Blog

May is "Mental Health Awareness" month. It is a natural tendency to try to move as far and as fast away from the pandemic, which may be an effective strategy for some people, but not for all. We need to draw an awareness for those who have struggled with post-pandemic life and not judge them with, "what is wrong with you?! Itʻs over, get over it." The pandemic has magnified access and equity issues to behavioral health supports in our communities, particularly in our rural and remote parts...

PACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.

Aloha, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) is kicking off a social-media awareness campaign with #MoreThanEnough to bring celebration, support and awareness to mental health awareness. On PACES Connection Hawaii, we will begin with a series on "Resilience." Links and thoughts will be shared that will include research and practice-based strategies to build wellness and resilience. Our first link is from Psychology Today written by Kristin...

I don't mean to offend anyone, but there is power in word choice. The word "Resilience" or the description of someone who is "Resilient" at times can be overused. It is kind of like when I point out to my daughters (and it is met with "eye rolls") the misuse of the word "love," when the say, "I love chocolate!" Okay, some of you might actually use "love" in this case- no judgement here :D. I know I am bias and proud parent, but my daughter Cassidy is truly "resilient." She has been through a...

Back in 2019, we began planning to write a book, From Trauma to Resiliency, that would describe the experiences of survivors who have experienced multiple traumas and who have benefitted from relationship-based, collaborative family-school-community-based services. We asked colleagues doing amazing work in San Diego County to contribute chapters, and they shared stories of oppressed, traumatized groups of survivors that include, people who have faced abuse, war, and poverty,...

Aloha- registration is open for the 3rd annual Kahewai TIC Summit (April 20-21, 2023) a virtual summit that equips community members with trauma-informed care strategies that strive to build wellness and resilience. The conference is generously sponsored by the Department of Health and the Hawai'i Community Foundation. Kahewai is also fortunate to have the amazing staff at HAIS (Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools) to once again run the summit. Please sign up and PACES Connection...

We are thrilled to announce the 3rd annual Kahewai Summit TIC conference for 0-5 providers! Please "Save the Date" for our 4/21-22 /2023 virtual gathering. Last year, over 400 people attending the Kahewai Summit. Are you interested in presenting? In the embedded link, there is a "call for proposals" please share this information to your fellow providers or contact speakers that youʻve enjoyed in the past and want to see present. There are three Summit tracks, each aligned to the audience...

*Disclaimer* This post may trigger some readers, this is NOT my intent. The next two series of posts will focus on “Religion and Culture” as protective factors. This post will focus on “Faith/Religion.” My ACE score is a six and my Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCE) score is a seven. One BCE question reads, “Did you have beliefs that gave you comfort?” Two youth pastors were highly influential non-adult relatives that provided guidance, shelter, and comfort during highly volatile points...

A study published in the JAMA Network on Pediatric research, dated December 12, 2022, found that mobile devices for calming children ages 0-5 decreased executive functioning and increased emotional reactivity (particularly with boys ages 3-5 and keiki with higher tempermental surgency). There are many apps and resources, many that are free that can teach and coach self-regulation, just be sure that they are age and developmentally appropriate. There are many calming activities that we can do...

New Mexico has provided a road map to free childcare for families through innovative legislation. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, is pioneering the way to make New Mexico the first state to provide free childcare for families who are at or below the 400% federal poverty level. This legislation will provide concrete supports in times of need for families who struggle to make ends meet. This is an important protective factor to prevent future trauma from occurring and mitigating...

Each exercise shared in this series addressed a certain age group of a child but can help adults restore and maintain calm as well. I highly encourage you to review each of the segments in this six-part series and see what works for you in various stressful situations. The “4-7-8 breathing exercise” (part 1) is an effective strategy when I am on a plane or before I speak before an audience. The “growing like a tree” (part 3) activity helps when I first wake in the morning as I step out of...

Our Mindfulness Minute Series (5 of 6) looks at the middle school years. As mentioned in the the 2nd installment of this series, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is highly critical as this is where 85% of the human brain is formed and hopefully healthy, secure and consistent attachment is developed between the child and their caregiver(s). The middle school years are also a critical stage because of the biological and psychological development of your student/child. This is a stage...