Blog

By Yael Meshulam, July 19, 2020, The Dad. There are certain things we know about raising kids. We know roughly how much to feed them ( one million snacks per day ), how much they need to sleep, we know to take them to the doctor when they get sick – but there is so much about raising kids that we genuinely don’t know. Sure, we can do our best to set good examples, but there is no textbook way to help kids grow into strong, resilient, confident, kind, adults. Since there is no one concrete...

With the blessing of my editor, and as Covid19 rules our timelines, here is a peek into Chapter 7 of #VeiledThreat. Curiosity. The who, what, why of Pk Hill I am a soul in the process of metamorphosis. I hear the tiny voices in my head. They are so young and although muffled they are so very wise. What is the meaning and purpose of my life? Why do I write about torturous sexual memories and horrific episodes that used to silence and shame me? Why am I now willing to publicly rip off the...

Are we living in a direct-to-video movie? This morning it feels like the nation is trapped in the 2018 film by Johnny Kevorkian called Await Further Instructions. In the film a Christmas reunion takes a very disturbing turn when the family awake to find themselves trapped inside their home. Since wifi is down, the only source of information from the outside world is the television, which prompts the family members to do exactly as it says. Its first message is “await further instructions.”...

Play is the language of children — which is why play therapy can help kids speak the unspeakable. Dee Ray doesn’t learn how children feel by listening to their words. Ray, a researcher and counselor in Texas, learns by watching them play. She directs the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas and often works in schools, where she sections off a 10 feet by 10 feet area in a classroom and fills the space with toys — a child sized kitchenette, puppets, a bop bag that a child...

ACEs initiative participants in communities where there is tension between the community and law enforcement will want to join Becky Haas in a compelling conversation on law enforcement, ACEs science, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement and protests. Haas is a nationally recognized adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) science initiative builder and trainer. She and colleagues Renee Wilson-Simmons, the head of the ACE Awareness Foundation of Memphis, Tennessee, and Maggi Duncan,...

Approximately half of all individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorder also meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. See how the two diagnoses can become dangerously intertwined and how it can be treated.

Privilege comes in many forms. Those with privilege must provide a leg up to those without. I recently had a conversation with some professional colleagues that didn’t go well. I’ve been disturbed by it since and thought it might be useful for all of us to use the experience as a teachable moment. I was asked to talk about my work, and I ended up focusing on the difficulties I’ve had experiencing repeated rejection from mainstream colleagues. I didn’t start out intending to express my...

Supporting School Mental Health in the Context of Racial Violence is a two-part learning series intended for students, families, educators and school mental health professionals who are navigating the impact of racial violence on student mental health. Each 1.5 hour learning session will feature a moderator who will engage advocates, leaders and the school mental health workforce in a conversation that focuses on: Strategies for supporting students’ mental health while navigating racial...

While current events have resulted in an increased awareness of social justice and racial equity for some, racial and socioeconomic disparities in education continue. The overwhelming achievement gap between districts is considered a direct result of the available resources at various schools. Private educational institutions have infinitely more flexibility than public school districts. This year, due to public health mandates considered necessary to reopen schools, public districts are...

As we navigate the effects of a global pandemic and economic recession, we have the opportunity to rethink the ways we provide services and supports to children and families before they find themselves in crisis. Essential to this new thinking is the realignment of our systems to make them more prevention-oriented, integrated, science-informed, and equitable, and thereby better meeting the needs of children and families, not just during this pandemic, but into the future. Creating a...

Everywhere we look we see stressed-out families. If only you could show a family how stressed they are and what was causing the stress. At the Family Trauma Institute , we’ve found that knowing is half the battle. When family members literally “see” what causes stress, they can begin taking steps to decrease stressors and move towards healing. The FST Stress Chart serves as a pattern interrupt to disrupt the overwhelm parents, teens, couples and families feel when they come through our doors...

Service providers and the children, youth, and families whom they serve have long faced system barriers which often present more challenges than solutions. In today’s climate, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated many of these issues, forcing child and youth-serving providers to find unique ways to meet the needs of individuals and communities. For many reasons, the relevance and timing of the arrival of the Virginia HEALS model of service delivery could not have been more perfect.