Tagged With "substance use disorder"
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Florida will require mental health education for students in sixth grade and above (CNN)
By Lauren M. Johnson , CNN July 18, 2019 Florida will become the third state in the US to require students to learn more about mental health, behind Virginia and New York. The Florida State Board of Education voted on Wednesday to require public schools to provide students in grades six and above a minimum of five hours of mental health education annually. The announcement comes as studies reveal more about how screen time and social media impacts teenagers mentally. According to the...
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Former Youth Corrections Officials: We Want to Help Close Youth Prisons [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
A juvenile detention facility in Alabama. Photo: Rob Carr/ The Nation It’s time to close this nation’s youth prisons. They don’t serve their purpose: keeping our neighborhoods safe and helping young people turn their lives around. They fail to fulfill this core mission despite costing $150,000 per youth per year. In New York State, starting in 2008, we closed 26 juvenile jails. This came after Human Rights Watch and the ACLU, the state Inspector General , and the United States Department of...
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Four Ways to Integrate a Structural Racism Lens into Neighborhood Health Research [howhousingmatters.org]
Photo: Joao Victor Bolan/Shutterstock Structural racism refers to the institutional practices, policies, and norms that shape opportunity and assign value based on race, including the macro-level forces that often appear race-neutral but maintain existing racial hierarchies. In health disparities research, structural racism is often represented as neighborhood disadvantage or racial residential segregation, but some scholars argue that this approach fails to acknowledge structural racism as...
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GABOR MATÉ JOINS EP. 3 on May 21 with Darrell Hammond and Filmmaker Michelle Esrick. [crackedupmovie.com]
CRACKED UP THE EVOLVING CONVERSATION TRAUMA AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF ADDICTION With DARRELL HAMMOND DIRECTOR MICHELLE ESRICK and RENOWNED TRAUMA AND ADDICTION EXPERT GABOR MATÉ, M.D. author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction MODERATED BY JANE STEVENS, FOUNDER OF ACES CONNECTION Hosted by ACES Connection Thursday May 21st at 2pm PDT / 3p MT / 4p CT / 5pm EDT FREE FOR ALL WHO REGISTER! IF YOU REGISTER, BUT CAN NOT ATTEND, YOU WILL RECEIVE A RECORDING WITHIN ONE WEEK.
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Got time for a little brainstorming with ACEsConnection?
On Friday, March 20, 2020, you're invited to join me to talk about how we, as a community, can continue to guide and educate ourselves about to deal with the effects of the spread of Covid-19, and how to continue those efforts with people who don't yet know about ACEs science. And, given this last week, how we can provide more support to stay in the front of our brains instead of feeding our amygdala.
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How do these pediatricians do ACEs screening? Early adopters tell all.
Last week, three pediatricians — with a combined experience of 15 years integrating ACEs science into their practices — reflected on the urgency they felt several years ago that prompted them to begin screening patients for childhood adversity and resilience when there was practically no guidance at all. Along their journey , they accumulated a list of lessons learned for other pediatricians and family clinics to use. The three pediatricians participated in the ACEs Connection webinar,...
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Hurricane Dorian’s on the way. Florence taught us how to be resilient!
As we prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian's effects later this week, certainly there are feelings of anxiety and confusion. Already? We haven't even finished recovering from Hurricane Florence! Let's choose to remember all the things we have learned from one another about being resilient in the face of stress over the course of the past year. We have learned about the body's response to stress and trauma, and that adding "stressors" and triggers to these can cause us to feel even...
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It Makes Sense
I felt inadequate and ill-prepared to speak to licensed mental health professionals about ACEs. But when I was asked to attend the 40th Annual Training Institute on Behavioral Health & Addictive Disorders in Clearwater, Florida to represent ACEs Connection, I was honored and eager. My background is in health planning, not mental or behavioral health. I review health data and look for gaps and inequities. My time is spent looking for and addressing the health needs of a community. So,...
