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Samira Abdulkadir came to the United States 10 years ago, a young bride with a baby boy. She was from Somalia but came to the U.S. by route of Kenya, where she was married. The family settled just outside of Boston, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and Abdulkadir had more children. Her second child, a girl, was born deaf. Then she had a boy, who died after five months in the hospital. Her next child, another girl, was also deaf—like their father. [For more of this story, written by Tara Garcia...

The 7 train is known for more than just rogue subway surfers . It’s a key line on the New York City public transit network, and arguably, the most diverse commute in the country. And this year, it marks its 100th year in operation . Nicknamed the “International Express,” the 7 kicks off on Main Street, in Flushing, Queens; cuts through East Asian, Latino, South Asian, and other immigrant locales; and terminates in Hudson Yards, Manhattan. In 1999, the White House Millennium Council deemed it...

Among the millions of people incarcerated in the United States, a significant portion have long been thought to be parole violators, those who were returned to prison not for committing a crime but for failing to follow rules: missing an appointment with a parole officer, failing a urine test, or staying out past curfew. But their actual number has been elusive, in part because they are held for relatively short stints, from a few months to a year, not long enough for record keepers to get a...

In his seventh-grade English class, Jeremiah Zhorne showed his teacher an essay he’d written for homework. Maybe, he told her, he should start over. Maybe he should have picked a different topic. He’d written four paragraphs about the difference between prescription and over-the-counter drugs and “bad and illegal” drugs. “Drugs may be bad for you, but they make you feel so good!” the 13-year-old had written in pencil. “You shouldn’t ever do drugs because they are very addicting. I know how...

Kids growing up in low-income urban communities suffer disproportionately from what researchers call Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), traumas ranging from violence in their neighborhoods to neglect at home, compounded by gross poverty levels, that diminish their ability to learn. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , ACEs are linked to risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, and low life potential. “As the number of ACEs increase, so does the risk for...

Youth of color represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. youth population and make up the majority of young people in about half of the country’s 100 largest U.S. cities. According to new research by the Center for Promise , the research institute of America’s Promise Alliance , fear, along with inequitable access to social supports, opportunities and experiences essential for healthy development, place this group at increased risk for poor health outcomes. [For more of this story go...

Last Friday, on a sunny Spring day in Santa Clara, CA, about 100 people gathered to celebrate a milestone: Over the last 10 months, 65 trainers from Trauma Transformed, a regional trauma-informed center and clearinghouse in the San Francisco Bay Area, have educated 4,048 people in six counties about trauma-informed principles and practices.

Meetings of the San Diego Trauma Informed Guide Team (SD-TIGT) now start with a moment of mindfulness. That could mean a breathing exercise or a quick round-robin with each participant saying a positive word before the group dives into that day’s agenda, says Heidi Echeverria, Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) project manager. “We’re trying to make it a habit to start with positivism. Taking the time to do this creates a calm environment and a lightness among members.”...

President Trump just fired the Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Dr. Murthy later posted some of his final thoughts on his Facebook page. These are words to live by, for anyone interested in ACEs and trauma. Kindness is more than a virtue. It is a source of strength. If we teach our children to be kind and remind each other of the same, we can live from a place of strength, not fear. I have seen this strength manifest every day in the words and actions of people all across our great nation. It...

I'm thrilled to announce our NEW Live Chat series!!! Starting in May, once a month, we will have a live Chat Event. It will take online in the Parenting with ACEs Group the second Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST). We'll learn from our featured guests (below) about ACE-related issues. We'll have discussions and share experiences, stories, and resources with each other. Here is who and what we have scheduled for 2017. 2017 Monthly Chat Schedule / Time is Always: @ 10 AM PST (1...

Abuse and trauma survivors are incredibly strong people. We know our strength is what helped us survive, and it’s what keeps us going now. Yet we know something is missing. This missing link is courage. We know we’re strong. But we’ve never allowed ourselves to realize that we’re also courageous people. And we always have been. That’s because courage is risky. The only thing we’ve ever wanted is what we never had as abused children: safety. Risk makes you vulnerable. No thanks, right? Hey, I...

As I wrap up my doctoral studies, I am excited to see how the concept of becoming “trauma-informed” in ministry is starting to pick up steam across the country. A large part of the credit for furthering that conversation goes to you--my friends and colleagues here on ACEsConnection! It's been humbling to see how our relatively small ministry in Montana has something to add to the conversation. In fact, far from being behind the curve here in Montana, we are on the cutting edge in terms of...