Tagged With "Massage in Schools"
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2019 Economics of Child Abuse in Mendocino County
Mendocino recently shared 2019 data related to the economic impacts of child abuse. The attached documents are in a printable format.
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28,000 LA preschoolers are learning how to be better humans [scpr.org]
I don’t want to be your friend. Stay away. I’m not going to share with you. These harsh statements are "very normal to hear at the beginning of the school year," for preschool teachers like Rafaela Campos. To push past those moments of mean, she and more than a thousand other early educators in the Los Angeles Unified School District now have a new tool. This school year, all 86 of the early childhood centers in the district started using a program called Sanford Harmony, which provides...
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5 Ways Trauma-Informed Care Supports Children's Development
Happy Friday! Below is an excerpt from an article by Child Trends about how trauma-informed care supports children's development. I think it's a nice overview for the trauma-informed work that you're doing - why it's so important, and how it connects to the broader initiative. To see the full article click here . TIC helps service providers, parents, and systems recognize and respond to the needs of children who experience trauma. Each child reacts to trauma differently, but experiencing...
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A Guide to Creating “Safe Space” Policies for Early Childhood Programs [CLASP]
From the Center for Law and Social Policy Early childhood programs play an important role in the lives of young children and their families. But in our current immigration policy climate, families across the country are questioning whether it’s safe to attend or enroll. Providers can take steps to protect families’ safety and privacy by implementing policies that designate their facilities as a safe space from immigration enforcement. This guide explains federal agency guidance related to...
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A New Suite of Data on Safeguards for Youth
Safeguards for Youth is a compilation of the latest data on promoting California children’s health and well-being. The data describe protective factors and supportive services, both of which are critical to building a solid foundation for life and addressing the effects of childhood adversity. Protective factors highlight the importance of preventive health care, a strong start in education, and a nurturing school community. Supportive services address adverse experiences such as health...
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ACEs Connection Webinar: The trauma toll on pediatric immigrants, refugees and their families
The trauma toll on pediatric immigrants, refugees and their families Date: Friday, December 14, 2018 Time: 10:30-11:30 am Pacific Time/1:30-2:30 Eastern Time Central American asylum seekers, including a Honduran girl, 2, and her mother, are taken into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border in June in McAllen, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images Please register here for this webinar. News accounts say it all: “Families Are Still Being Separated at the Border, Months After ‘Zero Tolerance’ Was...
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ACES Science 101 (FAQs)
What are ACEs? ACEs are adverse childhood experiences that harm children's developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later; they cause much of chronic disease, most mental illness, and are at the root of most violence. ...
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Addressing historical and childhood trauma: Why native people across the country are gathering in San Diego in October
photo/ CCO Children, in what should be the safety of their homes, experience trauma, and it is ruining lives -- and perhaps entire ethnic groups. Childhood trauma actually alters the structure of the brain – a result of consistent toxic stress, which is why it’s so difficult to heal an individual and help them attain a healthy life. Dr. Anthony Pico The science that was the springboard for making those linkages began with a now famous Adverse Childhood Experiences study of over 17,000...
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Are Lockdown Drills Trauma Informed?
Are lockdown drills trauma informed? We have outlined three easy to implement recommendations. Please share with your fellow teachers!
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Best toys for children’s development? Hint: They are not electronic or costly [aappublications.org]
Parents are overwhelmed with messaging and claims about how the latest “educational” toy or app is going to make their child smarter or more prepared for school. At the same time, accelerating scientific advances have demonstrated the critical importance of early brain and child development across the lifespan. The new AAP clinical report Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children in the Digital Era supports pediatricians as they counsel parents, focusing on what we know about toys and...
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Brief trauma training videos now available for families & professionals
Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School is a series of three brief (under 10 minutes each) training videos for use by school personnel, families, child welfare and other professionals. Developed by Formed Families Forward, a parent resource center, as part of the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports project, the videos cover: - Understanding Trauma Awareness; - Responding to Trauma; and - Building Trauma Sensitive Schools One page fact sheets are available to accompany each video.
