We talk a big game, as a nation, about how much we value our kids. After all, “the children are our future,” right? But here’s the thing: our investments and policies don’t yet line up with this value. Spending on children makes up just 10 percent of the federal budget, and that share is likely to fall . The outcomes are clear: Child well-being in the United States ranks 26 on a list of 29 industrialized nations in a UNICEF report. We must do better! So here’s...
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/tragedy-whitney-houston-and-her-daughter-surprising-factors-can-make-people-4600-percent-more
The Heal Write Now Center Open House is tomorrow from 1-4 p.m. in Weymouth, MA. here, we gather to create hope, health and happiness. All workshops held or hosted at the center focus on the following: healing creativity mindfulness More than half of us have or will experience traumatic stress. Many of us live with post-traumatic stress. All of us grieve, face loss, go through major life transitions and have emotions and experiences worthy of sharing. Here's what is offered every...
265 Moms, dads, brothers, sisters and selves were shot by very young children this year. This is the first time data on people shot by children has been collected in America. There are 28 states that hold gun owners criminally liable if children access their guns. There is at least one state that fines doctors (Florida- the initial bill called for a five million dollar fine and & 5 years in prison for the doctor ) for counselling parents to take preventative measures with their...
When the Youth Health Empowerment Project, a Philadelphia program for youth aged 13 to 24, did ACE surveys of those who visited their drop-in center over three weeks, it found that 81 percent had a score of 4 or more. That’s a significant result, because, based on the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study , an ACE score of 4 greatly increases the risk of health and social problems, including heart disease, alcoholism, cancer, autoimmune diseases,...
A trafficking survivor shares personal and professional insights in a book written for those who care about young people’s safety and well-being. Savannah Sanders experienced years of sexual abuse before running away from home as a teenager. Once on the streets, she used drugs and attempted suicide before meeting a man who coerced her into performing sex acts for money. But it wasn’t until age 25, while reading an article online, that Sanders first realized she had been...
Ironically, the UK's Guardian has the most comprehensive news coverage about U.S. police killings, and it's updated regularly. This post has links to other databases, including the Washington Post and Mapping Police Violence.
A person who once steeped herself in envy of anyone who was successful changes her approach, by understanding her longing and her fear. It's good info for us who have ACEs that trigger our fears all the time. .....In this way, my perspective on my envy began to shift rather rapidly. Suddenly, instead of intense jealousy, I perceived intense longing. When crowds of envious inner thoughts brought on waves of envious inner feelings, I trained myself to instead tune right in to the...
You Are Invited to the ACES Coalition Inaugural Meeting, Thursday, Jan. 14, 10:30 - 1:00 p.m. Friends and Colleagues, As someone who cares about children and health outcomes for West Virginia, I am pleased to invite you to attend the first meeting of the newly formed state ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Coalition on Thursday, Jan. 14. The meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, 108 Lee St. East, Charleston, WV 25301...
The rollout of The Raising of America by television stations across the country continues and we post air dates online as we learn about them. Here are the broadcasts for January: California Rohnert Park -- KRCB 22 , North Bay Public Media Jan. 7, 8:00PM Jan. 25, 9:00PM Sacramento -- KVIE HD 6.1 Jan. 17, 7:00PM Jan. 20, 11:00PM San Francisco Bay Area -- KQED Jan. 3, 7:00PM (World) Jan. 18, 11:00PM (9) Jan. 23, 2:00PM (World)...
The aptly named Great Starts program at the Helen Ross McNabb Center in Knoxville, TN, provides a six-to-nine month residential treatment and two-year follow-up program for pregnant mothers and moms with newborns recovering from substance abuse. Earlier this year, curious about the early childhood history of its residents, the center started asking the women about their ACEs history. The results would not have been surprising to those familiar with ACEs: Of the 16 moms who filled out the...
Physical and behavioral health problems associated with trauma can linger long after someone experiences abuse, neglect, discrimination or violence, a growing body of evidence shows. With that knowledge in mind, a movement called “trauma-informed” care is making headway at schools, hospitals, social service organizations and health clinics across the country, including the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services Center of Drexel University.
Blame is a way we discharge pain. We blame others, hurling insults and digging our heels into the cushy comfort of self-righteous indignation. Or we blame ourselves. We beat ourselves up. We call ourselves names like “loser” and “failure.” And then we wonder why we feel small, alone and sick to our stomachs. Next time you notice you are blaming someone or blaming yourself, no matter why, try getting curious instead of launching an attack. Ask yourself: What am I...
To our collaborators, partners and cheerleaders --- It has been an incredible year! I truly believe with people like you and your teams, the future for our nation's children and families looks brighter than ever! Yes, it’s a very long road, and hard, hard work. But we cannot allow the enormity of what needs to be done to distract us from doing it. We cannot allow naysayers to discourage us. We cannot allow those people with closed minds or resistant to change to devalue our work.
One side pits winners and losers against each other in a race for the American Dream, while the other wonders what might be possible if we work together to form communities, build schools and create a culture of mutual respect. Since the beginning, two narratives have warred for the soul of America. One is the “We’re Number One” America, in which the American Dream is a competition with few winners and others who bask in their reflected glory. This is the America of land...