Tagged With "Children Now"
Blog Post
Community Profiles from selected CA ACEs Initiatives and Programs
CA communities and organizations from across the state shared information about their trauma informed and resilience building initiatives at the Child Adversity Policymaker Awareness Day on July 11, 2017 in Sacramento. The event, organized by 4CA ( California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity) , educated state legislators about the impacts of child adversity across the lifecourse and strategies for preventing ACEs, healing trauma and creating resilient communities. A series of twelve...
Blog Post
Delaying marijuana smoking to age 17 cuts risks to teens' brains, new study suggests
Mendocino Health and Human Services Department recently shared a study conducted by the University of Montreal and published in Development and Psychopathology , a Cambridge University Press journal . The study discusses the serious impact of marijuana use on adolescent brain development. According to the study, youth who delayed marijuana use until at least 17 years old, significantly reduced their risk for long-term cognitive impacts. Teens who smoke pot as early as 14 years old do worse...
Blog Post
Department of Community Services and Development Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the 2019
Notice of Funding Availability - 2019 CalEITC Education and Outreach Grant The purpose of this NOFA is to support CalEITC education and outreach activities and to increase awareness of the credit and free tax preparation assistance programs among low-income individuals and families. CSD seeks to engage established organizations that maintain an existing community presence and trusted relationships, demonstrate extensive experience conducting similar outreach campaigns, and regularly engage...
Blog Post
Early childhood educators learn new ways to spot trauma triggers, build resilience in preschoolers
A hug may be comforting to many children, but for a child who has experienced trauma it may not feel safe.
That’s an example used by Julie Kurtz, co-director of trauma informed practices in early childhood education at the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies (CCFS), as she begins a trauma training session. Her audience, preschool teachers and staff of the San Francisco-based Wu Yee Children’s Services at San Francisco’s Women’s Building, listen attentively.
Blog Post
Eleven state-specific profiles feature ACEs-related data and ACEs/trauma-informed/resilience-building initiatives
One of the resources shared with participants in the Sept. 13-14 convening of First Spouses in Milwaukee to address trauma was a series of state information sheets that featured data on ACEs prevalence and ACEs/trauma-informed/resilience-building initiatives. These one-pagers provided a succinct summary of state highlights on trauma that in some instances were well known to the First Spouses but for others, provided new information. In partnership with state trauma leaders, ACEs Connection...
Blog Post
Enroll now for Feb 20th learning opportunity!
Enrollment is open for Part III of the 4 Part Series: Introducing and Applying a Comprehensive Framework for Understanding Young Children’s Behavior - Thursday, February 20, 2020, Check-in at 12:30pm, Convening from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Lake County Office of Education, 1152 South Main St., Lakeport, CA. Remote sites: Alturas, Eureka, Redding, Mt. Shasta, Ukiah and online. Prior enrollment in other sections of this series is not necessary. This session will focus on a framework that...
Blog Post
Fire Loss FEMA Funding and SBA Loan Deadline is December 11
FEMA and SBA Deadline to Register for Assistance cannot be extended. DEADLINE: December 11, 2017. APPLY even if you have insurance! Whether people need the funding now, or in 18 months for rental assistance, child care, medical expenses, etc. there is a firm cap of $34,000 per household for renters as well as homeowners. The Small Business Administration (SBA) loan deadline for businesses impacted by the fire is the same - December 11, 2017. APPLY even if you have insurance! FEMA assistance...
Blog Post
First 5 CA 2018 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit - Call for Presentations Now Open!
Share Your Knowledge, Ideas, and Experience! SUBMIT PROPOSAL HERE First 5 California is now accepting proposals for its 2018 Child Health, Education, and Care Summit on April 10-12, 2018, at the Hilton Los Angeles North/Glendale. Participants are eager to attend unique sessions that are innovative, interactive, and engaging . We are seeking sessions that delve into the Summit focus areas and goals with specific learning objectives. We hope you will consider submitting a proposal. Summit...
Blog Post
‘For-Now Parents’ and ‘Big Feelings’: How Sesame Street Talks About Trauma [theatlantic.com]
Inside the Sesame Street studio in Queens, Elmo is playing “monsterball” with his friend, a new Muppet named Karli who has lime-green fur and two ponytails. (Monsterball, for what it's worth, appears to be the same as soccer, but with a furry ball.) Puppeteers, with their hands raised high and their heads cranked to the side to stay out of the camera’s shot, run around, making Elmo and Karli kick, laugh, and throw the ball. Outside, it’s a chilly gray December Monday, but on set the...
Blog Post
Free Webinar on 2/22: Telling the Story of Trauma and Resilience with Keith Hefner
Telling the Story of Trauma and Resilience A Thought Leader Conversation with Keith Hefner Free Conference Call and Discussion Thursday, February 22, 2018 2:00-3:00 PM EST There is a lot of good work these days to support adults who work with teens who have experienced trauma. But there is a dearth of trauma-informed stories and tools. Keith Hefner, Executive Director, Youth Communication, has made a career out of helping teens who have experienced trauma write their stories through...
