Blog

By Emily Pyrek, La Crosse Tribune, August 9, 2019 In the aftermath of the recent trio of gun massacres in the United States, social workers, psychologists and researchers in La Crosse and nationwide are calling attention to the effects of adverse childhood experiences, as trauma in their formative years appears to be a commonality among many mass shooters. Lacie Ketelhut, trauma-informed care community coordinator at Gundersen Health System, has been a prominent local voice in spreading...

By Monica Humphries, Nationswell, August 9, 2019 A FORESTED RETREAT IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA PROVIDES MARGINALIZED KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN COPING SKILLS — COURTESY OF WILD ANIMAL “TEACHERS.” Nine times a year, cohorts of young people from San Jose and San Francisco pile into vans and head out for the fresh air and redwood-dotted forests of nearby Half Moon Bay. These are city kids, bonded by a shared experience of growing up in urban centers. But something much darker that bonds them,...

By Nell Greenfieldboyce, National Public Radio, August 8, 2019 The nation's foremost public health agency shies away from discussing the important link in this country between suicide and access to guns. That's according to documents obtained by NPR that suggest the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instead relies on vague language and messages about suicide that effectively downplay and obscure the risk posed by firearms. Guns in the United States kill more people through suicide...

The Supporting Evidence Building in Child Welfare Project , a five-year project of the Urban Institute, to support the Administration for Children and Families, is increasing the number of evidence-supported interventions for the child welfare population by conducting rigorous evaluations and supporting the field in moving toward rigorous evaluation. The project focuses on evaluating interventions that already have some evidence of effectiveness and are currently operating or those that will...

It is exciting to read about innovative efforts that gives bonuses to mental health providers! Scroll down to find the full article. Thanks, Karen "The first year, the agency paid nearly $7 million in bonuses to mental health providers who guide patients in care related to their physical health." By Blake Farmer, Aug 9, 2019 for Nashville Public Radio Modern medicine often views the mind and body on separate tracks, both in terms of treatment and health insurance reimbursement. But patients...

In 2017, two youth-focused Camden, NJ, organizations were angling for the same pot of grant money—funding for a youth-led initiative to learn about community health concerns and develop projects to address them. But instead of scrabbling for the grant as rivals, Hopeworks and UrbanPromise became one another’s cheerleaders. In phone conferences with funders, representatives of both organizations noted their history of collaboration and stressed the importance of taking a trauma-informed...

Diet and nutrition can be a powerful tool to influence change in both the body and brain of a child and/or family member experiencing trauma—but it is rarely used. Join the Family Trauma Institute for this free webinar on trauma and nutrition.

The Drug Endangered Children’s Initiative in Plymouth County, Massachusetts is now accepting referrals to help children impacted by the opioid crisis. Children who live in a home where a parent, sibling or other family member struggles with addiction are likely experiencing trauma. Grandparents increasingly find themselves raising grandchildren, and some children end up in the foster care system. The DEC Initiative seeks to help those families. The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office...

By Bella DePaulo, PsychCentral, July 16, 2019 Mention single parents and someone will immediately claim that their children are doomed. They will insist that they have scientific evidence on their side. Often, these people don’t really understand how to interpret scientific findings because they’ve had no training. Sometimes, though, the people making such claims are fully grown researchers who should know better. I have been studying the research on the children of single parents ever since...

By Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, August 9, 2019 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize elevates the compelling stories of community members throughout the country who are working together in new ways so that everyone can live their healthiest life possible, regardless of who they are or how much money they make. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, and reliable transportation—affects how long and how...

By Nomin Ujiyediin, KCUR, August 5, 2019 Susan Haynes used to have panic attacks seven times a day. Sometimes, she would fall out of her chair. Sometimes, she would stop breathing. “I could just fall down, just collapse and look like I was having a seizure or stroke,” she said. “It was pretty scary.” For years, Haynes has struggled with the effects of trauma from a divorce, childhood abuse and a death in the family. She has taken medication and tried therapy to manage her debilitating...

Melinda Coates experienced a tumultuous pregnancy. “I was really mentally upset literally from day one (of the pregnancy),” she says. (Melinda Coates is a pseudonym. To protect her and her children’s privacy and safety, we are not using her real name.) Coates had hoped to get counseling last October, when she was seven months pregnant. That’s when she enrolled in the state’s Medi-Cal program, shortly after she and her abusive husband moved to California, “but nobody was able to get me in...