Tagged With "mental health disparities"
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Ramm’s Capstone Work Helps Secure Major Grant
University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service graduate Natalie Ramm’s efforts in her Capstone project helped secure a major grant for Monroe County Children in Trust. The Arkansas Delta Endowment for Building Community, a fund of the Arkansas Community Foundation, recently announced it has awarded MCCIT with a $40,000 grant over two years. The money will be used to fund a project coordinator position for MCCIT. “Seeing a program that you’ve helped plan for months actually begin to...
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An evidence-based depression intervention for African-American adults of faith
Everyone has to deal with stressful times. Sometimes dealing with hard times can cause you to feel down. REJOICE is a research study that wants to find out the best way to help people (1) recognize when they are feeling down and (2) learn skills that will help people manage low mood. We are looking for churches that are interested in participating in the REJOICE project. Your church may be eligible to participate in REJOICE if the congregation is: 1. Predominately African American 2. Has at...
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Rural Communities Opioid Response (Planning) (RCORP) Initiative Grants
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) plans to award up to 75 grants to rural communities as part of a new Rural Communities Opioid Response (Planning) (RCORP) initiative in FY 18. Successful awardees will receive up to $200,000 for one-year to develop plans to implement opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions designed to reduce opioid overdoses among rural populations. The initiative will focus...
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Rural Communities Opioid Response (Planning) (RCORP) Initiative Grants
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) plans to award up to 75 grants to rural communities as part of a new Rural Communities Opioid Response (Planning) (RCORP) initiative in FY 18. Successful awardees will receive up to $200,000 for one-year to develop plans to implement opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions designed to reduce opioid overdoses among rural populations. The initiative will focus...
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Rural Health [healthaffairs.org]
By Alan R. Weil, Health Affairs, December 9, 2019 This month’s Health Affairs explores many dimensions of health and health care for the one out of five Americans who live in what the US Census Bureau defines as a rural area. Much attention is focused these days on the relatively poor health outcomes and heightened rate of socioeconomic disadvantage of rural America. As Janice Probst and colleagues point out in their overview paper, rural mortality rates only started falling behind urban...
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Sandy Hook mom's school program pitched for expansion in Arkansas (arkansasonline.com)
School officials are considering expanding a social and emotional learning program districtwide as part of safety and security efforts. Incorporating the Choose Love Enrichment Program in every school is one of many recommendations made by the Fayetteville Safety and Security Task Force to the School Board last month. Scarlett Lewis founded the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation and has worked with educators, researchers and others to create the program. She began her work after her...
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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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Talking ACEs and Resilience on 'Speak Up Arkansas'
Arkansas ACEs/Resilience Workgroup members Dr. Alan Mease, Dr. Chad Rodgers, Janie Ginocchio, and Marquita Little recently discussed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their impacts on health and well-being over the life course on "Speak Up Arkansas," a Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families' (AACF) radio show on community radio station KABF. “Speak Up Arkansas” is a talk radio show dedicated to covering issues like health care, education, juvenile justice, the state budget,...
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Tennessee report chronicles progress in addressing health and success of children from infancy to college and beyond
Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam this week released a report highlighting eight years of progress by the state to improve the lives of children and families. Prioritizing Tennessee’s Children: Our Promise to Future Generations reflects an early commitment by Governor Bill Haslam’s administration to make the health and success of all Tennessee children a state priority. In conjunction with Governor Haslam’s Children’s Cabinet and Deputy Governor Jim Henry, First Lady Haslam set out to...
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The Black Community, COVID-19 & Trauma [sdvoice.com]
By Latanya West, San Diego Voice, May 15, 2020 In January 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Nadine Burke Harris as California’s first-ever Surgeon General. An award-winning physician, researcher and advocate, Dr. Burke Harris’ career has been dedicated to serving vulnerable communities and combating the root causes of health disparities. Her work is equally dedicated to changing the way our society responds to one of the most serious, expensive and widespread public health crises of...
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THE BUILD HEALTH CHALLENGE 2019 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
To read the announcement and all details, click HERE and see below key dates. BUILD is looking to support dynamic collaboratives driving sustainable improvements in community health. Are you ready to BUILD with us? For this new third cohort, BUILD is looking to support up to 17 innovative collaboratives across the US t hat include a community-based organization, hospital or health system, and public health department working together in dynamic ways to address upstream challenges and drive...
