Tagged With "Washington State"
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$10M for addiction treatment could add 200 beds, but there's a hold-up [ktuu.com]
A drug addiction treatment facility being constructed in Nome.
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ACE Resolution introduced in the Alaska Legislature
Representative Geran Tarr, (D-Anchorage) introduced a resolution in the Alaska State House of Representatives yesterday to encourage the governor and legislature to address ACEs in Alaska. Here is the title of the Resolution: “Urging Governor Bill Walker to join with the Alaska State Legislature to respond to the public and behavioral health epidemic of adverse childhood experiences by establishing a statewide policy and providing programs to address this epidemic.” The...
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Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach [Afterschool Alliance]
“A trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens must be a part of everything we do.” This statement by Laura Norton-Cruz, Director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, sums up the key message of last week’s Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing for Congressional staff which focused on “Afterschool Programs and a Trauma-Informed Approach.” On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the Senate Afterschool Caucus* — in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, Alaska Children’s Trust – Alaska Afterschool Network,...
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Alaska ACEs pamphlet
In case you haven't seen it, here's the pamphlet. The PDF is attached, in case you want to download it, and it's also been added to the Clips section of this group.
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Alaska Children’s Caucus Forms in 31st Legislature [Anchorage Press]
For the first time in nearly seventeen years, members of the Alaska House of Representatives will relaunch the House Children’s Caucus. This edition of the caucus will be co-chaired by Representative Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage) and Representative Sara Rasmussen (R-Anchorage). “Because children are at the heart of our communities, we should cherish and protect them at all costs. The earlier we invest in the health and education of children the better the outcomes for our communities. We all...
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Alaska House Health and Social Services Committee refers HCR 21out of Committee
The Alaska State House Health and Social Services Committee, chaired by Representative Paul Seaton, took testimony on HCR 21, titled "Urging Governor Bill Walker to join with the Alaska State Legislature to respond to the public and behavioral health epidemic of adverse childhood experiences by establishing a statewide policy and providing programs to address this epidemic." [ LINK HERE ] HCR 21 now goes to the House Finance Committee but it has no fiscal note, so that shouldn't be an...
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Alaska legislature takes up ACEs resolution similar to those passed in Wisconsin and California
A hearing will be held April 2 on Alaska House Concurrent Resolution 21 (HCR 21) to respond to adverse childhood experiences. The resolution is very similar to those passed in Wisconsin and California . Testimony will be heard in the Health and Social Services Committee on the bill introduced by Representative Geran Tarr. In her statement about the bill , Tarr calls on Governor Walker “to establish policy and programs to address the public and behavioral health epidemic of adverse childhood...
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Alaska Native & Native American gathering on trauma and resilience in AK
On May 18th, the Alaska Resilience Initiative, First Alaskans Institute's Alaska Native Policy Center, and the Native Village of Chickaloon hosted a gathering of Alaska Native and Native American people from across the state to discuss ACCCEs (adverse childhood, cultural, and community experiences) and resilience.
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Alaska passes trauma-informed legislation
In the dark early hours of Mother’s Day, May 13th , before the 2018 Alaska legislative session adjourned, Senate Bill 105 was approved by both the Alaska House and the Senate...making Alaska one of only a handful of states to pass ACEs awareness into statute. This represents years of education, collaboration, and some creative and dogged advocacy this last legislative session. It also represents a promising path forward.
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Alaska’s ‘Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan’ draft released [State of Reform]
The Department of Health & Social Services, in collaboration with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, recently released a draft of their 2020-2024 Strengthening the System: Comprehensive Integrated Mental Health Program Plan . The purpose of the program plan is to provide a blueprint for the creation of a comprehensive integrated mental health program for the state. Specifically, the program plan outlines the objectives and strategies to integrated services for beneficiaries of the...
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Alaska Supreme Court hears oral arguments in kids’ climate change lawsuit (Indian Country Today)
The Alaska Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Oct. 9 on the constitutionality of Alaska’s energy policy promoting development of oil and gas. The plaintiffs in Sinnok vs the state of Alaska are 16 young Alaskans ranging in age from 5 to 22. Several of the plaintiffs spoke outside the courthouse after the oral arguments. They described the effects of climate change on their lives. Esau Sinnok, Inupiaq and age 21, is the lead plaintiff in the case. He’s from Shishmaref, in northwest Alaska.
