Tagged With "Building Strong Brains"
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12 Myths of the Science of ACEs
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...
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16th annual Community Conference on the Brain: Building Resilience in a High-Stress World
Featured Presenter- Jim Sporleder Thursday, April 19th, 3:15-8:30 p.m. Willmar High School Jim Sporleder retired in 2014 as Principal of Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA. Under Jim's leadership, Lincoln High School became a "Trauma Informed" school, gaining national attention due to a dramatic drop in out of school suspensions, increased graduation rates and the number of students going on to post-secondary education. These dramatic changes at Lincoln caught the attention of Jamie...
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2017 Pinwheel for Prevention Awardees
15 th Annual Minnesota Pinwheels for Prevention Tribe/Community Awards Each year, Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC) recognizes statewide tribes and communities that have consistently worked to create safe and healthy environments for children and families. We want to celebrate the crucial work of these communities that are creating spaces and opportunities for their children to thrive by enhancing prevention initiatives and family and children’s services. We are happy to...
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2018 Building Strong Brains Tennessee ACEs Summit
The 2018 Building Strong Brains Tennessee ACEs Summit took place last week in Nashville, TN. The theme of this year’s summit was “Celebrating Successes and Imagining Possibilities” and there is plenty to celebrate. Tennessee is one of the most innovative states when it comes to ACEs awareness. Tennessee understands that childhood trauma is the root cause of its poor health outcomes, high rates of addiction and other ailments. And Tennessee is doing something about it. Tennessee’s leadership...
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ACE Interface Trainer Spotlight: Barb Sorum
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC) is the only nonprofit in Minnesota to focus on the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it starts. One way we do this is by educating communities about how our early experiences shape lifelong health and well-being. A lot of our work is influenced by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which showed that certain experiences in childhood can cause toxic stress and result in physical changes in brain development. Using a...
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ACE Interface Trainer Spotlight: Linsey McMurrin
Linsey McMurrin, an SEL and Prevention Specialist with Peacemaker Resources, is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She is program manager of Girls Lead on the Go!, a leadership program for young women, and is an organizer of the Bemidji Area Truth and Reconciliation Initiative, a grassroots effort to promote truth-seeking, healing and change through increasing understanding and building relationships among area indigenous and non-indigenous communities. Linsey is certified...
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ACE Interface Trainer Spotlight: Ruth Charles
ACE Interface Presenter Ruth Charles, MSW, PhD, LCSW Professor, Social Work Dept Winona State University What led you to want to become a certified ACE Interface presenter? I teach at Winona State in the social work department and coordinate the IV-E Child Welfare Scholar program which integrates social work students into the public foster care system. I am always looking for new information to bring to my classes. When I learned about the ACE research, it made perfect sense! The evidence...
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ACEs Science in Education: The Next Big Challenge is Systems Change #ACEsCon2018
One of the first sessions of the 2018 ACEs Conference: Action to Access discussed the barriers and opportunities for increasing access in the field of education. The main question was: "How can one achieve systematic changes within the field of education?" The session was moderated by Michelle Flowers, a passionate advocate, and the principal of Kinney High in Rancho Cordova, CA, which is part of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. It included a dynamic and diverse panel of education...
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April 13th - 17th: Topics for Minnesota Daily Virtual Practicing Resilience in Community series
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children invites you to join us in a daily, 30-minute, family-friendly practice of resilience, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom We will continue to offer these through April! We are living in a particularly stressful moment in global history, and research shows us that there are simple daily practices that can help us self-regulate and support each other – even in stressful and uncertain times like these. Each day we will practice some tool for calming our...
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April 20th - 24th: Topics for Minnesota Daily Virtual Practicing Resilience in Community series
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children invites you to join us in a daily, 30-minute, family-friendly practice of resilience, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom Calendar: Here is what's on deck the week of April 20th - April 24th Monday 4/20 - I have, I am, I can with Becky Dale Tuesday 4/21 - Mind Body Medicine with Susan Beaulieu Wednesday 4/22 - Social Emotional Learning Practice with Peacemaker Resources Thursday 4/23- Centering Practice with Anela Barboza Friday 4/24 - The Power of...