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January 12th: Resilience Documentary ~ Community Film Screening & Discussion
Join us as we screen the documentary RESILIENCE: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope and delve into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a new movement to treat and prevent toxic stress. This will be a learning event with facilitated discussion. Register HERE! Partnership between The Winter Park Public Library, City of Winter Park Parks & Recreation, Bridging the Color Divide, Hannibal Square Heritage Center, Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education...
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Join National Grassroots Campaign to Address Childhood Trauma and Build Resilience by Engaging and Educating Congress
Dear Friends & Colleagues: I am on the board of a national group to address trauma and we’d love you to Join a New National Grassroots Campaign to Address Childhood Trauma and Build Resilience by Engaging and Educating Congress . We launch ed the National Trauma Campaign yesterday which calls for federal action to prevent and address childhood trauma and build resilience through educating and engaging Congress. The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice , CTIPP, founded this...
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Latino Students in North Philadelphia Photograph Barriers to Healthy Living [philly.com]
Photo: Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity Mounds of trash on the sidewalk. Used hypodermic needles strewn around parks. Memorials to kids who died from gun violence posted on streets. That’s what Latino high school students in North Philadelphia walk past in their neighborhoods every day. So when researchers asked them to take pictures of what prevents them from being healthy, the answers seemed obvious to many. “I don’t feel safe when my community is dirty,” one student wrote in a...
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Listen Deeply
Each week we will be posting one of the 13 Principles for How We Treat Each Other from the Peace and Justice institute at Valencia College. This week we turn our focus to the second Principle, listen deeply. This principle invites us to strive towards achieving balance and deep understanding. Balance, as we must learn to listen, and reflect before we speak or act. We invite you to practice this Principle all week as we provide articles, personal stories, and more related to listening deeply.
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Love in the time of Coronavirus: HOPE-informed thoughts for parents
reposted from https://positiveexperience.org/ HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences – is a new way of seeing and talking about experiences that support children’s growth and development into healthy, resilient adults. We now know that that even in the face of adversity, key positive experiences help us heal. Join our ACES Community to find out more about Balancing ACES with HOPE , and visit our website ( positiveexperience.org ) to learn more about HOPE and its four building...
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National Trauma campaign webinar 3/10
Join on March 10, 2020 at 10am EST to learn more about the New National Grassroots Campaign which calls for federal action to prevent and address childhood trauma and build resilience through educating and engaging Congress. Join Zoom Meeting. https://zoom.us/j/293206175 Meeting ID: 293 206 175 One tap mobile +19292056099,,293206175# US (New York) +16699006833,,293206175# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 293 206 175...
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Next "A Better Normal" community discussion series: April 7, 2020 — Tian Dayton
Therapist and author Dr. Tian Dayton, who first started writing about ACEs science more than 20 years ago, will address grief and maintaining emotional sobriety during COVID-19. Carey Sipp, Southeast community facilitator for ACEs Connection, will host this community conversation, and Alison Cebula, Northeastern regional community facilitator, will moderate.
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One state. One year. (Partial) Cost of ACEs = $5.2 billion.
In looking at the impact of childhood trauma, you can’t get much clearer than this: In 2017, ACEs among Tennessee adults led to an estimated $5.2 billion in direct medical costs and lost productivity from employees missing work. That’s just one year, according to the new report, “ The Economic Cost of ACEs in Tennessee ," released on Feb. 1, 2019 by The Sycamore Institute in Nashville, Tenn. And to provide some perspective, $5.2 billion is one-seventh of the state’s annual budget . This $5.2...
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Overview of the Community Resiliency Model, used worldwide to help trauma survivors re-regulate their central nervous system, offered in two, free 90-minute webinars.
Elaine Miller Karas , key creator of the Community Resiliency Model (CRM), will be joined by CRM trainers from Wilmington, NC, Allison Wine , behavioral specialist, and Kelly Purcell , instructional coach and multi-tiered support specialist for this free, two-part training. Register now for two, FREE 90-minute sessions May 7 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST and May 14 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST (The complete overview requires attendance at both sessions. Registration link below registers you...
