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Janet Wilmoth interviews Architect Paul Erickson, FAIA, LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects, about the concept of immersive design and how it can impact firefighter mental health. When we first heard that immersive design could help first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues, the immediate question was, “But what is ‘immersive design’?” The article “Ten Things We’ve Learned About Immersive Design” describes the concept in two ways: “Immersive...

By A. Hosack, K. Hecht , & P. Berman I passed! I am not stupid! The letter had finally come. Claire had received a score of 87% on the National Dental Hygienist Test! The Carsons were so proud of Claire. The letter had come at the perfect time, the week before the party. Now, they thought, Claire could relax and enjoy her party. On the outside, Claire’s life seem s ready to take off like a rocket. What a success story she has! She is the first member of her family to graduate high school...

It takes a village to raise a child is an old African proverb. It means that a child needs both the immediate and extended family to overcome adverse experiences like trauma and to grow up in a safe and secure environment. Unfortunately, traditional trauma treatment often only includes the individual child. Join Dr. Scott Sells in the free webinar, "How to Engage the Village in Trauma Treatment." Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 Time: 1:00-2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time Cost: Free To register,...

A study lead by Penn Medicine researchers found that childhood trauma is linked to abnormal connectivity in the brain in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). The study is the first to show that childhood trauma is linked to symptom-specific, system-level changes in brain network connectivity in MDD. “With estimates of approximately 10 percent of all children in the United States having been subjected to child abuse, the significance of child maltreatment on brain development and...

If the Geometry in Construction curriculum had existed years ago, Jeff Schaefer would never have quit teaching. Now, he’s back in the classroom — sort of. Every other day, Schaefer trades a textbook for a hammer and dry-erase markers for nails. “I’m a big do-it-yourselfer, so this was right up my alley,” said Schaefer, a math teacher at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas. Hendrickson High School is one of more than 500 schools in the United States that currently offers a...

My family lives in Athens, Tenn., population 13,000, and we are familiar with the truths of an economy that has changed. We shake our fists at spotty broadband and crumbling roads. And we know what it’s like to watch main street awnings turn yellow and old factory stacks rust and crack in the sun, to lose family farms to corporate agribusiness, and see health care specialists move to medical centers 70 miles up the road. But these challenges obscure a much deeper truth about my hometown and...

Family And Children's Trust (FACT) Fund of Virginia just released their latest issue brief! SYSTEMS OF TRAUMA : Racial Trauma explores how racial trauma intersects and exacerbates trauma caused by family violence. In order to do so effectively, the brief will review issues of structurally embedded inequalities, individual actions that cause racial trauma, the effects of racial trauma on communities of color, and strategies for individuals, communities, professionals and organizations to...

Author Esther Wojcicki wrote HOW TO RAISE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE: Simple Lessons for Radical Results (copyright 2019) and placed this post on www.medium.com on May 1, 2019: www.humanparts.medium.com/how-a-painful-childhood-made-esther-wojcicki-a-better-mom-4c78fc30b921 . It's titled "How a Painful Childhood Made Me a Better Mom." Since this is the month of Mother's Day (it's on Sunday, May 12, 2019), I thought I'd link it here on ACEs Connection. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, everywhere, and...

While improv specifically may seem a surprising choice for those struggling to transition to life after injury, it’s now part of the resiliency programming the Air Force offers its Wounded Warriors (the term the United States Armed Forces uses to describe injured service members) and their caregivers. Aaron Moffett, Ph.D., a sports psychologist who runs the resiliency program, noted that the resiliency workshops take a holistic approach to teaching life skills. With improv, “it’s really a...

"Mental health advocates have long described California’s fragmented mental health system with words like “struggling” and “broken.” Evidence of its consequences can be found in our jails and prisons, our hospitals and clinics, our schools and colleges. The problem touches those living in comfortable middle class suburbs, remote rural towns, and on the streets of the state’s biggest cities." "Not only do a sixth of Californians experience some mental illness, but 1 out of every 24 have a...

When the history of Trauma Informed Delaware is written, two dates will stand out—the day when Governor John C. Carney signed Executive Order 24 “Making Delaware a Trauma-Informed State” on October 17, 2018 and the day of the inaugural Trauma Awareness Month Kickoff in Dover on May 1. About 350 activists, stakeholders, and officials came together at Delaware State University to be inspired, to learn, and to celebrate. First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney , who has propelled the statewide...

Co-regulating Students Correcting student behavior is part of our work as educators yet often it can lead to escalation of student behaviors. As teachers we can learn ways that can lead to students actually hearing what it is we say. Note: For anything positive to come of our concern both the adult and the young person need to be in the executive center of our brains!! I intentionally use the term "care-fronting" rather then confronting. As teachers and administrators we want to learn skills...