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April 27th - May 1st: Topics for Minnesota Daily Virtual Practicing Resilience in Community series
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children invites you to join us in a daily, 30-minute, family-friendly practice of resilience, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom Starting on May 4th, we will continue to offer these practices live on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and encourage you to view our recorded sessions at this link as-needed! Calendar: Here is what's on deck the week of April 27th - May 1st: Monday 4/27- Envisioning the Future with Becky Dale Tuesday 4/28 - Mind Body Medicine...
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April 6th - 10th : Topics for Minnesota Daily Virtual Practicing Resilience in Community
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children invites you to join us in a daily, 30-minute, family-friendly practice of resilience, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom We will continue to offer these through April! We are living in a particularly stressful moment in global history, and research shows us that there are simple daily practices that can help us self-regulate and support each other – even in stressful and uncertain times like these. Each day we will practice some tool for calming our...
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Building Brainerd's resilience: Could research on childhood trauma change society? [BrainerdDispatch.com]
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...
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State rep and family advocate, Rena Moran, envisions a trauma-informed Minnesota
Minnesota has the potential to become a trauma-informed state if the hard work is done to raise awareness of ACEs and the impact of toxic stress on brain development, says third-term state representative Rena Moran (D-St. Paul). Moran led the effort...
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Supporting Children with Special Needs Webinar
With Mary Weaver, Director of Prevention Initiatives in Northern MN at MN Communities Caring for Children Brain development in infancy and early childhood is the foundation for a child's future development. Experiences teach the brain what to expect and how to respond. Trauma in early childhood teaches the brain to always be responding to threats. The webinar goes over how early trauma impacts brain development, then discusses ideas, techniques, and accommodations for supporting children...
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The Science of How Our Minds and Our Bodies Converge in the Healing of Trauma [brain pickings]
“A purely disembodied human emotion is a nonentity,” William James asserted in his revolutionary 1884 theory of how our bodies affect our feelings . Two generations later, Rilke wrote in a beautiful letter of advice to a young woman : “I am not one of those who neglect the body in order to make of it a sacrificial offering for the soul, since my soul would thoroughly dislike being served in such a fashion.” And yet in the century since, we’ve made little progress on making sense — much less...
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Trauma-Informed Care is Not a Program For Your Clients
Understanding the long-term impact of developmental trauma, how trauma impacts the brain, and the science of resiliency is a powerful first step toward change. It is exciting to watch people begin to let this knowledge soak in… and even more exciting when they begin to ask “Now what?” As I have worked with organizations across the state, I have found that often what they are really looking for is the curriculum or recipe book that they can follow for their clients or students. Even those...
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Trauma-Informed Director of Operations Job Opportunity - Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Mother-Baby Program at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has received a transformational gift to create a Center for Family Healing to support the health and wellbeing of children and families, rooted in core values of equity, social justice, and the healing power of relationships. The Center for Family Healing is seeking applicants for the Director of Operations position that will provide strategic and operational oversight of the five components of the Center:...
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Trauma-Informed is Messy Business…
Words like trauma-informed and resiliency get thrown around a lot these days. And for many, the visions they call up are a bit too glossy. You see resiliency and trauma-informed aren’t always pretty. Resiliency can look like closing the bathroom door and collapsing in tears… but then washing your face and going back into the world, carrying the belief that you can survive and the hope that things will get better. It looks like begrudgingly going on that walk with a friend, when the little...
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Treating Childhood Trauma Becoming a Public Policy Priority [governing.com]
There’s a lot that’s indisputable about childhood trauma. Emotional or physical abuse early in life impacts health outcomes as children grow up. Community- and family-based approaches to dealing with trauma are better than institutional settings. And children of color are more likely to face traumatizing childhood experiences. Those events can include something as common as divorce, but also encompass circumstances such as having an incarcerated parent, living with someone with a substance...
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Using Minnesota Student Survey Data to inform Community Action
In this webinar Melissa Adolfson will present information on ACEs and Protective Factors from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey, and discuss how those data can help communities determine where to take action to reduce the impact of ACEs. As communities across Minnesota engage in the Understanding ACEs: Building Self-Healing Communities work, this is a great source of information to support the work! This webinar repeats a workshop that was offered at the ACE Collaborative Gathering in St.
