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Kindness does not equate to being ‘trauma-informed’. And being trauma-informed sadly does not always equate to being ‘survivor-informed’.

Being an Indian woman one might assume I have always been into Goddess-y things, but that would not be a true assumption. On the contrary, I've lived most of my life feeling quite disconnected, and to be totally honest, and accurate – "amputated" – from my feminine self. The truth is that I adopted a core belief to cope and survive. For decades I believed that that "all" my trauma, troubles, and tribulations, came from one singular fact, that I was born a girl, destined for a life of...

Join us for our first episode in a new series called "PACEs Connection Reacts" where we will be viewing the world through a PACEs science and trauma-informed lens. For this PACEs Connection Reacts, join Ingrid Cockhren, Director of the Cooperative of Communities, Natalie Audage, Family and Community Resources Lead, and Alison Cebulla, Community Facilitator at PACEs Connection. Dr. Christina Bethell, speaker at the HOPE Summit, PCEs expert and researcher at Johns Hopkins University, will be...

Rick Griffin knows a lot about hope – how to understand it, instill it, develop it. Griffin is the director of training and curriculum development for the non-profit Community Resilience Initiative (CRI) in Walla Walla, Washington. Walla Walla’s Lincoln High was the subject of a 2015 film, “Paper Tigers,” by the late Jamie Redford, about how the school principal, Jim Sporleder, adopted an ACEs-informed approach that positively transformed the school as well as the surrounding community.

Natalie Audage, new PACEs family and community resources lead, says her middle and high school education in dictatorships – Aleppo, Syria and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – where her parents were teachers on the international circuit, made her realize that human rights were not universal. That’s why a light bulb went off in her senior year at Princeton University, when the chemistry major took a class on human rights. She realized she could combine her love of science with her desire to help the...

Alexis, 17, has always been close to her parents. But since the pandemic began, they have been arguing a lot. “We snap at each other more,” she said. “And because there’s more negative emotion with the virus and we’re all trapped in the house together, the stress is definitely amplified.” Both her parents have been working from their Maryland home since March last year. For most of that time, Alexis’ sister, who has graduated from college, has also been living at home. Last April, their...

Seven years ago, trying to recover from the death of her daughter, Brenda Mosley was introduced to the concept of trauma-informed care. “I was in a state of grief, darkness and despair,” she says. Then she began a three-year, trauma-informed program offered by an organization in her neighborhood of Kensington, Philadelphia, the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC). “It was 10 women and we were introduced to all the models of trauma-informed care,” Mosley recalls. “I was...

Assembly member, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat from Orinda, has introduced Assembly Bill 988, also known as the Miles Hall Lifeline Act, to lay the groundwork for this desperately needed alternative to 911. If passed, the Miles Hall Lifeline Act will allow anyone in California who experiences severe mental health distress – or witnesses someone else in distress – to call one easy-to-remember phone number, 988, and get the appropriate help.

California will receive $26 billion through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal legislation recently signed into law by President Joseph Biden to help state and local economies recover from the pandemic. Media outlets have reported that the money will help fund everything from a stronger COVID-19 response to small businesses, housing, anti-poverty programs, and education, but little has been written about the other ways the act will benefit children. The law’s impact on...

This article was originally posted on the Forward-Facing Institute Blog written by Pete Cargill. We are Dented Cans Dented cans are cast aside, although they are not broken. A dent is not the can’s fault, it did not decide to get dropped, or kicked, or mishandled. It just happened. The dent can’t be removed. The dent is on the outside of the can, it cannot be hidden or disguised. Some dents are bigger and more noticeable than others. The can could be rewrapped but the dent will remain. Even...

ADRIFT is a free prosocial video game about consent that is appropriate for all ages. ADRIFT is an award-winning game which has been featured in a museum exhibition at MOD. We also offer a free guide for use by parents in conjunction with ADRIFT to aid them when teaching their children about consent.

Dear Parenting with ACEs Community: I'm transitioning out of my role as Community Manager of Parenting with ACEs due to health reasons. However, this community is stronger than ever and will be managed by the kind, warm, and smart @Natalie Audage (PACEs Connection Staff) who I've had the pleasure of working with and now consider a friend. Please keep posting in this community about your experiences. Please share resources, calendar events, infographics, and flyers.