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Otsego is one of 10 counties in the state participating in a pilot program that started late last year to train and support communities in helping children who have experienced trauma. Heather Samkowiak, children’s services specialist for Otsego, Crawford and Oscoda counties for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said trauma can come in a range of experiences and said the toxic stress changes a person’s brain. “Essentially what happens is the brain becomes rewired...

Mayo Clinic researchers report that women who suffered adverse childhood experiences or abuse as an adult are 62 percent more likely to have their ovaries removed before age 46. These removals are for reasons other than the presence of ovarian cancer or a high genetic risk of developing cancer, says the new study published today in BMJ Open. In previous studies examining the effects of removing the ovaries of younger women, the research team has demonstrated a myriad of health risks...

Sixty percent of adults report difficult childhood experiences, including drawn-out divorces, violence, and abuse. The effects of trauma are long-lasting, ranging from anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder to physical illness. But according to Dr. Gabor Mate, focusing solely on the role of family in childhood trauma misses the bigger picture. What if trauma also results from a shortcoming on the part of society to support families in thriving? If society helped informed teachers and...

Donald Trump’s presidency could make Americans sicker — and not just from the stress of his polarizing politics, a pair of Harvard experts argued Wednesday. His administration’s proposed cuts to health and well-being programs could also hurt the population's health, if history is anything to go by, they said. The bad effects could last well into the next generation, because some of the most strongly documented fallout hits pregnant women, whose babies go on to suffer lifetime consequences...

Schools that offer dental care, mental health counseling, food assistance and other services have a significant and measurable positive impact on student achievement, according to research released this week by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Education Policy Center . The 26-page brief, “Community Schools: An Evidence-based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement,” found that schools that collaborate with nonprofits and government agencies to provide extra on-campus services...

It very much seems, from work cited on ICCE that different therapies have largely the same "effect size" -- therapeutic benefit -- regardless of what some say about some therapies -- not all will benefit from some therapies that will benefit other people. What seems to be key to the success of all is the quality of the therapy relationship -- different therapies may permit different "styles" of relationship. This came from Guy McPherson

The 4th annual International Resilience Summit will focus on equipping the attendees with evidence-based tools and resources necessary to grow individual and collective resilience . At this year’s Summit, we will provide the very best in speakers, resources, and practices so the attendees gain specialized learning in the following three areas: Student Resilience: Understand how to support the holistic behavioral and mental health needs of students, families, and educators. Military Connected...

"You know. I feel like people are blessed to have both parents in their life. Um... I wasn't. My parents have always been separated and you know, as a kid, to have your mom 1000 miles away and your Dad 1000 miles away. Apart.... So you know, no matter how far apart they are, I always just tried to be the one in the middle bringing them together. You know, it's just tough for a kid." Fik-Shun I like dance videos the way some like cat videos. Here's one of my all-time favorites. It is the of a...

House Bill 497 by Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, which would have completely banned corporal punishment in public schools, cleared a House committee but was soundly defeated by the full House. Norton said she hopes Foil's bill is an incremental step in the eventual prohibition of paddling. "It doesn't work today; it didn't work yesterday," Norton said again Monday in her oft-repeated assessment. She plans to try again next year for a complete ban. Opponents said completely removing the option...

As an explosives expert in the U.S. Marine Corps, Zack Clayton had many close calls diffusing bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. “You always know it’s a possibility that something could go off, but if you let that fear get to you, you can’t do your work,” he said. “You go into survival mode.” After four combat tours, Clayton received an honorable discharged in June 2014, but the experience left him with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. He moved to San Diego and...

D epression strikes far too often during adolescence, especially in teenage girls, a new study shows. More than a third of all teen girls in the United States wrestle with depression by the time they turn 17, according to new data regarding the state of children's' mental health. The study, which involved researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, examined reports of depression that began as early as 11 years of age through as late as 17 years of age. By the time they exited...

Collaborative care was more effective than colocation in reducing depression symptoms among an ethnically diverse and socioeconomically challenged cohort of individuals receiving primary care, according to findings presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting [For more of this story go to http://www.healio.com/psychiatry/depression/news/online/%7b2a9c71ff-89f5-4c8d-8363-e61955aec320%7d/collaborative-care-more-effective-than-colocation-for-depression-in-primary-care]