Blog Post
FREE: Whole Child Model workshop; English & Spanish speaking families encouraged to attend!
It's free, plus gift cards for families! Families and providers - sign up now for The Whole Child Model workshop! The workshop is FREE and a light meal will be provided to all. To register , contact Molly Keithly mollyk@lakefrc.org | 707-279-0563 *See attached for details in English & Spanish This workshop is for: Professionals who work with CCS families, Families who have a child in both CCS and Medi-Cal 14 counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Marin, Modoc, Napa,...
Blog Post
Gov. Newsom's early childhood advisor describes 'whole-child, whole-family, whole-community' strategy [edsource.org]
For the first time, a California governor has created a position in his office focused on early education. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Giannina Pérez as his Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood. Peréz previously worked for Early Edge California and Children Now, both well-known children’s advocacy organizations. As an advocate, she worked to expand training for preschool teachers and child care providers to better support children who speak languages other than English at home. She also...
Blog Post
Help has arrived....
Although this won't help our youth that don't have access to the internet, I have found that the sites give opportunities for print outs whereby packets can be made. Have fun, Sheryn Ok, so LOTS of parents are suddenly home with their kiddos... We have home schooled these last couple years, so I say WELCOME and let me help you.😉 A few things to remember, this is a PERFECT time to make memories with your children and learn things beyond "normal" math and reading. This is a great time to...
Blog Post
Helping Young Children Recover after the Northern California Wild Fires
Helping Young Children Recover after the Northern California Wild Fires In the aftermath of the wild fires in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Solano countie s that started on Sunday, October 8, 2017, many children and their parents may be experiencing varying levels of distress related to events associated with the fires. The way in which this time of acute stress is handled can be very predictive of the long-term impact of the fires on each of us, especially children. The most important thing...
Blog Post
How to blog about what's happening related to ACEs Science in your community
NOTE: Have you posted a 'Resilience' screening or ACEs Science conference? Attended a great trauma-informed training? Participated in a community discussion related to ACEs science? Presented about ACEs science? If so, WE WANT YOU - to write about it in a Blog Post. When you share your accomplishments, big and small with your community it documents your successes, inspires others to get involved and do more and ignites ideas in other communities! See below for tips on how to blog and a guide...
Blog Post
Introducing NEW Becoming Trauma-Informed & Beyond Community
Earlier this year @Dawn Daum wrote to us when she was ready to share ACEs science with people in the organization she works in to make a case for moving towards more trauma-informed care for the benefit of the staff and those they serve. She was frustrated because almost all the training and resources she found were geared towards schools, clinical staff or to organizations working with children and families rather than ACE-impacted adults in the workplace and who are...
Blog Post
McGuire to hold Eureka town hall on childhood poverty [Times-Standard.com]
North Coast state Sen. Mike McGuire and First 5 Humboldt County, the Humboldt County Children and Families Commission, are set to host a Eureka town hall meeting Thursday to discuss childhood poverty and adverse experiences. “It’s going to take all of us working together to solve this crisis happening in our community,” McGuire (D-Healdsburg) said in a statement this week. “This is an important first step and we’re honored to work together in the weeks and months to come for the well-being...
Blog Post
My hopes for a trauma-informed California
Every evening, I try to engage my daughter in reflection, gratitude, and hope. I try to practice the same, but tonight, I felt the need to share with you all. Today I had the opportunity to attend the Toward a Trauma-Informed Northern California Summit 2018 – it was an incredible experience. We were welcomed with a moving, informative, and engaging keynote speaker, Dr. Isaiah B. Pickens , who laid the foundation for what would be a day of growth, reflection, connection, and peer support. He...
Blog Post
Needle by Needle, a Heroin Crisis Grips California’s Rural North [nytimes.com]
EUREKA, Calif. — The dirty needles can be found scattered among the pine and brush, littering the forest floor around Eureka, a town long celebrated as a gateway to the scenic Redwood Empire. They are the debris of a growing heroin scourge that is gripping the remote community in Northern California. While the state as a whole has one of the lowest overall opioid-related death rates in the country, a sharp rise in heroin use across the rural north in recent years has raised alarms. In...
Blog Post
Next "A Better Normal" community discussion series: April 16, 2020 — Education upended
Bob Eckstein This week, we're hosting one more 'A Better Normal' discussion: on Thursday, April 16, 2020....12 pm PT/ 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT/ 3 pm ET. Lara Kain, ACEs In Education community manager, will lead a discussion with James Moffett, Jr., JM Educational Consulting and incoming principal of Faris Elementary in Hutchinson, KS; Emily Read Daniels, M.Ed., MBA, NCC, SEP in training, founder of HERE this NOW ; and Jim Sporleder, Jim Sporleder Consulting , former principal of Lincoln High School...