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Winona Learns from Science of Trauma
[Winona Post, 1/9/17] When Samantha Wagner and her colleagues at the Winona Area Learning Center watched the documentary “Paper Tigers,” their first thought was: “That’s our school.” The film traces a big change in a small town, Walla Walla, Wash., where the community capitalized on new science to help turn around the lives of struggling students. When Winona State University (WSU) Professor Ruth Charles gave a presentation on that science in Winona, a girl in the audience exclaimed: “Me!
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Wisconsin state agencies end year one of trauma-informed learning community; goal is to be first trauma-informed state
Here in California, many people think that it’s only liberal Democrats who have a corner on championing the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and putting it into practice. That might be because people who use ACEs science don’t expel or suspend students, even if they’re throwing chairs and hurling expletives at the teacher. They ask "What happened to you?" rather than "What's wrong with you?" as a frame when they create juvenile detention centers where kids don’t fight, reduce...
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Bemidji ACEs and EI Workshops
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Duluth ACEs and EI Workshops
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Mankato ACEs and EI Workshops
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Sauk Rapids ACEs and EI Workshops
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Minnesota Daily Virtual Opportunity to Practice Resilience in Community
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children invites you to join us in a daily, 30-minute, family-friendly practice of resilience, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom 12:30 p.m. weekdays starting Monday March 23, 2020 No pre-registration required! Just join any day you are available using one of the following methods: Join using a computer of smart phone by clicking this link and following the instructions: https://zoom.us/j/145915007 Or join by phone only at: +1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 145...
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From Trauma to Resilience training in Minneapolis, MN
Only 15 SPOTS remain for our training, From Trauma to Resilience: Fostering Hope Through Trauma-Informed Care! On September 27, participants will come together for our day long comprehensive training. This training is designed to assist participants in developing their unique skillset needed to support individuals who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and traumatic events. Objectives: Increase awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and impact on well-being. Explain...
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Harvard Infographic on ACEs and Toxic Stress
This was just posted by Harvard. I thought all of us could use access to it, for use in our schools and the settings we work in. The full image is on the attached PDF.
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Help #GreatChildhoods Happen This April!
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a national month dedicated to recognizing the ways that people can get involved in the healthy development of children. Prevent Child Abuse America and Minnesota Communities Caring for Children are spreading the message that everyone plays a role in helping great childhoods happen. Get involved with child abuse prevention by taking part in activities like mentoring children and parents, advocating for family-friendly policies, and donating time and...
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Helping Students Overcome Toxic Stress through Science-Based Teaching Practices (stresshealth.org)
“What our students really crave the most is predictability from the adults interacting with them,” says Roger Sapp, a student success teacher at KIPP. For that reason, the one-on-one session is not a reward for being “good” or withheld if something bad happens. The kids who need it can count on it – every day. The scene is from a video by Edutopia (aka the George Lucas Educational Foundation), which has produced a series of more than 20 powerful, engaging shorts on how children learn in...
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Hiring: Director of ACE Collaborative Partnerships
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC) is a statewide nonprofit organization that empowers parents and builds the capacity of communities to create environments where all children thrive. Our mission is to empower parents and communities to build supportive relationships, nurture children, and prevent child abuse and neglect. Interested in helping MN Communities Caring for Children carry out our mission of empowering individuals and communities to stop child abuse and neglect...
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How To Apply The Brain Science Of Resilience To The Classroom [NPR]
Neuroscience isn't on many elementary school lesson plans. But this spring, a second grade class at Fairmont Neighborhood School in the South Bronx is plunging in. Sarah Wechsler, an instructional coach with wide eyes and a marathoner's energy, asks the students to think about the development and progress that they've made already in their lives. "You probably don't remember, but there was a time when you didn't know how to speak and you were just like 'Wah wah wah blah blah blah, mama,...
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Igniting Change from the Ground Up: Uplifting Best Practices for Community Organizing and Leadership Engagement
Tuesday, August 7, 2018, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm This webinar will focus on tools and resources communities have utilized to build a strong base of support and mobilize leaders around efforts that advance health and equity. Presenters will highlight best practices from both urban and rural communities around the country. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about engagement techniques for cultivating leadership, approaches for fostering community ownership, and action-oriented...
