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More than a decade ago, I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases, one after another, including Guillain-Barré syndrome , which left me paralyzed twice while raising two young children. All told I spent six years in and out of bed and hospitals, learning, between crises, to use a cane or walker to navigate life as a working-mother-with-chronic-illness. My immune system was repeatedly and mistakenly attacking my body, causing the nerves in my arms, legs, and those I needed to swallow...

The Second Annual Creating a Resilient Community: From Trauma to Healing Conference hosts cutting-edge keynote speakers and convenes participants representing multiple community sectors including Health, Education, Business, Public Safety, Government, Criminal Justice, Faith, and Non-Profit. This community initiative provides a space to discuss the impact of trauma, ways of healing, and how Central Florida can continue to build a resilient community. Come together again as we continue to...

SAN FRANCISCO , Jan. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ The Center for Youth Wellness announces the release of an in-depth study on the health-related cost of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the state of California . A number of studies have investigated the cost of child maltreatment, but the current study, entitled " Adult health burden and costs in California during 2013 associated with prior adverse childhood experiences ," is the first to examine the cost associated with adult health...

Photo credit: Texasarchitects.org An updated map of laws and resolutions addressing ACEs science and trauma-informed policies is now available in the “Laws and Resolutions” section of Map the Movement (you can also find "Map the Movement" on the navigation bar on the ACEs Connection home page). The earliest law on the map was passed in the state of Washington in 2011, creating an ACEs science public-private partnership. The data base of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is...

We are proud to celebrate the 71 community initiatives that joined the ACEs Connection network in 2019. They are listed below, and can be found along with all existing ACEs Connection communities via the ACEs Connection map. Communities in the United States: Midwest ACEs Indiana Coalition Ardmore (OK) Behavioral Health Collaborative: Chisago County (MN) ACEs Initiative Franciscan Health ACEs Connection FH–Jasper & Newton Counties (IN ) FH–LaPorte County (IN) FH–Lake County (IN)...

By Lori L. Desuteis http://revelationsineducation.com/children-at-12-years-of-age-must-not-be-tried-as-adults/ This is in response to Indiana Senate Bill 279/Now SB479 I am so exhausted from how so many of our policy leaders and government officials create laws, make decisions, and ignore research and the implications of that research as we continually perpetuate more of the same trauma and toxic cycles within our communities. SB279 Waiver to adult court for attempted murder. Provides that...

This is not a "new story" but I think this program is critical to consider for Central Florida (as far as I understand we have not implemented this here). At a recent trauma-healing conference I was able to hear about the success of this program in Manatee County Schools and I believe this could be a model for what is possible her in Central Florida. Please see the article by the Brandenton Herald below: BY GIUSEPPE SABELLA APRIL 02, 2018 04:59 PM Detention may be the wrong option for a...

Join us as we screen the documentary RESILIENCE and delve into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a new movement to treat and prevent toxic stress. Register Here Sunday, January 12th, 2-4 pm Winter Park Community Center 721 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789 Facilitator: Pernell Bush, MSW, CNP Key Counseling Solutions Free (registration required): Register Here 18+ Documentary Synopsis: “Researchers have recently discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by...

By Guest Columnists Rachel C. Allen and Dr. Judi Addelston “Teenage time bombs: A generation in danger,” a series of South Florida Sun-Sentinel stories printed in the Orlando Sentinel between Dec. 15 and 19, might lead readers to fear our children. Today, thanks to the research of Vincent Felliti and Robert Anda, we have a pathway to resilience and healing from the violence we see in our communities. Felitti and Anda studied the relationship of health risk behavior and disease in adulthood...

By Shannon Green, The Orlando Sentinel, January 3, 2020 Are you going to be OK, mom? Shibbon Winelle said those were among the final words uttered by her son, Bryce Gowdy, before he left their motel room and stood in front of a freight train. Bryce, who was 17, died of suicide a week before the Deerfield Beach football star was due to start classes at Georgia Tech on a scholarship Jan. 6. Bryce, his mom and his brothers were homeless again, and family members said he wrestled with his...

By Cooper Levey-Baker, Sarasota, December 19, 2019 Mimi Graham has spent her life fighting for kids. She began her career in the late 1970s as a Head Start administrator before moving into the world of academia to study child development and advocate for public policies that improve the health of mothers and children. Today, she’s the director of Florida State University’s Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy, a position in which she advises government agencies and...

By Joyce Schelling, opinion guest columnist • December 16, 2019 4:05 pm Maine has the nation’s highest rate of anxiety and the third highest rate of depression among children ages 3-7. It is above the national rate for behavior problems and children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). The average number of suicides per year by youth under age 20 is well above the national average and has risen by 50 percent in just five years. It’s time to ask if...