Tagged With "County Alliance on Human Trafficking"
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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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Highlights from Resilience Screening & Workshop for First Responders
On October 11th, nearly 100 people gathered at Valencia's School of Public Safety in Orlando, FL for a workshop and screening of the documentary film Resilience. This event was largely attended by individuals in the public safety sector and was a partnership between the Peace and Justice Institute and the School of Public Safety at Valencia College. Dr. Jeffrey Goltz, Executive Dean at Valencia's School of Public Safety shared this message following the event: The School of Public Safety...
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How Communities Can Build Psychological Resilience to Disaster
Nicole Wetsman The Red River runs north, up along the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, before spilling into Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. Its water flows slowly through a 10,000-year-old glacial lakebed, in one of the flattest stretches of land in the United States, and because it points north, it’s sometimes blocked by ice jams—all of which makes the river prone to flooding . In March 2009, one such flood threatened the city of Fargo. Residents watched for a week as the...
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Local Org Helping Children Caught Up in Migrant Crisis Find Foster Homes [Faith Wire]
Bethany Christian Services has an office in Winter Garden, Central Florida, where they are the only local social-service agency that is actively partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help children find temporary homes until they find a U.S. sponsor. “ We’re doing a lot of trauma-informed care ,” Bethany’s executive director for Florida, Laurie Stern explained. “There’s going to be some anger and confusion. It’s wrapping your arms around that child and letting...
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Peace Day in the Park: September 21st, 2019
Peace Day in the Park September 21st, 2019 When: Sept. 21, 2019 Time: 9 a.m. – noon Location: Central Park 150 W Morse Blvd Winter Park, FL 32789 The Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College will partner with the City of Winter Park to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace on Saturday, Sept. 21, in the city’s Central Park. Each year, Valencia College celebrates the Day of Peace on its campuses, but this year, the college’s Peace and Justice Institute is inviting the...
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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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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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Recording and slides now available for webinar on Florida’s Early Childhood Courts: Transforming Child Welfare
Information (recording, slides, and resources) on the June 6 webinar "Florida’s Early Childhood Courts: Transforming Child Welfare" is now available (and soon to posted in the ACEs Connection webinar section on the homepage). This well-attended and received webinar was sponsored by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health and co-sponsored ACEs Connection and the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice ( CTIPP ) Webinar Summary Every six minutes in the...
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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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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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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 paradox of trauma-informed care | Vicky Kelly | TEDxWilmington
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Dr. Vicky Kelly has over 35 years of experience as a psychotherapist, administrator, consultant and trainer. She is a nationally known trainer in the areas of trauma and attachment. Her career has included positions in a variety of human service, mental health, and child welfare organizations. She currently serves as the Director of the Delaware Division of Family Services . The common thread across her...
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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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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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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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Recap of April 25th Virginia Summit On Childhood Trauma And Resilience With Dr. Nadine Burke Harris as Keynote Speaker
On Thursday April 25, 2019 Voices hosted over 950 attendees at the Virginia Summit on Childhood Trauma and Resilience . The goal of the Summit was to connect child-serving professionals and advocates across the Commonwealth to best practices to prevent, and better address, the impacts of childhood adversity. California’s first Surgeon General and well-known ACEs expert, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, provided the keynote address. Both Governor Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam addressed the...
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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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Webinar—Florida's Early Childhood Courts: Transforming Child Welfare on June 6 (3:00-4:30 ET)
Please join this June 6 webinar on Florida’s early childhood courts (aka “safe babies courts”) hosted by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health and co-sponsored by the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice and ACEs Connection. Background: Every six minutes in the U.S., an infant, toddler or child under the age of 3 is removed from their homes for alleged abuse and neglect and placed in state custody through the child welfare system (Zero to Three).
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Peace Day in the Park
Calendar Event
Resilience Screening and Discussion
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A Florida ACEs Tour
RADICAL GRACE – WHAT I LET GOD SEE AND ACCEPT IN ME ALSO BECOMES WHAT I CAN SEE AND ACCEPT IN MYSELF. AND EVEN MORE, IT BECOMES THAT WHEREBY I SEE EVERYTHING ELSE. ~ RICHARD ROHR For the past three months, I’ve been driving through various parts of Florida witnessing events and gatherings of communities committed to creating safe, loving, trauma informed, and trauma healing spaces. On Friday February 22nd, I was in Tarpon Springs, attending the monthly gathering of Robin Saeger’s...