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The Developing Brain & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Thanks to an explosion in scientific research now possible with imaging technologies, such as fMRI and SPECT, experts can actually see how the brain develops. This helps explain why exposure to adverse childhood experiences can so deeply influence and change a child's brain and thus their physical and emotional health and quality of life across their lifetime. The above time-lapse study was conducted over 10 years. The darker colors represent brain maturity (brain development). I have added...
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The Story of Early Childhood Education in Little Rock Using the Pixar Story Spine
Once upon a time, child care centers in Little Rock met basic, minimum requirements to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Human Services as a center. Above and beyond the licensing requirements, centers could choose to participate in Better Beginnings, a voluntary system administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services that sets a quality rating of the enrolled child care centers. Better Beginnings distinguishes the quality of each Arkansas childcare center by a one-, two-...
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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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Tulane psychiatrist wins national award for research that shows how trauma seeps across generations [Tulane University]
Tulane child psychiatry professor Dr. Stacy Drury will receive the 2018 Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in October at the AACAP’s 65th Annual Meeting in Seattle. Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano.
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UA-Little Rock MPA Students Issue Recommendations for AR ACEs Workgroup
The Arkansas Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Workgroup partnered with the University of Arkansas - Little Rock Master of Public Administration's (MPA) spring 2018 capstone class to conduct research and analysis to help guide the workgroup's strategic planning process. Several members of ACEs Connection graciously agreed to be interviewed by the students. We want to say thank you to everyone from ACEs Connection who lent their experience and insight for this project. The class of...
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Video from the 2017 Arkansas ACEs/Resilience Summit Online
The Arkansas Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Workgroup hosted its first ACEs/Resilience Summit: Every Child Deserves a Champion on Oct. 13, 2017. With more than 100 in attendance, including Susan Hutchinson, First Lady of Arkansas, the workgroup started a larger conversation about ACEs, their impacts, and what communities and organizations are doing to prevent and treat ACEs and help children and families build resilience. Dr. Alan Mease , medical director for child and...
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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 Learning Series begins tomorrow: State Policy Approaches to Addressing Childhood Adversity, Wednesday, January 10, 10am PST (1:00 PM EST)
Reminder of tomorrow's ( Wednesday, January 10, 10am PST/1:00 PM EST) webinar on State Policy Approaches to Addressing Childhood Adversity Please join us for a three -part learning series hosted by the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity and ACEs Connection . We'll hear from states that are making great strides towards adopting trauma-informed policies and practices. Three-Part Learning Series: Webinar 1: Overview of State Level Efforts to Address Childhood Adversity and...
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Webinar Oct. 17 — Integrating ACEs science in pediatrics: Early adopters share lessons from the field
An ACEs Connection webinar co-sponsored with 4 CA In 2017, California became the first state in the country to pass a law supporting universal screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the 5.3 million children in the state’s Medicaid program. As clinicians around California await the state’s announcement of what this new policy will entail, many are wondering what it takes to integrate ACEs science in a pediatric practice. Meet Drs. Deirdre Bernard-Pearl, R.J. Gillespie and...
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When Hidden Grief Gets Triggered During COVID-19 Confinement
first published by The Meadows 4/15/20 Our sense of loss during the current COVID-19 crisis can trigger hidden emotions from when we experienced a sense of loss before. Whatever early losses you have had in your life — whether they be your own divorce, your parents, or both, or the abandonment of one parent, a childhood or parental illness or death, financial upheaval, constant moving around, or growing up with parental addiction or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — they are likely to...
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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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Yes, Stress Really is Making You Sick [newsweek.com]
By Adam Piore, Newsweek, March 2, 2020 In the mid-2000s, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris opened a children's medical clinic in the Bayview section of San Francisco, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. She quickly began to suspect something was making many of her young patients sick. She noticed the first clues in the unusually large population of kids referred to her clinic for symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—an inability to focus, impulsivity, extreme...
Calendar Event
AAIMH Summer Summit 2018
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71 ACEs Initiatives Join ACEs Connection in 2019
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)...
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A Kaiser pediatrician, wise to ACEs science for years, finally gets to use it
Dr. Suzanne Frank has known about the impact of childhood adversity on young lives for decades. She’s seen the fallout in the faces of young people huddled in beds at a children’s shelter where she worked years ago. She’s seen it as the regional child abuse services and champion for the Permanente Medical Group. And she’s seen it in hospital examination rooms where, as a member of the Santa Clara County’s Sexual Assault Response Team, she’s been called in to examine shell-shocked children...