Blog Post
NJ medical school program requires all first-year students to learn about ACEs science
In 2015, Dr. Beth Pletcher, a pediatrician and associate professor specializing in genetics, was at the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Washington D.C. when she heard two speakers that forever changed her work with medical students. Dr. Beth Pletcher “I went to two talks on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that were so mind-boggling to me that I decided on my drive back to New Jersey that I had to do something about it,”says Pletcher, director of the Division...
Blog Post
Northern CA Learning Community meeting November 6th, sign up now!
November 6, 2018 Check-in at 12:30, start at 1:00-4:00 pm Participation site: Redding; remotely in McKinleyville, Ukiah, Lakeport, Mount Shasta, or online Theme for the Year: Promoting Resiliency and Well-being Showcase effective practices and highlight what's being done in northern counties to promote resiliency. The Learning Community provides opportunity for thought leaders to strengthen capacity and begin coordinating common elements that promote resiliency and well-being throughout the...
Blog Post
OCAP needs you! Apply now to become a member of their 2019 Citizen Review Panels
Make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in California. Use your voice to change the child welfare system in California! Convened by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP), they are seeking citizen (YOUR) input at their quarterly meetings. Now is your chance to make recommendations to the State! Apply now t o become a member of the California Child-welfare Citizen Review Panels (CRPs). Meetings are held 4 times a year. Participation can be by phone, computer, or in-person.
Blog Post
Plan to attend! Mandated Reporter Training March 17th 9 am to noon
"Have No Fear, Mandated Reporter Training is Here" Stop Child Abuse: See the signs, Make the call. FREE Come learn who is mandated by law to report suspected child abuse, how to make a report and why it can make all the difference to an abused or neglected child. This training is for those who -by law- are mandated to have this training as well as those who have had zero to minimal training on the mandated reporting laws. RSVP NOW! Call or come by: 340 North Main Street, Suite A Ukiah, CA...
Blog Post
Policymaker Education Day Registration STILL OPEN!
Registration is still OPEN for another week to the second annual Policymaker Education Day hosted by the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) in Sacramento on May 22nd! Don't miss this opportunity to be able to share your thoughts and expertise with your Assemblymember or Senator on how to address childhood adversity in your communities. Guest speakers include Assemblymember Dr. Arambula of Fresno County, Ted Lempert of Children Now and Sarah Pauter of Phenomenal...
Blog Post
Post Traumatic Growth after Natural Disasters - Communication and Connections Help [sciencedaily.com]
A recent study from researchers at the University of Missouri found more communication among family, friends and neighbors who experienced the devastating and deadly 2011 Joplin Tornado was related to more post-traumatic growth. The 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, was one of the most destructive in U.S. history -- killing 161 people, injuring 1,150 and destroying approximately one-third of the city's homes. Individuals who experience such disasters can exhibit a range of mental health...
Blog Post
Residents praise correctional re-entry program, as Gov. Bullock pays a visit [ktvq.com]
"The program focuses on treating people and educating them about trauma in their lives, and how that trauma has contributed to their addictive or criminal behavior.
Women must apply for the program, through their probation officer, and register a high score on the “adverse childhood experience” scale. Program officials said most women on the program scored at least eight out of 10 on the scale, making them a very high risk for behavioral and mental-health problems."
Blog Post
Resilience: Film and Discussion on January 31, 2019
Thursday, January 31st, 6:30-8:30pm at The El Dorado County Office of Education, Building B, Room 2, Placerville Join us to watch Resilience, the documentary film that explains the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the new movement to treat and prevent Toxic Stress. After the film we will discuss and share ways to build resiliency in ourselves and the children in our lives. This event is brought to you by Foster and Kinship Care Education of The El Dorado Center at Folsom...
Blog Post
RockSoberFest 2019 Boonville California
Sitting under redwood trees and listening to great music with a community of people was how I experienced RockSoberFest 2019. The three day event, in the small town of Boonville in Northern California was organized to provide a safe space for people in recovery to have fun with friends and family. “Our goal is to provide a great weekend of fun, fellowship, friends, family while enjoying music. A grass-roots organization trying to create a place where performers who are clean and sober can...
Blog Post
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) speaks out about Community Violence and Introduces TIC Bill [chicagodefender.com]
It is noteworthy that in his press conference to introduce his new bill, The Trauma Informed Care for Children and Families Act, Senator Durbin (D-IL) speaks out about the impact of community violence. “As we work to address the root causes of violence, we need to focus on the impact that community violence and other traumatic experiences have on Chicago’s children,” said Durbin. “During a visit to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center last year, I learned that more than 90 percent of...