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Alaska Transfers Child Welfare Services for Native Alaskans to Tribes [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
In Alaska , a coalition of tribal governments has now begun to assume responsibility for offering some child welfare services to Alaska Native children. The Alaska Tribal Child Welfare Compact , which was signed into law in October 2017 by Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I), allows 18 Alaska tribes to provide child welfare services with the goal of reducing the disproportionate number of Native children in foster care in the state. Previously, these services were managed solely through the state’s...
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Alaskan “teen safety card” provides teen-friendly education on healthy and unhealthy relationships, and support and resources for youth who need help
Authors: Laura Avellaneda-Cruz, LMSW & Jaclynne Oyoumick, BA of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), Alaska Native Epidemiology Center, in Anchorage, Alaska What are the goals of the card? The wallet-sized, fold-out safety card is an evidence-based tool developed by health and domestic violence professionals for use in health care to promote safety and support for patients experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and/or reproductive coercion.
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Annual Innovation Summit shows the opportunity of economic crisis [CapitalCityWeekly.com]
The state’s fiscal crisis is no tiny problem. Oil prices are volatile, reserves are depleting and the state is facing a financial deficit. At this year’s Innovation Summit, held in Juneau in early February, Governor Walker addressed more than two hundred of the state’s top entrepreneurs, politicians, investors and leaders. He discussed his budget plan and the need to diversify and shift the state away from a mono-focus on a non-renewable oil industry. Tough budget cuts, Walker explained are...
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ARI: Urgent Budget & Healthcare Action
The Alaska Resilience Initiative (ARI) e-newsletter can be accessed through this link to read more about each of this subjects and help us spread the word. In this e-newsletter, we will be providing: 1.) Information from about how the upcoming State of Alaska budget decisions will affect Alaska's children and what you can do * right now * to make a difference for children and families 2.) Information on the bill to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and how...
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Beach run takes new focus: resiliency
From the Homer News: ....The theme of the run and ride, resiliency, refers to a new concept in coping with adverse life experiences like breast cancer. R.E.C. Room peer educators Lilli Johnson and Jonas Noomah have been working with the...
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Behavioral health focus of Mat-Su Health Foundation grants [AlaskaPublic.org]
As state lawmakers prepare to grapple with a tight state budget, one non-profit is gearing up to deal with health needs in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The Mat-Su Health Foundation is stepping in to provide funding for behavioral health services in the face of expected cuts. One program benefiting from grant money is aiming to curb the earliest sources of drug and alcohol abuse with a focus on Adverse Childhood Experiences awareness. .....Minard says a third report to be released in...
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Big Picture Epidemiology - Comprehensive Dataset Video Presentation
This 30-minute presentation by State of Alaska epidemiologist Dr. Jared Parrish provides a unique “big picture” image of cumulative child maltreatment over the life course.
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Breaking the link between childhood trauma and suicide [KTOO.org]
Close to 200 people in Juneau joined forces Thursday to break the link between childhood trauma and suicide. They’re taking part in a two day suicide prevention conference. Day one focused on establishing the trauma-suicide link....
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Bush Fellowships awarded to 24 who can use the $100K to develop leadership skills[MinnPost]
This article describes the award by the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Bush Foundation of 24 fellowships to individuals in North and South Dakota, Minnesota and 23 Native nations to develop leadership skills. Some of the awardees are doing work trauma-specific work such as Susan Marie Beaulieu who is teaching ACEs in Native American communities. Others are using the arts, drumming and other culturally-grounded approaches to heal communities. One is a state legislator (not seeking re-election),...
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Call for Abstracts for NCHDV 2020 conference
The National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence (NCHDV) seeks submissions that highlight research reports, practice innovations, advocacy initiatives, educational advances, and/or community programs that address one or more aspects related to domestic/sexual violence, other forms of violence, and health. The Call for Abstracts (CFA) invites leaders working in the fields of health and domestic/sexual violence to present their work at the 2020 Conference. Submission Deadline: Monday,...