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Introducing Emily Clary, MCCC's Director of ACE Collaborative Partnerships
Emily Clary is responsible for helping develop and coordinate the ACE Interface training and Self-Healing Communities partnership with the Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives across the state. Emily holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Sociology from Beloit College. Emily is deeply committed to sharing research about Adverse Childhood Experiences and...
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Introducing Linsey McMurrin, Regional ACE Training Coordinator
Linsey McMurrin is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She is an organizer of the Bemidji Area Truth and Reconciliation Initiative, a grassroots effort to promote truth-seeking, healing, and change through increasing understanding and building relationships among area indigenous and non-indigenous communities. She is a strong advocate of social justice and community driven work, and believes that the development of cultural, social, and emotional competencies is integral to...
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March 30 - April 3 Topics for Minnesota Daily Virtual Practicing Resilience in Community
Minnesota Communities Caring for Children invites you to join us in a daily, 30-minute, family-friendly practice of resilience, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom We will continue to offer these through April! We are living in a particularly stressful moment in global history, and research shows us that there are simple daily practices that can help us self-regulate and support each other – even in stressful and uncertain times like these. Each day we will practice some tool for calming our...
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The 2016 Midwest ACE Summit
Thank you to those who attended the 2016 Midwest ACE Summit! At the event nearly 300 people came together to learn about how communities are addressing ACEs and promoting healing in Minnesota and across the Midwest. We hope that participants were energized by the stories they heard and inspired about what can be done to foster resilience and healing in their own communities. Attached to this post are the Summit agenda and breakout session descriptions for your reference. Resources shared at...
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MN Research: The Value of Understanding ACEs
Over the past three years, Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC) has worked to raise awareness about brain development, ACEs, and resilience statewide using the national ACE Interface curriculum. To date the organization has trained more than 130 Minnesotans from diverse communities to present this curriculum and help foster community responses. This summer, Maxine Freedman of Macalester College interviewed 29 members of MCCC's network to assess the impact of this work on...
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National Council for Behavioral Health Conference #NatCon19
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the annual National Council for Behavioral Health Conference. I have been to my fair share of conferences but #NatCon19 was one of the best. First, I'm biased. It took place in my city, Nashville, TN . And the venue was the world renowned Opryland Hotel's Gaylord Convention Center . And, I love, love, love the Opryland Hotel ! As any seasoned conference goer, I had a strategy when it came to which sessions and events I wanted to attend. My game...
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Paper Tigers and Resilience Documentary Screenings in Stewartville
Paper Tigers and Resilience Documentary Screenings Stewartville High School Performing Arts Center Brought to you by REACH Stewartville, Olmsted County BRIDGE Collaborative, Rochester Area Fatherhood Network https://www.eventbrite.com/o/ olmsted-county-bridge- collaborative-amp- stewartville-reach-program- 12813118350 Paper Tigers Documentary Monday, January 22 nd , 7:00-9:00pm (film 7:00-8:30 with discussion to follow) Stewartville High School Performing Arts Center 440 6 th Ave. SW,...
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Paper Tigers Documentary Viewing in Stewartville March 6th
REACH Stewartville and the Olmsted County BRIDGE Collaborative would like to invite you to a free public viewing of the documentary Paper Tigers. This film shows how one school changed their approach working with students who have a high number of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). I highly recommend this film for everyone who works with students. See the attached flyer, the information below, and the Eventbrite registration link for more information about this film and ACEs. What:...
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Positive Childhood Experiences offset ACEs: Q & A with Dr. Robert Sege about HOPE
Tufts University medical professor Dr. Robert Sege directs the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine and is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that address social determinants of health. He is also the principal investigator for the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).The HOPE framework is based on research that shows how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. Sege and colleagues...
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Positive Childhood Experiences offset ACEs: Q & A with Dr. Robert Sege about HOPE
Tufts University medical professor Dr. Robert Sege directs the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine and is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that address social determinants of health. He is also the principal investigator for the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).The HOPE framework is based on research that shows how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. Sege and colleagues...