Those of you who know me, know that I ADORE that lovable, furry old monster, Grover. Grover was a deeply comforting character for my family during a very stressful time and continues to serve as a positive symbol for a pretty rough chapter in our life story. While Sesame Street has been supporting preschool learners and their families across the globe for generations, the resources it brings to the communities of this generation have been wonderful to watch grow and develop. From Julia, (who...

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...

The past few months have been a challenging time for everyone. New "norms" at home and at work continue to evolve while people balance all of the issues that relate to keeping our families, workplaces, and communities safe and healthy and attempting to address the many system inequities related to poverty and race that the pandemic has shone a light on. As things move forward, I hope that our team can share some of the resources that we see along the way. By themselves, these tools won't...

This is a repost of information originally posted to PACEs Connection by Robbyn Petters Bennett, a Psychotherapist from Portland Oregon. Thanks to Robbyn for the resource! Putting the pieces together! Join an upstream approach to ending violence against children! This is an ACEs & Spanking INFOGRAPHIC that helps parents understand the connection between ACEs and the importance of not spanking and instead, using positive parenting techniques. For a free webinar series to support parents:...

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on a number of mental health and wellness issues across the globe and left many struggling to effectively cope, including an increasing number right here in Kansas. Kansas: Stronger Together is a crisis counseling program developed to provide mental health and wellness support to all Kansans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is funded by Federal disaster relief dollars that are administered by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the Kansas...

The pandemic has had a lasting effect on youth mental health. Moved by a desire to reduce youth’s toxic stress and increase their resilience, The Dibble Institute, in partnership with a team of students and alumni from ArtCenter College of Design and author Carolyn Curtis, PhD, is releasing Me & My Emotions —a new, free adaptation of our beloved Mind Matters Curriculum. The mobile-friendly Me & My Emotions website features engaging graphics and bite-sized lessons teens can access and...

Today, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has issued an 81-page advisory on the epidemic of loneliness and isolation. In the report, Dr. Murthy outlines the public health concerns related to loneliness and isolation and how supporting social connection can reduce the risk of premature mortality, predict better physical and mental health outcomes and ease stress. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office has issued a new website announcing a National Strategy for addressing the...