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Childhood trauma could be causing your adult health problems [adn.com]
It’s no secret that Alaska struggles with high rates of sexual assault and abuse, neglect, and other crimes against children. Alaska consistently has one of the five highest child abuse rates in the country, according to the Child Welfare League of America. The state Office of Children’s Services told Alaska Dispatch News this summer that in 2017 it has averaged more than 50 reports of abuse and neglect per day. What's less well known is that these kinds of traumatic experiences, along with...
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Conference in Anchorage Aug 18th on Complex Trauma and Addictions
Longitudinal Progression of Complex Trauma and Addiction: Case Studies and Interventions The University of Alaska Anchorage - Department of Human Services is hosting a conference on August 18, 2017 from 8 am -5:30 pm with a Dinner presentation from 6 pm - 7:30 pm at the UAA Lucy Cuddy Hall. The conference will spotlight case studies highlighting the necessity of a multi-disciplinary approach in addressing the complexity of trauma combined with addiction. See attached flyer for more...
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Do you live in Arizona, Hawaii, California, Nevada or the US Pacific Islands? Come to our no-cost mental and school mental health Winter Institute!
Do you live in Arizona, Hawaii, California, Nevada or the US Pacific Islands?If so...Check it out! 👇 NO COST. MENTAL HEALTH & SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE. AMAZING FACULTY. JANUARY 14, 15, & 16th! LONG BEACH, CA. JOIN US. 🤝 👏 Learn more here: http://bit.ly/mhttc-winterinstitute-flyer Register here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07egq2f9gaebafa6bd&llr=8wdk4ubab
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Dr. Chris Blodgett's talk last week: recordings available soon
Dr. Chris Blodgett of Washington State University's CLEAR Trauma Center spoke on Nov 3rd in Anchorage, Alaska, to nearly 200 people attending either in person at the Anchorage Loussac Library or online. An audio recording, and the webinar recording, and presentation slides will be made available here on ACEsConnection once file size issues are sorted out.
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Dr. Linda Chamberlain's Toolkit on DV & ACEs now available
Dr. Linda Chamberlain from Homer, Alaska introduces the Domestic Violence and ACEs toolkit that she developed and tested throughout the Arctic.
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Expansion of ACEs in Alaska
I just want to pass along ACT's recent announcement regarding work tied to ACEs in Alaska. It is an incredible opportunity and encouraging to see this work move forward in Alaska. WKH Alaska Children's Trust (ACT) is proud to...
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FREE webinar! Trauma History and Extensive Service Use: Strategies for Treatment and Prevention
FREE WEBINAR:
Trauma History and Extensive Service Use: Strategies for Treatment and Prevention
Presented by National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD)’s State Technical Assistance Project
Wednesday, February 15, 2 to-3:30 p.m. ET
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HCR 21 in the Alaska State House
I am reporting, with mixed feelings, what I heard about the fate of HCR 21, the Alaska ACE Resolution introduced by Representative Geran Tarr. The Resolution is sitting in the House Finance Committee, and I am told that it is, to use the words of veterans in the legislative process, "dead." It will apparently not surface this year, although stranger things have happened. So I am disappointed (and prepared to be elated if it does resurface). However it ends, Representative Tarr was able to...
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Healing the Helpers: Why Workplace Wellness for Child Protection Workers Matters [ktuu.com]
By Jill Burke, May 3, 2019, KTUU ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) — The Alaska Citizen Review Panel — a voluntary body with non-enforcement oversight of the Office of Children's Services — says the agency is making some much-needed internal improvements. OCS employees are "people who have some of the hardest, some of the most thankless jobs in the state — there's no sense of self care, there's no sense of helping each other, or that awareness that 'We have a hard job and it's killing us'," CRP Chair...
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Homework: Moving Toward Compassionate, Trauma-Informed Schools
It was the little red trauma-informed schoolhouse. Katherine Wickersham-Wade, the Nay’dini’aa Na’ Kayax (Chickaloon Village) clan grandmother who started the Ya Ne Dah Ah School , Alaska’s first Tribally operated school in 1992, might not have used that language. But she did envision a school that would wrap its students in Native ancestral traditions and Ahtna language, instill self-confidence and repair some of the damage inflicted by historical trauma—the disruptions to culture and...
