Thirty years ago, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Doris Lessing gave a series of lectures, later published in a book, “ Prisons We Choose to Live Inside ,” in which she reflected on the brutality in the world and asked how individuals and societies could evolve into something better. It’s a sobering book, but Lessing is hopeful — and her main source of hope stems from the capacity of human beings to study themselves and learn from their own behavior. “I think when people look back at our...

Registration is now available for the 2016 Midwest ACE Summit ! For more information visit: www.pcamn.org/midwest-ace-summit Click HERE to register!

Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC) is currently seeking applicants for a new position – the Community Education and Engagement Manager. This position will coordinate and support a variety of MCCC education and outreach activities statewide, including coordination of the network of MN ACE Interface Trainers and Presenters. For more information or to apply, click here.

The Midwest ACE Summit will take place in Minnesota on November 10th and 11th. We hope that you will join us for this opportunity to connect and learn with others across the state and region! We are currently inviting presentation proposals from folks across the Midwest who would like to facilitate workshop (breakout) sessions. The deadline for submissions is August 1st . For more information, please see the attached RFP form. Please share this form across your networks! For more information...

What if one area of research could prevent some of society's biggest problems? Researchers say an ever-expanding pool of data on the effects of childhood trauma—and how to counteract those effects—might be the key to alleviating countless societal problems. These include criminality, substance abuse, mental health problems and some of the leading causes of death. Those who work with children, in health care and with incarcerated populations in Crow Wing County are seeking to bring local...

A $90,000 grant from the National Joint Powers Alliance could support the creation of trauma-informed organizations in five area counties. The social services departments in Crow Wing, Cass, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties are together seeking the Innovation Funding grant, which if awarded would pay for training county staff in working with individuals and families that have experienced trauma. Kara Terry, Crow Wing County Community Services director, went before the county board Tuesday...

The 2016 Midwest ACE Summit will bring people across the region together in shared learning that goes beyond the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study to focus on deeper issues of historical trauma and successful strategies for helping individuals and communities heal, build resiliency, and prevent future ACEs. We welcome your ideas for Summit presentation topics and presenters. To submit an idea or nomination, please see the form attached to this post. For more information about the...

Many people experience trauma, but few — and that includes medical professionals — understand the larger impact it can have on their lives and the lives of others. Ryan Van Wyk, a psychologist at Park Nicollet Melrose Center , wants to change that. He believes that past trauma lies at the root of many common mental health and addiction issues, and if more people understood that fact and worked to heal trauma, many could live happier, healthier lives. “My graduate school was great,” Van Wyk...

For those of you in the Minneapolis and Rochester, MN, areas, Resilience is coming to two theaters near you this week, as is director James Redford. Resilience was selected for the roster of films at the 35th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival . Resilience is a documentary that looks at the birth of the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study and how it’s spawned a movement across the world. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It will...

This was produced by KPJR Films, and edited by Jen Bradwell.

This article describes the award by the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Bush Foundation of 24 fellowships to individuals in North and South Dakota, Minnesota and 23 Native nations to develop leadership skills. Some of the awardees are doing work trauma-specific work such as Susan Marie Beaulieu who is teaching ACEs in Native American communities. Others are using the arts, drumming and other culturally-grounded approaches to heal communities. One is a state legislator (not seeking re-election),...

   “Youth in Minnesota Correctional Facilities and Adverse Childhood Experiences:  Responses to the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey, May 2013   https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/o...20CKR_ACES_FINAL.pdf   Slide presentation by...