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Parent Handouts updated and available In Dari, English & Spanish
The updated parent handouts are now available in Spanish as well as English and Dari. Here's the blog post with links to all three versions of each flyer. All versions of the Understanding ACEs and Parenting to Prevent & Heal ACEs parent handouts can be downloaded, distributed, and used freely. Both flyers were made with generous support from Family Hui, a Program of Lead for Tomorrow, who is responsible for making the Spanish and Dari translations available. These are updates of the...
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Podcast: ACEs can make you sick! from KIDing Around with Dr. Candice
Listen to Ep. 31: ACEs can make you sick! from KIDing Around with Dr. Candice in Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-31-aces-can-make-you-sick/id1128581730?i=1000391495516
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Press Release: Central Florida’s Working Families Continue to Struggle - New United Way ALICE Report Reveals 46% of Households Fail to Cover Basic Needs [Heart of Florida United Way News]
Photo: ALICE Florida Report 2018/ United Way Orlando, Fla. (February 6, 2019) – Heart of Florida United Way announced that more than 350,000 households in Central Florida struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing, food, transportation, health care and child care, according to the 2018 ALICE Report. Statewide, 46% of households face the same financial challenges. In Central Florida, the number of low-income workers struggling to cover essentials grew by approximately 1.1 percent...
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Press Release: Milwaukee County Leaders Proclaim Racism is a Public Health Crisis [Urban Milwaukee]
Following the lead from the Wisconsin Public Health Association, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and County Board Vice Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson, proclaim racism is a public health crisis, and are actively taking steps to achieve racial equity throughout Milwaukee County.
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Principles for How We Treat Each Other Peace and Justice Institute (PJI) at Valencia College
If building healthy relationships is the healing balm of human existence and human suffering, then the Principles for How We Treat Each Other are practices that move us toward strengthening those bonds in our lives and in the community. These Principles for How We Treat Each Other help support inclusive, caring, and safe environments where individuals learn how to listen deeply and without judgment and communicate honestly and respectfully. The Principles for How We Treat Each Other have...
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Register for This Summer’s PJI Academy for Teachers [The Grove]
The Peace and Justice Institute (PJI) invites you to the PJI Academy for Teachers taking place this summer. Originally, the academy was set up as a series of face-to-face sessions. However, since COVID-19 caused campus closures, participants will now collaborate and learn in an online setting. “Through a highly engaged learning experience, the Academy for Teachers transforms the inner life of the teacher, leading to outer changes with the curriculum and pedagogy,” said Rachel Allen ,...
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Register now for Creating a Resilient Community; keynote speaker: Vincent Filetti, MD
Valencia College’s Peace and Justice Institute, the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, the Orange County Health Department, along with partners and sponsors, invite you to a community conference, Creating a Resilient Community: From Trauma to Healing on April 3rd, 2019. The event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Vincent Felitti, co-author of the Adverse Childhood Experience Study, will be held at the Florida Hotel & Conference Center in Orlando. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. To learn...
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Researchers show adverse childhood events contribute to lower self-control among teens [Florida International University]
MIAMI , Nov. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to lead to a number of negative health and behavior outcomes, including delinquent and criminal behavior. A new study has found exposure to adverse childhood experiences is also associated with lower self-control in teenagers, especially when those experiences are related to maltreatment. Researchers in Florida and Michigan found that a greater variety of adverse experiences in childhood leads to lower levels...
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RESILIENCE ~ Community Film Screening & Discussion
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...
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Resilience, Race, and Preschool Expulsion [Devereux]
When Dr. Walter Gilliam’s groundbreaking national study was released, exposing expulsion rates in state preschool programs, the findings asked us to explore not only the way we meet the social and emotional needs of young children, but how our implicit bias plays a role. The data showed that 4-year-olds are 50% more likely to be expelled than 3-year-olds, Black preschoolers are 3.6 times as likely as White preschoolers to be expelled, and boys are more than four times as likely as girls to...