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How ACEs Play Out In Small Town Alaska [sewardcitynews.com]
Seward is a thriving and warm community, full of people who care and want to nurture one another. Even so, the fact remains that we don’t all start with the same opportunities and that early childhood trauma can have a lasting impact on people’s lives. This is the concept that has broken into the field of child development over the last few years. The new way of talking about this concept of unequal starts is known as ACES. According to the national Prevention Institute “Adverse Childhood...
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Investing in Prevention: Working Together in Early Childhood for Healthy Alaskan Children, Families, and Communities 2015
An Alaska interagency workgroup began meeting in 2013 to put together this report , which has a large section on the effect of ACEs on Alaska's citizens to demonstrate the urgency for resilience-building programs. The state departments that...
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ITRC calls for Universal Resilience Education and Skills Training for Climate Trauma
Sneak Preview for ITRC ACEs Connection Members! Next Tuesday, Jan. 8, the ITRC will release a major report Preparing People on the West Coast for Climate Change. The media release about the report is below (and attached). It includes a link to the webpage for the report, where people can download the full report, and find a link to the webpage with examples of resilience programs across the west coast. You can connect with the ITRC CA and PNW Facebook page:...
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Jill Burke: Cuts to early childhood care will deepen Alaska's fiscal crisis [ADN.com]
As the state grapples with a $3.5 billion budget deficit, we must not lose sight of slowly acquired gains, those that require continued investment now before they pay off in the future. If we dont, the dollars the state might think it is saving now will be lost later when we have to spend more as we try to undo trauma-based harm to our states future workforce. This presents a crucial intersection of social and economic policy that should not be overlooked. In a bare-bones fiscal era, we need...
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Join a webinar on Friday (Jan. 11) featuring Alaska’s new statute directing state policy to incorporate principles of brain development
Please join ACEs Connection and the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) for a free 60-minute webinar this Friday (Jan. 11) starting 8:00am AK/ 9:00am PT/ 12:00pm ET that features a new Alaskan statute directing state policy to incorporate principles of brain development. Hear the story first hand from the champion of the bill in the Alaska legislature, Rep. Geran Tarr, and the lead advocacy group—the Alaska Resilience Initiative —executive director, Laura Norton-Cruz.
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Lunch & Learn: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Resilience and Trauma-Informed Policy-Making
Join me in Juneau to learn about the impact of ACEs on our communities, workplaces and state. ACEs are a significant contributor to all the issues we struggle with, and cost Alaskan an estimated $866 million per year. Learn examples of trauma-informed approaches to business and policy-making. For those not in Juneau, the Lunch and Learn will be broadcast live and archived at www.360north.org/watch . When: Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 12 PM – 12:45 PM Where: Capitol Building in Juneau,...
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MARC Booklet 2016: Features Alaska
Please find attached the 2016 booklet for the Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) project, including Alaska and the other 13 communities that have been selected to participate in this 2 year learning collaborative. This is a great summary of the work happening in all 14 communities across the country. I look forward to working with you all in Alaska!
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Mining the “lessons learned” from trauma legislation successes
L to R: Afomeia Tesfai, Rep. Geran Tarr, Jeff Hild _____________________________________________________________________ The planned agenda for the “Learning Series: Policy Approaches to Childhood Adversity” workshop at the 2018 ACEs Conference: Action to Access went out the window when an unexpected guest— California Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, MD —was invited to open the session and join the other participants in lively exchanges about their advocacy experiences and perspectives on...
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Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) Represented at California ACEs Conference
(L to R) Teri Barila from Children's Resilience Initiative in Walla Walla, WA along with Dr. Ariane Marie-Mitchell from San Bernardino County, CA ACEs Task Force share their ACEs journey in their communities Representatives from several MARC communities were among the 450 people who attended the 2016 Adverse Childhood Experiences Conference in San Francisco, CA on October 19th and 20th. This is the third CA ACEs conference sponsored by the Center for Youth Wellness (CYW), and it was also the...
