From Christine Stone (Department of Human Services, Communication, Trauma-Informed Oregon, January 31, 2020 The Department of Human Services (DHS) is building a new three-story, 96,000-square-foot building in Gresham. But it’s not just another government-looking edifice. Trauma-Informed Design The building, planned for 22200 S.E. Stark Street, will have a trauma-informed design. This means creating a physical environment that promotes a sense of safety and calm for our clients and our staff.

In our work across the state, we frequently connect with partners who want to share information about ACEs/Resilience with local business leaders but aren't sure how to respond to the inevitable question, "So now what?" A new resource released in January from Policy Research Associates may be able to support these conversations. Best Practices for Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace includes a framework and tools that businesses can use to improve their organizational culture to promote...

School districts across the state (and country) are working to find ways to become more trauma-aware, trauma-sensitive, and trauma-responsive. Many have started the process by implementing a variety of programs and practices school-wide from Restorative Justice to Capturing Kids' Hearts . Others are making small changes, one classroom at a time. All of it is good work – and the best way to make it sustainable is to have a written plan developed by leaders at all levels within the school or...

It’s that time of year – the time of year that is often described as “merry”, “bright”, and “joyful”. A popular way of spreading the joy is through cookie exchanges where we share our favorite memories and recipes with others through little wrapped packages of often artful treats. This year, I would suggest that we spread that comfort and warmth through a different kind of cookie exchange. In their book, Fostering Resilient Learners , Kristin Souers and Pete Hall introduce a concept called...

From the Lawrence Journal-World : In response to high suicide rates among America’s farmers, a new website developed by the Kansas Department of Agriculture provides resources and support to those dealing with stress. Kelsey Olson, KDA’s assistant secretary of agriculture, led the effort in creating the website: kansasagstress.org . “I just thought that there was a need for a consolidated location of resources for our farmers and ranchers,” she said. Olson said that, to her knowledge, Kansas...

As our team works with communities across the state, we have had the privilege of meeting a significant number of educators who are working to respond to the growing number of behavioral health needs their students are presenting. To support those efforts , the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has just released Student Assistance: A Guide for School Administrators . The purpose of this guide is to provide school leaders and administrators with key...

I can’t believe that this month (…year…decade?!) is nearly over. Like many others this week, I’m doing a lot of reflecting about what I’m thankful for. In the month of November, our TISC team has had the privilege of talking to and learning from people across Kansas who care about building resilient residents, organizations, and communities. In a time when the world seems more than a little chaotic, intolerant, and just plain unkind – I’m grateful to be in a position to have witnessed the...

October 31 kicks off a three day celebration dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Halloween, in particular, can be a challenging time for those who have experienced trauma. To learn more about how to manage triggers this Halloween and be more trauma aware, check out this article from Promise Behavioral Health in Tennessee. Halloween can also be a great time to build positive relationships with your own children and children in...

We are going to wrap up our series on the Essentials for Childhood Framework with perhaps one of the toughest parts of the work – influencing policy. One of the best ways to assure that all of our great work doesn’t disappear when the winds change is to have it be embedded in our infrastructure, but it isn’t easy. The CDC suggests that there are two steps to inform policies that might support safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. Identify and assess which policies may...

The two biggest myths about ACEs science are: MYTH #1 — That it’s just about the 10 ACEs in the ACE Study — the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study . It’s about sooooo much more than that. MYTH #2 — And that it’s just about ACEs…adverse childhood experiences. These two myths are intertwined. The ACE Study issued the first of its 70+ publications in 1998, and for many people it was the lightning bolt, the grand “aha” moment, the unexpected doorway into a blazing new...

Just in case you missed it, Jane Stevens has posted a great new article and infographic explaining the 12 Myths of the Science of ACEs . Reading it, I felt like Jane has been following our team around lately (in a good way!). We have these discussions on a regular basis within the communities and organizations we visit - and we are betting that you do too! For us, Jane's article reinforces (and validates!) what we try to share with others and gives us additional language to do that in a...

Safe, stable, nurturing relationships are key to a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical and social development. Their first exposure to these are through parents and caregivers, but these relationships don’t happen in a vacuum. The physical and social environment surrounding families have a significant impact – both positively and negatively – on the context in which relationships develop. One way to think about this context is through community norms. Norms are defined as a those values,...