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AACF Releases Part III of Data Series on Breaking Down Barriers for Black Men and Boys
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families recently released the third in a series of data snapshots illustrating the barriers to opportunity experienced by black men and boys in Arkansas. The latest snapshot focuses on education and makes policy recommendations to improve educational outcomes. The first two snapshots delved into family economic security and health. Part I -- Family Economic Security Part II -- Health Part III -- Education
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ACEs & African Americans Community on ACEs Connection
ACEs Connection envisions a resilient world where ALL people thrive. We are an anti-racist organization committed to the pursuit of social justice. In our work to promote resilience and prevent and mitigate ACEs, we intentionally embrace and uplift people who have historically not had a seat at the table. ACEs Connection celebrates the voices and tells the stories of people who have been barred from decision-making and who have shouldered the burden of systemic and economic oppression as the...
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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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ACEs News and Notes -- Dec. 19
2019 Legislative Session on the Horizon The 2019 regular legislative session of the Arkansas General Assembly starts Jan. 14. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and the Invest Early Coalition have announced their respective legislative priorities for this session, which are attached. If your organization or agency has legislative priorities related to ACEs and/or resilience that you would like shared with the workgroup, please send them to me. Please be sure to make your voice...
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ACEs News and Notes -- Jan. 2
Meeting Reminder The next ACEs Workgroup meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Jan. 9 at AFMC, 1020 W. 4th St., #300, Little Rock. Our guest speaker will be Laura Abbott, a high school health teacher and victim's rights advocate. She will present on how she talks about ACEs and trauma with her students. If you plan on attending in person, please reply to this email and let me know. If you would like to attend virtually, the login information is below. https://www.gotomeet.me/AFMCPA Phone number:...
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ACEs News and Notes-- Jan. 23
Free Trauma Tapping Technique App One of the most important aspects of trauma recovery is learning self-calming techniques to help relax during an emotional stress response. The Peaceful Heart Network, a nonprofit organization that works with survivors of the genocide in Rwanda and Congo, worked with a trauma expert to develop the Trauma Tapping Technique (TTT). TTT is a five-minute sequence of rhythmic tapping on various spots on the face and body while lightly focusing on what bothers you.
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ACEs News and Notes - Jan. 30
Call for Proposals The Third Annual Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference: Promoting Equitable Access to High Quality Services for Vulnerable Children and Families , is scheduled for July 29-Aug. 1 at the Thomas Jefferson University’s East Falls Philadelphia campus. This training conference will provide an intensive, collaborative and engaging experience to providers, educators and leaders across health, education and social service disciplines, as well as to community advocates promoting...
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ACEs News and Notes -- Nov. 13
Reminder: Workgroup Meeting Tomorrow The workgroup meets at 1 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) at AFMC, 1020 W. 4th St., #300, Little Rock. If you plan to attend the meeting in person, please reply to this email and let me know. Below is the information on how to attend virtually. Webinar link: https://www.gotomeet.me/AFMCPA Conference line: (646) 749-3112 Access Code: 181-269-685 ARBEST Webinar: Childhood Adversity, Resiliency and the Brain Dr. Andrew James, Ph.D. of the Brain Imaging Research...
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ACEs News and Notes -- Nov. 20
A Season for Giving Thanks As we celebrate Thanksgiving later this week, I wanted to express how thankful I am for each of you, for your support of the workgroup, and your desire to learn more about ACEs, how to prevent and address them, and what you can do to make the lives of families and children better in Arkansas. ACEs work can seem like a massive and daunting task, so I wanted to share with you two recent victories. Rachel Hritz is a workgroup member and kindergarten teacher at Amboy...
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ACEs News and Notes -- Nov. 8
Workgroup Meeting Next Week There will be a general ACEs workgroup meeting at 1 p.m. Nov. 14 at AFMC, 1020 W. 4th St., #300, Little Rock. Angela Duran from the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will talk about the campaign's new Excel to 8 initiative, which aims to provide selected counties technical assistance to develop comprehensive, holistic, and cross-sector networks to support the health and well-being of children birth to 8. We will also review the facilitator's report from...
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ACEs News and Notes -- Oct. 3
Subgroups Meet Oct. 10 The ACEs workgroup's policy, education/training and data subgroups will meet at 1 p.m. Oct. 10 at AFMC, 1020 W. 4th St., #300, Little Rock. All are welcome to join a subgroup. If you plan on attending in person, please respond to this email to let me know so that we can expedite the sign-in process when you arrive. If you would like to attend via webinar/conference call, let me know so that I can get you the login/call-in information. The next general workgroup meeting...