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ACEs Connection “Map the Movement” now includes an up-to-date section on laws and resolutions
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...
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ACEs Connection's Inclusion Tool makes sure nobody's left out
We developed ACEs Connection's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Tool — called the Inclusion Tool, for short — to ensure that ACEs initiatives across the world focus on being inclusive when forming a steering committee, recruiting leaders, providing education about ACEs science, recruiting members, or providing resources and services within their communities. The more inclusive your ACEs initiative is, the more diverse it will be, giving your initiative a real shot at achieving equity and...
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All Over the Map: A Baseline Analysis of the incidence of Childhood Trauma and the Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care in Florida [UF Lastinger Center for Learning]
All Over the Map "... In summary, the State of Florida is at an inflection point. “All over the map” is a phrase that comes to mind in describing the disparate picture across counties both in the incidence of adverse childhood events as well as the implementation of trauma-informed care programming. The analysis and recommendations within this report were developed to inform discussions on effective policy and practice considerations that will ultimately reduce the incidence of these...
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"Before Pulse, there was Ocoee"
Right now, Florida legislators, Senator Randolph Bracy and Representative Kamia Brown are advancing bills about reparations for the Ocoee Massacre and “want to see a reconciliation, including a state study of what happened on Nov. 2, 1920, for the state record, and compensation for the descendants of victims.” (FLAPOL) In the Spring of 2018, the Peace and Justice Institute led film forums in partnership with the local Truth and Justice Project. Earlier this year, the City of Orlando and...
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Creating a Resilient Community Conference - April 21st (Virtual Event)
As each of us navigates the impact of COVID-19 on our lives, we hope that you can find comfort in the strength of our community. We understand that most of you, like our Valencia family, have felt the impact of COVID-19. We all need hope, healing, and connection now, more than ever. In the spirit on resilience, the Creating a Resilient Community: From Trauma to Healing Conference will be hosted as a virtual conference on April 21st, 2020. In these challenging times, we can come together as...
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Family Resilience And Connection Promote Flourishing Among US Children, Even Amid Adversity (www.healthaffairs.org)
Abstract below and link to open access article written by Christina D. Bethell , Nangerel Gombojav , and Robert C. Whitaker and published in Health Affairs Link to open access article written by Christina D. Bethell , Nangerel Gombojav , and Robert C. Whitaker .
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Florida State launches professional certification in trauma and resilience [FSU News]
Florida State University has launched a new online curriculum for a professional certification in trauma and resilience. The curriculum was developed by the Clearinghouse on Trauma and Resilience within the Institute for Family Violence Studies at the FSU College of Social Work in conjunction with the FSU Center for Academic and Professional Development. “This training addresses a gap in the knowledge base of human services professionals,” said Clearinghouse Director Karen Oehme. “Many...
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The Traumatic Impact of Racism on Young People and How to Talk About It [Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg]
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg (Keynote speaker from the recent Creating a Resilient Community Conference) shared the excerpt from his book Reaching Teens titled The Traumatic Impact of Racism on Young People and How to Talk About It. This is a valuable resource for anyone interacting with youth and we are providing the excerpt as an attachment here for you to read and share. Also, Dr. Ginsburg will be coming back to our community (virtually) and you’ll be invited to his workshop. Look out for the...
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Beyond Paper Tigers Conference LIVE webinar June 24-25
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A Better Normal Tuesday, June 30th at Noon PDT: Reinterpreting American Identity, a Community Discussion
"I think that all of us, regardless of our racial or ethnic background, feel relieved that we no longer have to deal with the racism and the sexism associated with the system of slavery. But we treat the history of enslavement like we treat the genocidal colonization of indigenous people in North America, as if it was not that important, or worse, as if it never happened." —Angela Davis, "The Meaning of Freedom" Please join us for the ongoing community discussion of A Better Normal, our...
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Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network, first to join ACEs Cooperative of Communities, shows what it means to ROCK!