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CA to reimburse for only one of three ACEs screeners
California health care providers will soon begin to learn how many of the 13.2 million California children and adults in the state’s MediCal program have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). But the state’s proposed decision to reimburse only one of three recommended options for screening children has drawn mixed reactions from pediatricians. “If we have mandated legislation that only looks at one screening tool, it really limits the opportunity to improve that screening...
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Connections between early childhood program and teenage outcomes [sciencedaily.com]
A new study published in PLOS ONE by researchers from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development examined the long-term impacts of an early childhood program called the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP) and found evidence suggesting that the program positively affected children's executive function and academic achievement during adolescence. The program targeted children's self-regulation skills while also raising the quality of inner-city...
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Control, Predictability Can Help Counter Students' Trauma, Research Finds [blogs.edweek.org]
Interventions that help students think flexibly and feel more control over their learning may help counter the effects of disadvantage and trauma, suggests emerging research at the International Mind-Brain Education conference here. More than 1 in 3 U.S. children have experienced at least one major trauma—from abuse or neglect to the loss of a family member to death, prison, or drugs—by the time they enter kindergarten. By the end of their school years, nearly half have had at least one...
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Counselors Needed: Schools Struggle With New Wave of Trauma 6 Months After Camp Fire [ KQED]
The trauma specialists working in Butte County schools knew they'd start seeing kids act out around six months after the deadly Camp Fire, since anniversaries are known to trigger survivors into reliving moments of the traumatic event. But there aren't enough counselors to help all of the students, teachers and staff dealing with this second wave of trauma. “We have six schools that have requested help, and we can't bring help to them,” said Roy Applegate, who helps coordinate Recovery...
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Earlier always better? Child development reseachers question old assumption [CenterforHealthJournalism.org]
It’s always worth revisiting what we think we know. In recent years, there’s been a trend among early childhood researchers to keep moving the focus to earlier and earlier in children’s lives. The storyline might go something like this: Sure, grade school matters, but we need to think about high-quality preschools to level the playing field. Actually, preschool is too late — the interactions kids have with their parents in the first years of life are really what’s crucial for development....
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Early childhood educators learn new ways to spot trauma triggers, build resilience in preschoolers
A hug may be comforting to many children, but for a child who has experienced trauma it may not feel safe.
That’s an example used by Julie Kurtz, co-director of trauma informed practices in early childhood education at the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies (CCFS), as she begins a trauma training session. Her audience, preschool teachers and staff of the San Francisco-based Wu Yee Children’s Services at San Francisco’s Women’s Building, listen attentively.
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Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success
Each year in the United States, 46 million children are exposed to violence, crime, abuse, homelessness, or food insecurity, as well as a range of other experiences that cause psychological trauma. These experiences create toxic stress that can affect children’s attention, learning, and behavior. Research on human development shows that the effects of such trauma can be mitigated when students learn in a positive school climate that offers long-term, secure relationships that supports...
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Even Toddlers, Preschoolers Need Trauma-Informed Intervention [youthtoday.org]
Benjamin Franklin once said; “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Nowhere is this axiom truer than in the field of children’s mental health. My years of education, training and experience as a school-based clinical social worker at The Guidance Center , working with children, their families and educators, has led me to realize the value of a trauma-informed lens. This means I have an understanding of how the brain forms and functions in relation to the environment, and that...
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Five Things You Wish Your Community’s Early Childhood Programs Knew [CitiesSpeak.org]
By NLC Staff on May 10, 2019 Cities, towns, and villages are places of innovation and solution finding. If you want to improve early childhood wellbeing—local leaders are key partners. The Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing (NOW) Learning Community is a program of Boston Medical Center’s Vital Village. The learning community’s goal is to support local early childhood coalitions and build their capacity to work together with the broader community to improve the wellbeing of our...
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FREE WEBINAR: Trauma-Informed Advocacy: Practical Tools for Working with Vulnerable Populations
Working at the intersection of trauma, health equity, and law, attorney Sarah Hess will join the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative in this free webinar to talk about ways advocates from all disciplines can use a trauma-informed approach to help their clients thrive...
