VA TICNs eNote September 28 2020 [grscan.com]

If you are a coordinator or leader of a trauma-informed community network, you can always reach out to the State Coordinator for the VA TICNs, Melissa McGinn, mmcginn@grscan.com. Melissa is here to offer support and technical assistance for anything related to building and sustaining a TICN, from getting on a call or attending a meeting to connecting you with other network coordinators around the state.
Click here for a current list of VA TICNs around the state.

Happy Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month! Read a timely op-ed from writer Irene Franco Rubio about how she’s seen the resilience of her Latinx community locally and nationally in an era of increasing hostility and targeting. NPR is sharing podcasts in Spanish and English throughout the month, and more resources can be found here and here.

ca942d85-be69-4468-acb8-0ae6767aab81

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has some helpful Internet Safety Resources, including presentations crafted for grades K-2 and 3-5 on important online safety concepts including how to handle cyberbullying, spotting unreliable information, and responding to inappropriate behaviors. You can also download a PDF in English and Spanish with 5 tips for Internet at Home.

"After a summer of uncertainty, schools around the country are 'reopening.' For some districts, this means distance learning. For others, it’s a staggered and blended approach. For others still, there is in-person education for all. One thing we know for sure: It won’t be business as usual. And it shouldn’t be." Read about the importance of and strategies for focusing on student well-being during these challenging times.

You can follow Voices for Virginia's Children on Twitter for updates on the General Assembly Special Session. Voices continues to advocate for priorities around child care, FACT and the trauma-informed community networks, mental health funding, and more.

Virginia Must Declare Racism as a Public Health Crisis

"As communities raise their voices to express horror and grief at the inadvertent impacts of cultural, racial, and historical trauma, Virginia and the nation must respond to address the injustices that racism perpetuates through action to ensure equitable opportunities for all. Virginia must declare racism as a public health crisis." Read more on the Voices blog.

Rise Above utilizes social-emotional learning in efforts to help youth cultivate life skills to help them overcome and thrive. The program is tailored for youth ages 11-18; employs a curriculum that is evidence-based, student-centered, and interactive; is offered in-person or 100% virtually; is 100% free, as it is fully funded by the United in Building Evidence Together (U-BET) Collaborative at Virginia Commonwealth University; and is moderated by trained teachers who are trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) certified, completed multicultural training, and have extensive experiences in youth programs. View an interactive PDF and visit the website for more information!

September 29, 3:00pm-4:30pm | Racial Healing For Ourselves, Our Communities and Our Future

October 15, 6:00pm-7:30pm | Access to Wealth, part of VPM's Racism: Challenging Perceptions Series

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Serving the U.S. and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources for children and caregivers. All calls are anonymous and confidential.

Mental Health America of Virginia's Warm Line is a peer-run service for individuals, family members, and other concerned parties in Virginia who would like someone to talk to, or who request community mental health resources, or who have specific questions about their recovery journey. The peers who answer the Warm Line listen with compassion and provide non-judgmental support. Call 1-866-400-6428, Mon-Fri 9am-9pm and Sat-Sun 5pm-9pm.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 support for survivors and their loved ones. Call 1-800-799-7233, use the website's live chat function, or text LOVEIS to 22522. They also provide services for those who are deaf and hard of hearing.

SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) offers a Disaster Distress Helpline for immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. For services in both English and Spanish, call 1-800-985-5990. To connect with a trained crisis counselor, text TalkWithUs (for English) or Hablanos (for Spanish) to 66746.