In 2012, Greater Richmond SCAN and five other community partners hatched a one-year plan to educate the Richmond, Virginia, community about ACEs science and to embed trauma-informed practices. Eight years later, the original group has evolved into the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network (GRTICN) with 495 people and 170 organizations. And they're just scratching the surface.
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Trauma-informed policing: Learn how three highly experienced community leaders strengthen ties between police and community
ACEs initiative participants in communities where there is tension between the community and law enforcement will want to join Becky Haas in a compelling conversation on law enforcement, ACEs science, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement and protests. Haas is a nationally recognized adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) science initiative builder and trainer. She and colleagues Renee Wilson-Simmons, the head of the ACE Awareness Foundation of Memphis, Tennessee, and Maggi Duncan,...
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We must be willing to sacrifice for common good in troubled times [Orlando Sentinel Guest Column]
Guest Column: We must be willing to sacrifice for common good in troubled times By Rachel Allen, Director Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College We are living in unprecedented times which invite each of us to grow our inner resources and resilience. Nurturing these strengths may seem daunting in light of the health, social and economic crisis our world is facing. Our humanity is being disrupted and tested. How will we adapt? COVID-19 lays bare the reality of our interconnectedness...
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Does VP Candidate Kamala Harris know about ACEs? You bet!
Nadine Burke Harris, California’s Surgeon General, has a lot in common with the vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris—Jamaican heritage, surname, home state—and a commitment to addressing ACEs and toxic stress. As reported in the New Yorker article by Paul Tough, “The Poverty Clinic,” Dr. Harris told Kamala Harris, then San Francisco district attorney, about ACEs in 2008 and in response, she offered to help. District Attorney Harris then introduced her to professor of child and...
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FSU launches new level of professional certification on trauma and resilience (Florida State University News)
By Anna Printess, August 31, 2020, Florida State University News. Florida State University’s College of Social Work recently launched a new level in its successful Professional Certification in Trauma and Resilience online series. The curriculum series, developed by the Clearinghouse on Trauma and Resilience within the college’s Institute for Family Violence Studies in conjunction with the FSU Center for Academic and Professional Development , enables professionals to develop the knowledge...
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New ACEs initiatives learn about strategic plan development from from New Hanover (NC) Resiliency Task Force executive director Mebane Boyd
The desire to see other ACEs initiatives grow and flourish was evident at a recent meeting of the Resilient Columbus County (North Carolina) ACEs initiative when Mebane Boyd, executive director of the New Hanover Resiliency Task Force (also in North Carolina), shared with the Columbus County and neighboring Pender County groups how New Hanover created and works on its strategic plan. In the spirit of sharing, Boyd agreed to let ACEs Connection post the strategic plan and the video of the...
Calendar Event
Human Trafficking/Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
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Emotional Justice: Listen, Learn, and Amplify [Peer Support Space]
Over 18 performers and speakers will be sharing their personal perspectives on how they overcome obstacles to mental wellness at Emotional Justice: Listen, Learn, & Amplify . Tuesday, October 6, 2020 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM EDT FREE EVENT, REGISTER HERE This is an opportunity to support Peer Support Space while also getting 1 CEU hour. All are welcome to attend, not just those seeking CEUs. This will be a powerful, inspiring, and heartwarming evening- all supporting Peer Support Space...
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Hope and Progress, No Matter What! — an ACEs Connection/Cambia Health Foundation “Better Normal”, Oct. 22, 2020
The election is upon us. In two short weeks, we voters in this country decide who will lead us for the next four years. We have the opportunity to embrace — as a national priority — the tenets of understanding, nurturing and healing that underlie the science of adverse childhood experiences and move in a direction that embraces cultural and racial equity and anti-racism. Or not.
What is clear is that no matter what, the ACEs movement will continue.
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The Intersection of Systematic Racism, the Pandemic, and SDoMH: Reality Mandates Change
Systematic racism is at the core of mental health disparities and social determinants of mental health (SDoMH).Upstream factors obstruct patient access to needed and appropriate assessment, timely intervention, with treatment for these populations often reflecting poorer quality, and ending prior to completion of treatment. COVID-19 and the recent pandemic have only amplified meso and micro-level gaps in care. considered, provided, and reimbursed.