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Free Webinar: Using Culturally Responsive Practices to Ensure Equity for All Children
The State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP) invites you to a Webinar on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. (PST) Please join SPP-TAP as we welcome Dr. Rosemarie Allen for the upcoming webinar, Using Culturally Responsive Practices to Ensure Equity for All Children focusing on learning environments that are culturally affirming for students in preschool through early elementary grades. Proposed Audience: SPP-TAP invites school and central office personnel to...
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Gov. Newsom's early childhood advisor describes 'whole-child, whole-family, whole-community' strategy [edsource.org]
For the first time, a California governor has created a position in his office focused on early education. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Giannina Pérez as his Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood. Peréz previously worked for Early Edge California and Children Now, both well-known children’s advocacy organizations. As an advocate, she worked to expand training for preschool teachers and child care providers to better support children who speak languages other than English at home. She also...
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In the Arena with NOW Podcast Episode, "Cultivating Leaders of Color in Early Care and Education" (27 min)
The Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing (NOW) is excited to share the third episode of In the Arena with NOW , a podcast series that lifts up the voices of community leaders who are “in the arena” -- in classrooms, playgrounds, Congressional halls, hospitals, and neighborhood streets -- working to make sure that all children and families can live healthy, thriving lives. In our third episode, we speak with members of the California Consortium for Equity in Early Care and Education...
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Multifaceted reforms needed to reach California’s education goals, research project finds [edsource.org]
Researchers on Monday released a massive collection of education studies timed to inform the next California governor’s and Legislature’s preK-12 agenda. The big achievement gap for California’s low- and middle-income children relative to their peers in other states starts in kindergarten, indicating a need to significantly expand preschool and quality child care.Among the findings of Getting Down to Facts II: The big achievement gap for California’s low- and middle-income children relative...
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New Data on Children with Special Health Care Needs
Updated information on children with special health care needs, those who have a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition that requires more than routine health and related services, is now on Kidsdata. Discover the latest data on children with major disabilities by legislative district and by county, city and school district. Also, find special education enrollment by disability and race/ethnicity, the number of active California Children’s Services (CCS) enrollees...
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New Health Resiliency Stress Questionnaire debuts for pediatricians, family practice, internal medicine...but anyone can use it
There's a new ACEs-resiliency survey in town! It came out of a conversation between two physicians having a conversation on a bus. Here's the story about how it was developed, and how to use it. Pilots were done in a pediatric clinic, internal medicine, addiction treatment center, group therapy, and psychiatric practice. It's now being used in two community clinics.
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New Report: Holding Policymakers Accountable for Kids' Well-Being
New Report: Today’s shifting political sands have put kids at risk, and it’s urgent that policymakers put kids’ needs front and center. We all have the power to hold policymakers accountable for prioritizing the needs of children, and our friends at the child advocacy group Kids Impact have charted a course on how. In their new report, “Accelerating Policymaker Accountability for U.S. Kids’ Well-Being: Charting the Course & A Call to Action,” they help define a collective “True North”...
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Organizing Your ACEs Initiative: Steps to Growing A Resilient Community
The information below is to be used as guidance for how local ACEs initiatives can structure and organize themselves. We’ve gathered this information from experiences in communities and on ACEs Connection; we've pulled examples of things that work & lessons learned along the way. We want your input — in the comments section, please share with us things we have missed, examples of what’s working for you, and any lessons you have learned and would like to share with the members of ACEs...
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Pandemic EBT [cdss.ca.gov]
From California Department of Social Services, May 2020 Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school will get extra food benefits. These food benefits are called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT benefits. P-EBT benefits help families in California buy food when schools are closed because of the coronavirus emergency. Families will get up to $365 per eligible child on their P-EBT card to use on food and groceries. Families with children who get...
