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Shelby Quintal, a senior clinician at the Rubin Home for Boys in Troy, New York, says high staff turnover hinders the ability of some foster youth to form stable, healthy relationships later in life. Photo by Hans Pennink. By Susanti Sarkar, The Imprint, August 15, 2023 In her five years at the Rubin Home for Boys in Troy, New York, Shelby Quintal has seen countless social workers and childcare staff come and go. It’s surprising, she mused, that she has stayed this long. As a senior...

From left to right, Jesse J. Helton, Ph.D., Kira Banks, Ph.D., Mark Pousson, Ph.D., and Keon L. Gilbert, D.PH SLU file photos. By Bridjes O'Neil, Saint Louis University, August 2023 Adolescents of color with a disability or special health care need (SHCN) were almost twice as likely to experience racial discrimination compared to peers of color without SHCNs, according to Saint Louis University (SLU) research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health . The study’s authors hope this...

By Linda Geddes, Illustration: Joel Burden/The Guardian, The Guardian, August 23, 2023 I ’ve made a cup of coffee, written my to-do list and now I’m wiring up my ear to a device that will send an electrical message to my brainstem. If the testimonials are to believed, incorporating this stimulating habit into my daily routine could help to reduce stress and anxiety, curb inflammation and digestive issues, and perhaps improve my sleep and concentration by tapping into the “electrical...

By Jackie Powder, Photo: from article, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, August 22, 2023 At the Center for Adolescent/Young Adult Health at Johns Hopkins’ Harriet Lane Clinic, pediatrician Arik Marcell often heard complaints from his young male patients about the free condom brands provided at school or in the community. The discussions gave him an idea. “I created the equivalent of a free condom store in my clinic, really a large closet that they can walk in and see all the...

Surgeons perform a bilateral mastectomy on a transgender patient at a hospital in Boston on Friday, July 15, 2016. The number of gender-affirming surgeries in the U.S. nearly tripled from 2016 to 2019 before declining slightly in 2020 when about 12,800 procedures were done, according to a study published Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in JAMA Network Open. (Christine Hochkeppel/Worcester Telegram & Gazette via AP) By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press, August 23, 2023 The number of...

By Laura Newberry, Illustration: Patrick Hruby/Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, August 22, 2023 If there’s one truth that applies to all people, it’s that we’re shaped by our experiences. The events of our lives — the good, the bad, the seemingly mundane and the devastating — play a key role in determining how we relate to ourselves and others, and whether we feel safe in our bodies and in this world. This week’s newsletter is about complex trauma, which can happen when we survive...

Charmaine Dorsey, director of patient and social support services for the LA County Department of Health Services, is one of the masterminds behind the agency’s integration of behavioral health and social services. Photo: Harrison Hill By J. Duncan Moore, Jr., California Healthcare Foundation, August 17, 2023 When it comes to addressing behavioral health and social needs, Los Angeles County is going big. Its Department of Health Services (DHS) is in the process of executing an ambitious plan...

Screen time at age 1 has been linked with developmental delays in toddlerhood. Thanasis Zovoilis/Digital Vision/Getty Images By Kristen Rogers, CNN health, August 21, 2023 Handing your baby a phone or tablet to play with may seem like a harmless solution when you’re busy, but it could quickly affect their development, a new study has found. Having anywhere from one to four hours of screen time per day at age 1 is linked with higher risks of developmental delays in communication, fine motor,...

By Keegan Williams, Photo: Hillary Schave/Azena Photography, LGBTQ Nation, August 21, 2023 Mercury Stardust’s phone camera pops on in the vacant Google Meet room. She’s doing her makeup, surrounded by her team offscreen, in a period of relative calm before the release of her first book, Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair , which will be accompanied by a 52-city book tour. Just over two years ago, the self-proclaimed Trans Handy Ma’am , based in Madison, Wisconsin, worked...

Deborah Blum holds a photo of her child, Esther Iris, who died by suicide in 2021. When it came time to write the death notice, Blum was open and specific about the mental health struggles that led to her child’s death. (Lauren Justice/KFF Health News) By Debby Waldman, The Washington Post, August 20, 2023 When Deborah and Warren Blum’s 16-year-old died by suicide in November 2021, they went into shock. For two days, the grief-stricken Los Angeles couple didn’t sleep. But when it came time...

These are challenging times to maintain physical and mental well-being, so much so that it’s increasingly difficult to encounter someone who isn’t struggling with some sort of significant medical and/or psychological challenge. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily chats with award-winning journalist, author, speaker, and workshop facilitator Donna Jackson Nakazawa about her career at the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and emotion. Emily and Donna discuss the impact of...

(Warning: There is strong language in this episode.) As we move into the month of September, PACEs Connection is taking a break. Our staff will be on a retreat next week and will celebrate Labor Day the following week. We will be taking the next two weeks to restore ourselves. We will engage in self and collective care. In honor of Labor Day, PACEs Connection CEO Ingrid Cockhren has chosen one of her favorite past podcasts for an encore this week. It is her conversation with Candice...