Blog

Free Online Collective Trauma Summit from Oct 12 - 20th. Daily interviews with some of the leading international researchers in trauma and recovery, with a collective intergenerational, systemic, historical focus.

“In every published study of hope, every single one, hope is the single best predictor of well-being compared to any other measures of trauma recovery. This finding is consistently corroborated with other published studies from top universities showing that hope is the best predictor for a life well-lived."

By Patrice Gaines, NBC News, October 11, 2019 Dr. Nadine Burke Harris has an ambitious dream: screen every student for childhood trauma before entering school. "A school nurse would also get a note from a physician that says: 'Here is the care plan for this child's toxic stress. And this is how it shows up,'" said Burke Harris, who was appointed California's first surgeon general in January. "It could be it shows up in tummy aches. Or it's impulse control and behavior, and we offer a care...

By Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press, October 10, 2019 Everybody seems to be having fun when the kids in a new public service announcement are just playing football, until one boy is thrown to the ground and the background music turns ominous. Then, the coach starts handing out cigarettes. “Tackle football is like smoking,” a youthful voice-over says as a smiling, motherly type lights a cigarette for one of the pre-teen players. “The younger I start, the longer I’m exposed to danger.” [...

By Elizabeth A. Harris, The New York Times, October 10, 2019 HBO wants people to talk about mental illness. The network announced on Thursday a campaign to use its shows to increase awareness around mental health issues, highlighting characters’ struggles with conditions like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or substance abuse. As part of the initiative, called “It’s OK,” some episodes of shows will begin with an alert identifying the mental health challenges faced in the program —...

By Dan Merica and Kate Sullivan, CNN, October 11, 2019 Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas said on Thursday that conversion therapy "should be illegal" and compared the widely discredited practice that seeks to change the sexual orientation of gays, lesbians and bisexuals to torture. "As president, we will seek to outlaw it everywhere in this country," the Democratic candidate said Thursday at an LGBTQ town hall hosted by CNN and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. "In my opinion, this is...

By LJ Dawson, Kaiser Health News, October 11, 2019 Every day that Janet van der Laak drives between car dealerships in her sales job, she keeps size 12 shoes, some clothes and a packed lunch — a PB&J sandwich, fruit and a granola bar — beside her in case she sees her 27-year-old son on the streets. “’Jito, come home,” she always tells him, using a Spanish endearment. There he can have a bed and food, but her son, Matt Vinnola, rarely returns home. If he does, it is temporary. The streets...

By Joan Cook, The Hill, October 10, 2019 Today is World Mental Health Day. And, California, a state with 10 percent of the U.S. population, just announced that it’s introducing the first toll-free statewide mental health line for non-emergency emotional support and referrals. What a wonderful way to kick off this occasion. This Peer-Run Warm Line is a reason to celebrate. As a psychologist, I’ve witnessed first-hand the emotional pains people carry, and how hard it is for them to come in for...

By P. Berman, A. Hosack & K. Hecht Where should I go? I have nowhere to run to! Maybe here… Larry had run about a half mile before realizing he couldn’t make it to his own church, it was too far away; the gang would catch up to him before he got there. He saw a church up ahead that looked like it might be Catholic. He would have to hope its unknown priest would help him. He ran up the stairs to the front door, almost out of breath. He pushed the heavy door forward and slipped in. No...

The current landscape of bullying has changed - but 1 in 3 students are still targeted. Learn strategies on how schools can respond. Join us for a panel discussion with experts from The Bully Project and Making Caring Common, a project from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Walk away with a better understanding of how the bullying landscape has changed and a roadmap you can use to respond. SAVE YOUR SEAT! We will cover: Celebrating diversity and reinforcing inclusion Building more...

Dear Colleagues, Wanted to share my new study out in Exceptional Children . I look at maltreatment patterns & their consequences for child welfare-involved children in special education. Findings can inform how educators support these youth, who are often overlooked. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0014402919870830?journalCode=ecxc If you don't have journal access, feel free to email me for a copy of the study: kagee@ucdavis.edu . Regards, Kevin Kevin A. Gee, Ed.D. Associate...

By Tyrone, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, October 7, 2019 March 7, 2012 my oldest brother was killed. He was killed by the NOPD (New Orleans Police Department). Coming home from school March 7, 2012, my oldest brother and his friend was sitting outside. They were just chilling and talking. Once he saw my siblings and I get off the school bus, he told us not to come outside until we finished our homework. I told him “OK” and we walked past him to the front door. First thing I remember...