Blog

Matthew Morgenstern is convinced his Hodgkin's lymphoma was caused by exposure to toxic coal ash from the massive dump right across the road from SCI Fayette, a maximum-security prison in LaBelle, Pennsylvania, where he is currently serving a 5- to 10-year sentence. "In 2010 and until I left in 2013, the water always had a brown tint to it. Not to mention the dust clouds that used to come off the dump trucks ... which we all breathed in.... Every single day I would wake up and there would be...

For millions of Americans, housing costs are perversely mismatched to hourly wages. In 2017, the average U.S. worker would need to bring in a whopping $21.21 per hour to reasonably afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. That’s nearly three times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, and roughly 30 percent more than the $16.38 hourly wage that the average U.S. renter brings home. These stark numbers come from the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s latest Out of Reach report , which maps the...

Treating Trauma Without Drama -- online Summit -- 25 speakers, representing 5 different models of therapy -- and TOTALLY FREE. Suitable for Beginning Therapists | Experienced Therapists | Trauma Survivors

There's nothing wrong with trying something new -- you've got no restrictions in private practice -- but don't forget that public health service managers are responsible for spending other people's money, amidst a sea of potentially competing priorities. But, someone's got the message, if you're going to innovate, evaluate the success of what you do. See the story here. It's really encouraging to see this coming about in the ever-so-budget conscious UK National Health Service

This is no doubt an "advert" for an upcoming "course" on Sounds True -- one of the 'pop psych" trio -- but this webinar could be worth a look. It's an important topic for those recovering from ACEs. Usually these things are 1/4 to 1/3 advert mixed in with some worthwhile information.

I love yoga and writing. I need yoga and writing. Both are relatively affordable and can be done alone and at home or in community. Both have been central to my survival, recovery and growth which I write about below. I also love sharing and supporting survivor-led resources created for survivors and others. Here are two links to those if you want to get to those right away. There are more details about each following the essay: Write Your Story, Heal Your Life Summit: Alaura O'Dell...

Note: Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers. I don't know what her ACE score is but I've read enough of her non-fiction to know it's not 0. She writes more honestly about the shameful, gut-wrenching and challenging parts of life than anyone I've read and can do so with humor. She always makes me think or laugh even when I disagree with a particular view or belief. Here's a link to her Ted Talk and a few quotes from the talk. Happy Saturday. A few days before she turned 61, writer Anne...

Exceprt from article by Dena Simmons: As a black educator, trainer, and researcher in the field of social-emotional learning, I am often asked, in confidence, by teachers and school leaders: "Is this SEL program really going to work for my students of color?" I continue to be taken aback by the question and wonder about its genesis, especially since we know from research the benefits of school-based, social-emotional learning for students: improved attitudes and behaviors, better...

Mayor Jean Stothert declares Omaha a Trauma Informed City __________________________________________________________ Similar to most cities around the country, Omaha, Nebraska, desires and strives to be a safe, supportive, and engaging community where all people can flourish. However, the approach Omaha is taking to achieve these goals is unique to itself. In December 2016, Omaha kicked off a Trauma Informed Community initiative; the focus being that each person or organization that might...

Note: Dawn Daum & Joyelle Bran dt are the featured guests on the live chat held in the Parenting with ACEs Group on Tuesday, June 13th at 10 AM PST / 1 PM PST. The topic is Parenting with PTSD & ACEs. Dawn and Joyelle are artists, activists and parents. They met a few years ago and set about creating an online community for parent survivors to working to break the cycle of abuse. Here's a small sample of the work they have done and are doing: Wrote a resource about Parenting as an...

Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities is pleased to announce a series of webinars featuring our 11 national advisors. In each of these short 45-minute sessions, one of our advisors will share some of their expertise and engage in dialogue with you on key strategies for creating just, healthy and resilient communities. Visit MARC.HealthFederation.org/BrownBag for more information.

Trauma often does its greatest harm when it occurs during the impressionable stages of our youth. Losing one's parents, moving from different schools, living in an unstable environment - all of these are issues that can break into a child's world and cause difficulties well into adulthood. What can we do? What has research shown to be the current best practices? What is the science behind this aspect of foster care, and how does it relate to our faith? I was honored to be a part of a panel...