plain language using examples from real churches.

By Mary Ann Wolf, Photo: Liz Bell/Education NC, EdNC, May 16, 2022 I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds and hundreds of principals over the years, and I am often reminded about the very unique — and often lonely position — that principals have as school leaders. They are the only one in their building with their role, and they are the one who students, teachers, parents, and community members turn to when they’re concerned about what’s going on within a school. Principals are...

By Elizabeth Hopper, Greater Good Magazine, May 16, 2022 Imagine that you’re at the grocery store, and someone else pushes past you, bumping into you. Or imagine that you’re out with friends, and a friend makes a teasing comment on a topic you’re sensitive about. You might feel a variety of emotions—surprised, shocked, or upset. Experiences such as this—ones where we are insulted, belittled, or made to feel invisible—can even leave us feeling less than fully human . This, in turn, can cause...

By Jeanne Sahadi, Photo: Natee Meepian/Adobe Stock, CNN Business, May 16, 2022 Divorce. Job loss. Business failure. Eviction. Bankruptcy. Poverty. Few people get through life without experiencing a financially traumatic situation of some kind -- whether as a child watching your parents go through it or experiencing it yourself as an adult. Look no further than the pandemic to see countless recent cases of it. Such events can lead to undermining money habits that can hurt your finances, your...