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... since it cannot fight or flight, a baby stuck in a crib on its back hearing parental discord in the next room can only “move into a third neurological state, known as a ‘freeze’ state … This freeze state is a trauma state”

A couple of weeks ago, I was doing the typical check-in on LinkedIn and saw where Lee had shared a post about a gentleman named Dr. Marcus Matthews. Dr. Matthews had released a new book entitled Urban ACEs without thinking and without hesitation I instinctively hit CONNECT. I had a sense we had some of the same ideas. In less than two hours of reaching out, we were on the phone sharing our hearts for students. I then asked Dr. Matthews if he'd like to get online and share, the link below are...

Last week we celebrated two very complicated days: Transgender Day of Remembrance and Thanksgiving. Two days in which we remember violence done to human beings from the birth of nation to today. Over forty Transgender people have been murdered in the US alone this year, over three hundred and fifty globally. I'm a graduate student at Boston University School of Theology, and I celebrated Transgiving. A day where Queer Survivors came together over Zoom to mourn and imbibe and find joy in the...

It’s ok to be aggressive in healing childhood trauma. There is a vast difference between being hard on yourself and pushing yourself into growth. To be brutally honest, as I always am, I think that we need to have a reclamation on this idea that just because we are trauma survivors that we can’t push ourselves into something. I will forever be the first to say that gentleness and patience are the keys to healing, but I find it incredibly discouraging that people consider pushing yourself...

By Emily Oster, The Washington Post, November 20, 2020 As covid-19 surges nationwide, the debate over school reopening has intensified. On one side are arguments that schools are not major sources of spread. On the other, we hear of schools with significant rates of infection. In response, many districts are delaying plans to bring back their students. On Wednesday, New York City announced that the nation’s largest district — one of the first to open for in-person instruction — would join...

By Jennie Day-Burget, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, November 12, 2020 Mel Hannah spent most of his life in service to others. He was the first African American member of the Flagstaff City Council and vice chairman of the NAACP Arizona State Conference. And, in service to his beloved family, Mel and his wife Shirley, now in their 80s, have been helping their daughter Ashley raise her three children these past years. Sadly, however, Ashley contracted and tragically died from COVID-19 in...

By Chantelle Bellrichard, November 30, 2020, CBC News. 84% of Indigenous people who took part in investigation reported discrimination in system Racism, stereotyping and discrimination against Indigenous peoples in the B.C. health-care system are widespread and can be deadly, according to the findings of an independent investigative report. The investigation was led by former judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who released her report, titled In Plain Sight, on Monday. "We have a major problem...

Dec 4, 2020 03:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) How does historic trauma impact contemporary Native American communities and how can Tribal communities, the federal government, and community organizations work together to address and mitigate those impacts? Van Ness Feldman and the Roundtable on Native American Trauma-Informed Initiatives* invite you to a webinar featuring Dr. Tami DeCoteau, a leader in identifying and implementing successful approaches to trauma-informed care and Van...

From Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, November 2020 Years of scientific study have shown us that, when children’s stress response systems remain activated at high levels for long periods, it can have a significant wear-and-tear effect on their developing brains and other biological systems. This can have lifelong effects on learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health. A growing body of evidence from both the biological and social sciences connects this concept...

"This Giving Tuesday, and every day, we thank you for your support," said members of the ACEs Connection staff on a recent "all staff Zoom." L-R (top row) Laurie Udesky, Carey Sipp, Gail Kennedy, Lara Kain (second row) Cissy White, Rafael Maravilla, Donielle Prince, Jenna Quinn (third row) Ingrid Cockhren, (off camera) Alison Cebulla, Jane Stevens. Out that day, and grateful all the same, were Karen Clemmer, Dana Brown, Elizabeth Prewitt, Marianne Avari, and Samantha Sangenito Called “the...

As part of the Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences FREE Film Festival & Follow-Up Discussion Series we bring you Whole People (parts 1 & 2 & 3). The documentary viewing will take place in the Transform Trauma with ACEs Science Film Festival Community on ACEs Connection . Each of our first three sections is just under twenty-seven minutes long and the topics are as follows: Preview: Whole People | 101 | Childhood Trauma | Episode 1 | PBS Preview: Whole People | 102 | Healing...

HOPE is seeking individuals who will review our pilot learning module and leave feedback! Click here to take the module , and click here to give feedback on your experience. The HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) team is working with the Education Development Center to make our trainings accessible to even more individuals, through an online curriculum for HOPE-informed care. The full curriculum teaches participants about positive childhood experiences, the science of HOPE,...