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Native American Children’s Safety Act (NACSA)
President Obama signed a new act to amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act by enacting certain requirements for foster care placements in Indian Country. Known as the Native American Children’s Safety Act [ LINK HERE ], the new law places some stringent requirements that may actually harm tribal efforts to implement the Indian Child Welfare Act. It’s tough to argue against efforts to protect our children, and the imposition of tough requirements for that...
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New Data Paint Fresh Picture of Alaska’s Health Challenges [StateofReform.com]
The Alaska Department of Health and Human Services recently released a new batch of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) indicator reports , and the latest findings offer the closest look to date at how the state is coping with childhood trauma in its cities and boroughs. Taken together, the 12 indicator reports focus on a broad range of traumatic experiences, from neglect to abuse to mental illness. Research has shown that the presence of ACEs in households contributes to serious health...
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Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield donates to Alaska Children’s Trust [newsminer.com]
By Erin Granger egranger@newsminer.com FAIRBANKS — Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield, Alaska’s only individual health care company, announced will donate a grant of $220,000 to Alaska Children’s Trust, a state nonprofit program working to prevent issues related to child abuse in Alaska. The grant was part of eight donations Premera gave to eight total organizations across Alaska and Washington, finishing its first year of donations directed toward organizations that support behavioral health...
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Principal Progress: Trauma-Informed Efforts at One Alaska Elementary School
Before Deanna Beck had ever heard of the 1998 ACE study, before she became principal of Northwood ABC Elementary School in Anchorage, she was a special education teacher who saw the ways trauma scrawled through her students’ lives.
On the one-minute reading tests Beck administered, she would notice steady progress—40 words a minute, then 50—followed by dramatic drops; a child would suddenly be stumbling along at three or four words a minute.
She began to ask the kids what had happened.
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Program increases awareness of effects of childhood trauma [JuneauEmpire.com]
Posted January 14, 2018 06:24 am - Updated January 14, 2018 05:44 pm By ALEX McCARTHY Those running CLEAR hope to help students who have suffered from trauma to perform better in school and society. As Natalie Turner walked into a fourth-grade classroom at Glacier Valley Elementary on Friday, the fingers started wiggling. The fourth-graders greeted her silently, holding up their index fingers and bending them up and down. Turner returned the gesture, which they call the “one-finger wave,”...
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Reading the Signs of Trauma
I lived in Kotzebue, AK, for four months. One reason I was attracted to the community was an opportunity to introduce the concept of childhood trauma and ACEs. I did that. The Northwest Arctic School District had a wonderful and compassionate superintendent, Dr. Norm Eck. I had a few conversations with Dr. Eck about ACEs and how it affects children as they become adults. Dr. Eck accepted the information and had plans to examine it more deeply, but eventually retired and the spread of...
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Recording: Trauma-Informed Policy Making presentation at Alaska State Capitol
Last Wednesday, March 13th, I had the opportunity to present a Legislative Lunch and Learn to legislators, legislative staff, administrative staff, and the public in the Alaska State Capitol Building. To a room of ~ 30 - 40 people munching on lunch provided by the Alaska Children's Trust , and broadcast live via Gavel to Gavel (now archived here ), I had the honor to premiere the policymaker version of our History and Hope curriculum. This curriculum, and the policy-maker version, was...
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Research commission examines mental health issues in the Arctic [AlaskaDispatchNews.com]
When Alaska Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson parked her car in downtown Anchorage Monday and walked to the swanky Hotel Captain Cook for a meeting with prominent policymakers, she did what she...
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Self-Healing Communities
"A comprehensive model of building community capacity in Washington helped make dramatic reductions in rates of health issues and social problems ." We are on our way to creating a more resilient nation. Washington State demonstrates how influential it is to build up local community's self-sustaining resiliency programs! Read the article See the report See Executive summary
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State Health Boards Support Findings On Adverse Health Effects To LGBTQ Alaskans [KYUK.org]
When they met this week in Bethel, the state behavioral health boards took a look at the Alaska Mental Health Board (AMHB) and Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ABADA) report about the adverse effects of discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Alaskans. The boards decided to endorse the report's findings that discrimination brings a higher risk of drug and alcohol abuse and other risk behaviors. The boards think that more access to health and community...