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Parent Handouts: Understanding ACEs, Parenting to Prevent & Heal ACEs (English)
Please see the main post for these parent handouts in the ACEs Connection Resources Center. These two flyers ( Understanding ACEs and Parenting to Prevent & Heal ACEs ) can be downloaded, distributed, and used freely. One is brand new and the other is a revision. Both flyers were made with generous support from Family Hui, a Program of Lead for Tomorrow. Translations of these flyers are in progress and will be shared by Family Hui and updated on ACEs Connection when available.
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Parents talking to kids may blunt negative impact of adversity on schoolwork [physiciansweekly.com]
By Lisa Rapaport, Physician's Weekly, July 8, 2019. Children who suffer adverse experiences tend to do worse in school than kids who don’t, but a U.S. study suggests parents may still help improve academic outcomes by simply talking to their kids. Adverse childhood experiences, commonly called ACEs, can include witnessing parents fight or go through a divorce, having a parent with a mental illness or substance abuse problem, or suffering from sexual, physical or emotional abuse. ACEs have...
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Positive Childhood Experiences May Buffer Against Health Effects Of Adverse Ones [npr.org]
By Selena Simmons-Duffin, National Public Radio, September 9, 2019 Plenty of research shows that adverse childhood experiences can lead to depression and other health problems later in life. But researcher Christina Bethell wondered whether positive experiences in childhood could counter that. Her research comes from a personal place. In the 1970s, in a low-income housing complex in Los Angeles, Bethell had a tough childhood. Sometimes she didn't have money for lunch. Sometimes, when a free...
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Promising Research on Mindfulness for Kids (eomega.org)
Mindfulness trains our brains to respond in ways we choose instead of always in a default manner, which often is a knee-jerk reaction from the reptilian part of the brain. This is especially pertinent in situations that bring up stress or conflict. For instance, if a child has learned to use violence to react to feeling scared, mindfulness can help him or her become aware of this habitual behavior and the feelings underneath it, and ultimately rewire the reaction to a constructive and...
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Protecting Brains, Stimulating Minds: The Early Life Roots of Success in School
Below is an Askwith Forum with Dr. Jack Shonkoff of the Harvard Center on the Developing Child. You can also find this video uploaded under the Videos section of the Resources widget. Understanding both the biology of adversity and the science of early learning is essential for building a strong foundation for reducing disparities in educational achievement. The benefits of evidence-based curricula in the early childhood years cannot be fully achieved without effective strategies for...
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Raising The Organic Unity Of Child-And-Community
“When a child displays a behavior problem, the first place to look for the cause and for the solution is to the child’s environment.” Maria Montessori We cannot truly separate the child from the community. In our efforts to “fix” child behavior or heal the child from the traumatic impact of adverse childhood experiences, we need to relate to the community as an extension of the child’s physical and psychological constitution. An organic unity operates here. There is more than just a...
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REPORT and WEBINAR: Accelerating 2Gen Approaches at Educare
New Report and Webinar: Accelerating 2Gen Approaches at Educare Ascend is proud to release Accelerating 2Gen Approaches at Educare to capture two-generation (2Gen) lessons learned and share replicable best practices for early education programs. Early childhood programs have proven to be strong platforms for 2Gen approaches. Over the last three years, the Educare Learning Network and Buffett Foundation supported four dynamic Educare sites around the country in exploring and advancing 2Gen...
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School Discipline Practices: An Issue Brief on a Public Health Crisis and Opportunities for Reform [changelabsolutions.org]
Early childhood education sets the foundation for a student’s future well-being and success. However, the widespread use of exclusionary school discipline (ESD) aggravates pre-existing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and deprives students of essential opportunities for learning and growth. Examples of harmful and counterproductive ESD practices include suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, and corporal punishment. These practices can compound feelings of isolation and...
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Some Thoughts on Oprah (www.attachmenttraumanetwork.org)
Laura Dennis wrote about why so many adoptive parents, as well as teachers, survivors, and advocates, were glued to the TV last night. Here's an excerpt:
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The Children's Advocates Roundtable - Screening of Resilience
RESILIENCE is a one-hour documentary on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the birth of a new movement to treat and prevent Toxic Stress. Extremely stressful experiences in childhood can alter brain development and have lifelong effects on health and behavior. However, as experts and practitioners profiled in this documentary are proving, what’s predictable is preventable . Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, CEO and founder of the Center for Youth and Wellness in San Francisco is featured in...
