Blog

As I look forward to the upcoming 67 Annual Conference of the Association of Children's Residential and Community Service in May, there are some aspects that I am extremely excited about. While there are a number of fantastic keynotes and presenters, the work of Lisa Cherry, MA truly resonates. She is one of the keynote presenters kicking off the conference on Wednesday May 17.. Her combination of professional research and personal experience will result in a fantastic experience for all...

Can empathetic, healing centered workplaces change the entire culture of a community? A nation? What would a healing centered workplace look like, offer, and change? Katherine Manning, author of “The Empathetic Workplace - Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job ” joins, PACEs Connection CEO Ingrid Cockhren and Mathew Portell, PACEs Connection director of education and outreach, to discuss what it would take to create empathetic, healing-centered...

[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site — abuseresearch.info — that focuses on the effects of abuse, and includes research articles on PACEs. Every month, she posts the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs, PCEs and PACEs. Thank you, Harise!! — Rafael Maravilla] Child Abuse Bullinger LR, Boy A, Feely M, et al. Home, but Left Alone: Time at Home and Child Abuse and Neglect During COVID-19. Journal of family issues.

"These are some of my favorite people and me at from a recent conference," said PACEs Connection monthly donor Kerrie Ackerson. From left to right—Ginger Healy from the Attachment Trauma Network, Kerrie's sister "my (little) big sister Stacey (our family’s brave teacher)", trauma informed educators and advocates Jim Sporleder, Lara Kain, Jodi Place, and Ackerson. The number of donors giving to PACEs Connection with a monthly gift is increasing. “While we’ve added about 15 new monthly donors...

Last week I enjoyed the beautiful city of Krakow in Poland. The architecture and art can be seen not only in displays, but also in the craftsmanship of pottery, jewellery, traditional clothing, and of course the delicious food. The time spent there was an emotional eye opener to what I academically understood intergenerational trauma to be. Intergenerational trauma refers to the transfer of traumatic experiences from one generation to another. It can result in the perpetuation of...

Thousands of people will participate in discussions and events designed to break down barriers and inspire respectful connections. Durham, NC —Thousands of Americans will join together April 17-23, 2023, to participate in the 6th annual National Week of Conversation (NWOC). During NWOC, hundreds of organizations lead events offering opportunities to help bridge the polarization that threatens the future of the United States. NWOC is powered by the #ListenFirst Coalition of 500+...

The 6th Annual Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference (PTTC) will be held virtually July 10-11, 2023. PTTC provides a collaborative and engaging learning experience for community members and providers, educators, and leaders across health, education, and social service disciplines. By highlighting innovative practices and research, the conference aims to develop and enhance trauma responsive and social-justice informed competencies to promote the health and wellbeing of vulnerable children,...

So much of what’s happening at the individual level we can see within systems. Our addiction to fast fashion, to modern comforts. Our need to numb and self soothe with whatever we have been taught, whether that’s food or alcohol or weed. Or external validation. Our predilection to look after our family unit over the common good.

I look forward to building on these shared values with the PACEs Connection team: to empower people, families, communities, and organizations with the human-focused tools and living resources needed for a better world.

Beijing, China, during a dust storm and heavy pollution in March this year. Photograph: Borg Wong/AP By Pascal Soriot, The Guardian, April 10, 2023 The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is a grim, yet unsurprising, reminder of the catastrophic effect global heating is having on our planet. The message from leading climate scientists is clear: action is needed now . Not tomorrow, not next year, not by the end of the decade. Even drastic carbon reduction today that limits...

Billie Jean after a breakup. Troy, New York, 2006. ( Brenda Ann Kenneally ) By Monica Potts, The Atlantic, April , 2023 "B oy crazy” was what people called it. “She was so boy crazy,” I would hear about my girlfriends. I never heard the reverse, that a boy was “girl crazy.” Girls having crushes, sneaking out at night to have fun: It seems innocent enough. But in my small, conservative town, a “wrong” choice at a young age could cut girls off from their future dreams, leaving them mired in...

By Michael Hiltzik, Image: From article, Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2023 Years of widening economic inequality, compounded by the pandemic and political storm and stress, have given Americans the impression that the country is on the wrong track. Now there’s empirical data to show just how far the country has run off the rails: Life expectancies have been falling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year that life expectancy at birth fell in 2021 to its lowest level...