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By Rachel O'Neal, Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, December 22, 2019 One of the largest -- if not the largest -- provider of toys and gifts to the Centers for Youth & Families is a Little Rock tattoo parlor. Empire Tattoo and its manager, John Rhe'aume, host Toys for Tats, a Nov. 1-Dec. 18 fundraiser to collect toys for the children at the Centers. Toys for Tats is in its fifth year. Customers who bring in a toy worth at least $20 with a receipt receive 50% off the cost of a tattoo.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, California Health Report, December 20, 2019 California health officials are gearing up for the launch of a statewide screening effort that aims to help doctors measure children’s exposure to trauma and their risk of related health problems. Starting Jan. 1, California will become the first state in the nation to reimburse health care providers who screen patients enrolled in the Medi-Cal program for “adverse childhood experiences” or ACEs. The $40 million effort has...

By Steve Milne, Capital Public Radio, December 20, 2019 One of the last pieces of legislation from former California Gov. Jerry Brown’s final year in office would end the prosecution of pre-teens who commit crimes, other than murder and forcible sexual assault. Right now, California has no minimum age for sending children to juvenile hall. Beginning in the new year, counties will no longer be allowed to process kids under 12 years old through the juvenile justice system. Instead, they will...

By Gabriel J.X. Dance, The New York Times, December 23, 2019 In late November, the moderator of three highly trafficked websites posted a message titled “R.I.P.” It offered a convoluted explanation for why they were left with no choice but to close. The unnamed moderator thanked over 100,000 “brothers” who had visited and contributed to the sites before their demise, blaming an “increasingly intolerant world” that did not allow children to “fully express themselves.” In fact, forums on the...

Virginia House Del. Jeffrey M. Bourne, left, stands onstage with Lashrecse D. Aird, center, who won her House District 63 race, and Virginia state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan at a Democratic election watch party at Hilton Richmond Downtown on Nov. 5. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) Republican-controlled state legislatures are gearing up to try to tighten abortion laws across the country, while some states controlled by Democrats are looking to enshrine the right to choose into law. It’s...

On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law was a huge leap towards helping people of the United States, facing mobility and other disabling conditions, conquer many of the barriers faced in everyday life. In this article, we shall examine together the ADA, the ADAAA and how these laws impact your ability to work while having a mental health disorder.

Hi everyone, this week I've released a video and article about emptiness, and the suprising way we can come to feel fulfilled. As you'll see in the video, especially near the end, I feel very strongly about this. Everyone feels a sense of emptiness sometimes, but people with Childhood PTSD are especially prone to it. It’s one of the classic adult symptoms of early trauma. And like most trauma symptoms, it has roots in your brain development as well as your psychological development. This is...

By Daniel G. Whitney and Mark D. Peterson, JAMA Pediatrics, February 11, 2019

The holidays offer us a moment when we can show our children through action that life goes on, that difficulties can be overcome, that there can be joy and blessings amidst pain. This models giving life the best we have to give it at that moment. For families who struggle with addiction or other forms of adverse childhood experiences, rituals that remain in tact can be a way of telling kids that life will go on, of reassuring them that bonds s till have meaning and that their place in the...

Giving and Receiving (Source: Week 46, page 199, Superkid Power Guidebook , © 2013, 2019, Janai Mestrovich) Why this Concept is Important Times like Christmas and birthdays spur children to look forward to “getting” presents. Giving and receiving become synonymous to presents. Material gifts are a way to understand the concepts of giving and receiving but can delete a healthy perspective for those who don’t take the understanding any further. Giving and receiving are partners. To be able to...

Teletherapy app Ayana matches users to licensed professionals based on their culture, race, and experiences. Can it help close the mental healthcare gap? It was a cry for help that inspired entrepreneur Eric Coly to launch his startup. The former investment banker was approached by a close friend who confided to him that she needed counseling, but she couldn’t find a therapist. Or more specifically, she couldn’t find an African-American therapist. She wanted someone who could understand her...

By Kim Newell Green, San Francisco Chronicle, December 17, 2019 As a pediatrician, I know that one of the most powerful tools for ensuring the health of my patients and of all our nation’s children is nutritious food. As such, school lunch in particular is vital, not only to their health but also to their learning capacity. The Trump administration has recently proposed changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Nearly a million students may lose automatic eligibility...