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This Is How Mindfulness Influences Your Child’s Behaviour (mindvalley.com)
The mind of the child is constantly observing, questioning, discovering and building assumptions. Mindfulness can help kids tune into this process and assist them with learning emotional regulation and achieving cognitive growth . By teaching mindfulness to children, you can help them become aware of this natural state and consequently help them to: Become better listeners Regulate their emotions Communicate effectively Focus better Become more compassionate and empathetic Resolve conflicts...
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Trauma Informed Practices for Schools Training April 23, 2018
Trauma Informed Practices are the link to academic achievement and social/emotional success for students who’ve experienced toxic stress and trauma. Due to repeated triggering of the fight or flight system, the neurology of these students is different than their grade level counterparts, and taking in new knowledge can often be challenging. Navigating social/emotional situations can also be difficult. Trauma Informed Practices help teachers and students to be better regulated, which...
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Trauma-Informed Training & Coaching E-Newsletter May 2018
Contents Updates Welcome to our new Bridge Program team members, Elgin Webb & Gemma DiMatteo! Webinars & Calls Bridge Program TA Call, 5/29 Bridge Program Webinar 6/11 TIC Training & Coaching Learning Community Call, 6/12 Resources Bridge Program Primary R&R Contact List Continuum of Care Reform and the Intersection with Child Care and Development presentation Tips by Text Call for Stories & Resources Staff Recruitment Resources Technical Assistance Contact Information...
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Trauma-Informed Training & Coaching E-Newsletter September 2018
Contents Network Updates Welcome to our new Program Assistant, Salaine McCullough! Conferences & Trainings 2018 Network/CAPPA Joint Annual Conference TIC Sessions Warrior Spirit Conference & Ceremony, 10/8-10 Webinars & Calls CDSS Bridge Program TA Call, 9/25 TIC Training & Coaching Learning Community Call, 10/9 How Boosting Emotional Intelligence Improves Your Ability to Effectively Lead Your ECE Program, 10/3 Resources ACEsConnection Monthly Highlights Staff Recruitment...
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Two New Grant Opportunities for Youth Development and Diversion Services
In 2019, more than $40 million will become available to fund community-based, culturally rooted, trauma-informed services for youth in California as alternatives to arrest and incarceration. Thousands of California youth are arrested every year for low-level offenses. Youth who are arrested or incarcerated for low-level offenses are less likely to graduate high school, more likely to suffer negative health-outcomes, and more likely to have later contact with the justice system.
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Updates on the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA)'s Endorsed Bills
The 2018 legislative session officially wrapped up on September 30th with Governor Brown taking action on all pieces of legislation that made it to his desk. This year, the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) endorsed three bills that were aligned with 4CA's objectives. We're happy to share that SB 439 (Mitchell & Lara) is officially law! This means that children 11 years old and younger are excluded from prosecution in juvenile court, except when the child is...
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Webinar — Moving to universal ACEs screening: Findings from a CA advisory group on screening children for trauma
On April 23rd, 2019 from 12:00pm-1:30pm PST the National Pediatric Practice Community on ACEs (NPPC) , an initiative of the Center for Youth Wellness, will be hosting a webinar to support efforts to screen all children for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and additional adversities. This webinar will summarize the findings of a state advisory group assigned to review tools and protocols for screening children for trauma, and provide an introduction to two tools the advisory group...
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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 Response...
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With a Little Help from my Friends—The Importance of Peer Relationships For Social-Emotional Development [rwjf.org]
The Issue Successfully navigating the social world of peers can be challenging. Children and teenagers benefit from the social and emotional support that friends offer, but they can also experience occasional social stressors and peer conflicts. Key Findings Peer relationships provide a unique context in which children learn a range of critical social emotional skills, such as empathy, cooperation, and problem-solving strategies. Peer relationships can also contribute negatively to social...
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Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager