Blog

Whose fault is the crisis in Puerto Rico? A lot of people are inclined to blame President Donald Trump: Right after Hurricane Maria made landfall, instead of maximizing the federal resources directed to the island , Trump spent the weekend golfing and tweeting about the National Football League. He later launched a sexist and racist Twitter tirade against the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, and against the people of Puerto Rico more generally. Still, no matter how despicable Trump...

Alison is only 14 but she knows what she wants to be when she grows up: A surgeon. It’s not easy to study, however, when you’re so exhausted and hungry you can barely get through 9th-grade biology. An immigrant from Colombia, Alison is one of more than 200,000 K-12 students in California considered homeless because they lack stable housing. And like most of those students, she lives with her family in a home shared with other families—in her case, two other families. “I go to school every...

From September 18-21, more than 500 researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and activists gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the 5th Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum , to share quantitative and qualitative data about the characteristics of sexual and intimate partner violence across settings, and evidence of what works for the prevention and response to violence against women and girls. We were invited to present The Asia Foundation’s research from Timor-Leste and China , and...

A new study led by Australian researchers suggests that regular exercise of any intensity can prevent future depression — and just one hour a week can help. The landmark study by the Black Dog Institute reveals that even small amounts of exercise can protect against depression. Moreover, the mental health benefits are universal and extend to all ages and any gender. The study appears in the American Journal of Psychiatry. [For more on this story by Rick Nauert PhD, go to...

From: https://www.facebook.com/RobertWoodJohnsonFoundation/

First Lady Susan Hutchinson, who attended the recent First Spouses Trauma-Informed conference in Wisconsin , attended a photo op with Gov. Asa Hutchinson to commemorate the Adverse Childhood Experiences Awareness and Action Day proclamation for Oct. 13. (The proclamation is attached to this post.) First row (from left): Rev. Belinda Price, Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church; Dr. Alan Mease, Arkansas Department of Health; First Lady Susan Hutchinson; Gov. Asa Hutchinson; Janie Ginocchio,...

I am a huge fan of the Showtime series Ray Donovan . It’s a rather dark drama about a violent but charismatic Hollywood “fixer” with questionable morals and a deeply dysfunctional family. In a recent episode, Ray has been ordered by a judge to attend anger management therapy. His therapist asks Ray a series of questions about his experiences as a child: Was he ever physically hurt by an adult? Did adults in his family abuse alcohol or drugs? Did anyone in his family commit suicide? Did he...

I am a long-time advocate for how the power of neuroscience can transform the youth-serving profession. When combined with a commitment to putting the needs of youth first and a sizable dose of courageous leadership, the insights and practical guidance provided by brain research can have remarkable results. A prominent example of the transformational application of this “secret recipe” can be found at the Sacramento County (California) Youth Detention Facility (YDF). In 2010, Sacramento...

On Wednesday afternoons, Toneshia Forshee picks up her son, a four-year-old who suffers from optic nerve hypoplasia and wears thick Coke-bottle glasses, from the early childhood education center he attends in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She brings him home to her immaculate two-bedroom apartment in a well-maintained complex down the street from a Sonic burger joint. She makes dinner for her son and her one-year-old daughter, and the threesome eats together at a table in the corner of the living room,...

Just after lunchtime, on a blistering summer day in Washington, D.C., cultural psychologist Yulia Chentsova-Dutton is showing me the stars. They’re on her computer screen at Georgetown University, and labeled disturbingly: insomnia, anhedonia, headache, social withdrawal, chronic pain, and more. Each star represents a somatic or emotional sensation linked to depression. Chentsova-Dutton’s father was an astronomer. She’s found a way to use what he studied, the night sky, to understand her own...

Cissy's note: This has been an exceptional series. Here's more about the entire series and an excerpt from the most recent essay. In collaboration with Rise magazine , Jezebel is publishing a series of articles written by parents affected by the child welfare system. This post, the third in the series, features narratives by LaQuana Chapelle and Lashonda Murray, two mothers who themselves grew up in foster care. In New York City, an estimated 25 to 40 percent of mothers with children in...

Register now for "Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks" - A study of trauma-informed ministry and compassionate care for children from hard places and situations. Join us for the morning to hear from Rev. Dr. Chris Haughee, chaplain for Intermountain Residential Services in Helena, Montana. Chris’ professional work with children who have lived through significant trauma, his own personal experience as an adoptive father of two and his work with the Adverse Childhood Experiences ACEs study led...