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Resource: What is epigenetics?
How does epigenetics relate to child development? New resource from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child explains. Science tells us that the interactions between genes and environment shape human development. “Epigenetics” is an emerging area of scientific research that shows how environmental influences—including the experiences we provide for children—actually affect the expression of their genes. This means that the old idea that genes are "set in stone" has been disproven. Nature...
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Observing Ramadan Amid COVID-19: Respecting Silence [Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College]
Observing Ramadan Amid COVID-19: Embracing Silence By Sofiya Asedrem Respect silence. " Silence is a rare gift in our busy world. After someone has spoken, take time to reflect without immediately filling the space with words. This applies to the speaker, as well – be comfortable leaving your words to resound in the silence, without refining or elaborating on what you have said.” For the close to 2 billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the Quran were...
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Sheltering in Place: ACEs-Informed Tips for Self-Care During a Pandemic
Millions of lives have been affected in unprecedented ways by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are all grappling with uncertainty—our daily routines interrupted, not knowing what is to come. For those of us who have Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), these times can be particularly distressing. At the Center for Youth Wellness (CYW), we know that childhood trauma can have a significant impact on an individual’s health and well-being – both physiologically and psychologically. Since the...
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Special Screening of Cracked Up, featuring Darrell Hammond, at the International Trauma Conference
Join Director Michelle Esrick and world-renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk after the film for a powerful and enlightening Q & A. Wednesday May 29 th 7:30pm at the International Trauma Conference, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA. Tickets: https://www.pesi.com/ traumaconference Please visit crackedupmovie.com for more information about the film and to learn how you can host a screening in your community.
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Substance Use Disorder and Brain Development
The inputs a brain experiences during its developmental stages have a profound impact on whether that person will develop a substance use disorder (if they choose to drink or use other drugs). In turn, developing a substance use disorder (SUD) as a tween, teen, or young adult dramatically influences that person's brain development. And why is understanding this causality important? The risk factors for developing a substance use disorder are the result of inputs the brain experiences (or...
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Systems Are Not People-Shaped
A few weeks ago I was at a big kickoff event for a new county-wide project to address what our communities feel are the biggest concerns we face. It definitely had its moments and I was all eyes and ears ready to absorb new info and be inspired by the power of coming together for a purpose. One of the last things that I heard that morning was to show the promise of next steps – the speaker said that basically in order to do anything meaningful – you, of course, need a building which – good...
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The Mindful Gift of the Principles [The Peace and Justice Institute]
The Mindful Gift of the Principles By Celine Kavalec-Miller This article references The Peace and Justice Institute's Principles for How We Treat Each Other , which are free available in multiple languages and free for download. Each morning I sit quietly and invite stillness into my life. This is a radical act. I meditate to open my heart to whatever arises and to free my mind from the biases that diminish me and my relationship with others. Mindfulness is an open invitation to examine our...
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The Tiny Cell that Connects our Physical and Mental Health, and Solves a Decades-old Mystery of Why Toxic Stress Leads to Brain Changes that Spark Depression, Anxiety
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...
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Thinking About Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Impacts Through a Science-Informed, Early Childhood Lens [developingchild.harvard.edu]
By Jack P. Shonkoff and David R. Williams, Center on the Developing Child, April 27, 2020 The COVID-19 virus is ruthlessly contagious and, at the same time, highly selective. Its capacity to infect is universal, but the consequences of becoming infected are not. While there are exceptions, children are less likely to show symptoms, older adults and those with pre-existing medical conditions are the most susceptible, and communities of color in the United States are experiencing dramatically...
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This is Us - Meet Peace4Tarpon - Connie McDonald!