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ACEs News and Notes -- Oct. 30
CDC Launches New Online ACEs Training The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Veto Violence website recently launched an online introductory training on ACEs . The training's two modules cover an overview of ACEs and the public health approach to preventing ACEs. Plans are to release specialized training modules for physicians, nurses, health education specialists and general health professionals in the future. Infographic: How Trauma Affects Memory We have two kinds of memory:...
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ACEs science can prevent school shootings, but first people have to learn about ACEs science
The shooting in Florida isn’t only a gun regulation issue. It’s a systems change issue. All of our systems have to change their approach to changing behavior — whether it’s criminal, unhealthy or unwanted behavior — from a blame, shame and punishment approach, to one that is based in understanding, nurturing and healing….in other words, ACEs science.
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Action needed today by trauma advocates to urge Congress to address mental health and trauma in current COVID-19 legislation
The follow is a message from Dan Press, Legal Advisor to the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice ), about the need to contact Congress regarding a COVID 19 funding bill being considered this weekend. He is urging ACEs science/trauma advocates and leaders to send emails to their U.S. Senators and Representatives immediately to address the mental health and trauma implications of this pandemic. All – I hate to bother you on a Sunday, but we urgently need you to contact Congress to...
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AFMC to work with ARCOM, ARCare through $1.9 million grant
The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) has received a grant award totaling $1,902,095 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration. The grant is for a five-year project, entitled “Primary Care Training and Enhancement: Training Primary Care Champions,” and will train at least 20 health care professionals in leadership, team-based health care, practice transformation to value-based care and expanded use of trauma-informed...
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Arkansas DHS Receives $3.5 million Grant over Five Years to Help Young Children Who Experience Trauma
Funding will go toward training staff, parents, others in early childhood settings (LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) --- The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE) has been awarded a $3.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Children & Families that will be used to train staff, parents, and others working with children from birth to 5 years old who have experienced trauma. “Young children in...
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Arkansas DHS Receives $3.5 million Grant over Five Years to Help Young Children Who Experience Trauma
Funding will go toward training staff, parents, others in early childhood settings (LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) --- The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE) has been awarded a $3.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Children & Families that will be used to train staff, parents, and others working with children from birth to 5 years old who have experienced trauma. “Young children in...
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Article of the Year, Spanking is an ACE
Child Abuse & Neglect Article of the Year 2017 Child Abuse & Neglect, The International Journal, is pleased to announce the winner of its ‘Article of the Year’. The papers shortlisted for this title have demonstrated outstanding contribution to research on child welfare and we wish to recognise these scholars and research topics within the community. The papers selected for this title were voted on by the editorial team and editorial board (33 votes) of Child Abuse & Neglect. For...
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Author Hopes to Put Her Emotions Journals in the Hands of Girls in Every State
Back in the spring, I was in the middle of putting together a panel on community interventions for ACEs when the conference planning chair suggested adding Tara Shephard. We had an amazing panel that day, but Tara hit it out of the park. Her love and care for African-American girls in Arkansas and the adversities they face was apparent in every word she spoke that day. To give some background, Tara is an author, education and mental health advocate; an auditor for the American Correctional...
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Be the Spark: Igniting trauma-informed change within our communities
Authors note: This piece is co-authored by @Lara Kain and @Christine Cissy White. Though we had never worked together or met, we were asked to co-present on creating t rauma-informed changes in communities by the Attachment Trauma Network for the first national (now annual) Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Summit in Washington, DC. This article is an expanded essay version of that presentation). Be the Spark Oprah Winfrey helped mainstream discussion about...
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Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) launches new grassroots initiative to engage and educate Congress
CTIPP (Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice) today announced the launch of the National Trauma Campaign , calling for federal action to prevent and address childhood trauma and build resilience through educating and engaging Congress. Its widely circulated communication invited people from around the country to join the new grassroots initiative. The campaign provides ways for everyone to get involved by joining the effort, becoming a Local Liaison to take the lead in every state...
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Cultivating Deliberate Resilience During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic [jamanetwork.com]
By Abby R. Rosenberg, JAMA Pediatrics, April 14, 2020 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is affecting our health care community in unprecedented ways. As a pediatric oncologist who studies resilience in the context of illness, I started thinking about what this pandemic means for our professional resilience a few weeks ago, when the first US patient with fatal COVID-19 died in my home city of Seattle, Washington. Promoting resilience among health care workers and organizations starts with...