Connie has lived in Tarpon Springs for over forty years. During that time, she has served as Interim Director of the Chamber of Commerce and “cut the ribbon” for many new businesses. It was here that she came to know and love the people of Tarpon Springs and developed a heart for both the youth and elderly. As one of the founders of “Wellness Ministries”, Connie works with folks experiencing homelessness by providing food, clothing, medical and spiritual support. She volunteered for over...
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This is Us - Meet Peace4Tarpon -Shannon Krukonis - P4T BOD member!
Shannon has over 25 years experience working with children in preschool and after school settings. Originally from Boston, Shannon holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology as well as an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Since moving to Florida in 2000, she has built a career working in the early intervention field with ages 0-5, as well as working with truant teens as a case counselor in child welfare and currently as the Behavior Specialist for the YMCA of the Suncoast.
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Tools and how to use them is focus of second webinar on Community Resiliency Model, May 14, 2020
The second of two free Community Resiliency (CRM) webinars with Elaine Miller-Karas , key creator of the CRM, will be held Thursday, May 14, from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET, (10 a.m. CT; 9 a.m. MT, and 8 a.m. PT) and will include the practical application of tools of the model. CRM is an ACEs science-based biological model for helping individuals become emotionally regulated during natural disasters and other dysregulating times. Miller-Karas will be joined by CRM trainers from Wilmington, NC:...
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Trauma is Messy
I will always remember the day that, as a student teacher, I watched as a student entered my second-grade room covered in blood. After quickly establishing that he was not injured, we learned that the blood was that of his brother who had been shot the night before. No parents were around that night, so this second grader became the sole caregiver of his bleeding brother. My student would never be the same. We didn’t care about grades or test scores. We just knew that this moment would...
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"Turning big waves into small ripples" campaign
My “turn big waves into small ripples” campaign focuses on creating a supportive high school culture with norms and social constructs that encourage students to cope with stressors and positively expressing their emotions. By encouraging a trauma-informed community within the school setting, students will be better prepared to cope with traumas and stressors post-graduation. They will also be capable of passing on this information to their parents, siblings, peers, and future generations.
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Upates, good news, recommendation and link to register for Making Meaningful Change: Addressing ACEs through Public Policy Webinar February 18
The World Health Organization has compiled a recent meta-analysis about how much ACEs cost us Millions of adults across Europe and north America live with a legacy of ACEs. Their findings suggest that a 10% reduction in ACE prevalence could equate to annual savings of $105 billion. Programs to prevent ACEs and moderate their effects are available. Rebalancing expenditure towards ensuring safe and nurturing childhoods would be economically beneficial and relieve pressures on health-care...
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Webinar: Cultivating Our Best Selves in Response to COVID-19 | Tuesday, March 17 at Noon PDT
How to use the skills of the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) for self and others to be the calm in the storm as we face the unknown. Free Webinar Tuesday, March 17 at Noon PDT Speakers: Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW Linda Grabbe, PhD, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Zoom Webinar Registration Link: https://zoom.us/j/715837300 Additional ways to join are listed at the bottom of this post. About the webinar leaders: Elaine Miller-Karas is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute and...
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When the Cross is On the Table
Susan Traylor says “When they see the cross on the table, they know someone has died.” The ‘they’ she is talking about are the many folks experiencing homelessness in our small community of Tarpon Springs, Florida. A few weeks ago, the cross was on the table for Terry. I knew him by sight but never knew his name. I observed him over the past few years quite often in a state that makes most people not only uncomfortable, but anxious and fearful as he argued with someone only he could see. He...
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Whole People Series & Study Guide (www.pbs.org)
There's a fantastic five-part series, Whole People , done by PBS, " spotlighting the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) through personal and community stories. It explores the long-term costs to personal well-being and our society. While much work needs to be done, there are many innovative developments to prevent and treat ACES. We all play a role in becoming a whole people." It's amazing. The five topics covered are as follows: Childhood Trauma Healing Communities A New...
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Cost of Poverty Experience
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Cracked Up: Screening & Discussion
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