Blog Post
Sign up NOW! Adult Mental Health First Aid training Nov 15 & 16th
The adult Mental Health First Aid course is appropriate for anyone 18 years and older who wants to learn how to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health related crisis or problem. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions. Title Adult Mental Health First Aid training Date(s) Nov 15, 2018 - Nov 16, 2018 Time 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Facilitator(s) Natasha Carter Location Mendocino County Office of Education 2240 Old River Road Ukiah, CA 95482-7074 Map |...
Blog Post
Sign up now for FREE community forum in Ukiah June 15th!
Save the Date! Register today! June 15th 2017 from 7-9:00pm at the Ukiah United Methodist Church Elle Snow presenting in Ukiah! Please join us! FREE community forum ! Learn about Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Our Communities - a sensitive topic with local impact. * See attached flyer for details Redwood Community Services in partnership with Mendocino County Office of Education, Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce, The Community Foundation of Mendocino County, South Ukiah Rotary and...
Blog Post
Simple & Fun Yoga Lesson Plan
I wanted to share an outline of my Yoga Lesson Plan that I do with my preschool class. It is easy and fun to do with any age group, especially on a rainy or cold day. If you are not familiar with yoga or yoga poses, there are millions of videos, tutorials, and charts that are available online. Preparation Move all furniture out of the way to create a large open space Implement some type of yoga mat or defined space for each child (carpet squares as yoga mats) Turn off or dim the lights Play...
Blog Post
"Sit With Us"
A new app makes finding friends in the school cafeteria a piece of cake. “ Sit With Us ” helps students who have difficulty finding a place to sit locate a welcoming group in the lunchroom. The app allows students to designate themselves as “ambassadors,” thereby inviting others to join them. Ambassadors can then post “open lunch” events, which signal to anyone seeking company that they’re invited to join the ambassadors’ table.
Blog Post
Strengthening Families Framework TRAINERS
Thirty more individuals in the states of California, Indiana, and Alabama were just trained to be a trainer of the Strengthening Families Framework from the National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds. This is HUGE! That makes slightly over 1,000 total from the 50 states. But what happens now? We have newly trained trainers trying to reach out and converse with everyone and anyone, with local Health and Human Services Agencies, with local schools, fire departments and police...
Blog Post
Suicide: Questions and Where to Ask Them [mendocinobeacon.com]
By Mary Benjamin, The Mendocino Beacon, January 2, 2019 Editor’s note: Last week, this community suffered a tragedy in which a young person’s life ended. The particular event is too painful for clumsy public treatment, and rightfully outside the norms of American media coverage. But suicide is a terrible and growing problem, especially in rural America, and we relay these resources to anyone who has questions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that rural counties...
Blog Post
Suisun Elementary (CA) makes ACEs science intrinsic to everyday life
Students start each day with meditation During her first year as principal of Suisun Elementary in Suisun City, Calif., in 2014 Ann Marie Neubert suspended 102 students — out of a student population of 550 —for disrupting their classes. It was a serious problem, but the school’s teachers didn’t know what to do. “[Teachers] felt like they were using all the tools in their toolbox and it wasn’t changing behavior,” she recalls. Ann Marie Neubert Too many students were spending too much time out...
Blog Post
Survey Tracks Adverse Childhood Experiences [WAMC.org]
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released a national survey of children's health that shows almost half of American kids experience traumatic experiences. The study was produced by CAHMI, the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative . Martha Davis is Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She is disturbed by the compendium in the 2016 edition of the National Survey of Children's Health and an analysis conducted by CAHMI. "What it shows is a state...
Blog Post
The Schoolbox Project Trains Parents and Educators to Address Crisis in Sonoma County with a Trauma-Informed Approach
Live Oak Charter School in Petaluma hosted the Schoolbox Project to help train and support volunteers, parents and educators in responding to the crisis in our community. Without an understanding of basic trauma-informed principles, there is potential for even the most well-meaning volunteers to engage in behavior that is overstimulating or even re-traumatizing to vulnerable populations. Dr. Gabriela Bronson-Castain, Clinical Director of the Behavioral Emergency Response Team at UCSF Benioff...
Blog Post
Thrive Washington: 3rd Edition of NEAR@Home Toolkit Released
Thrive Washington is pleased to announce that the 3 rd edition of the NEAR@Home toolkit is now available and offers home visitors more guidance on how to safely, respectfully and effectively address Adverse Childhood Experiences with the families they serve. This new edition reflects what was learned when the toolkit was incorporated into a Facilitated Learning Process with 225 home visitors and 54 supervisors in the four states of federal Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It's...
Blog Post
Trauma Informed Pioneers: First Ladies Working to Heal Communities [HuffingtonPost]
03/17/2017 01:54 pm ET Tonette Walker, First Lady of Wisconsin (R), is an unexpected leader in the movement to transform healthcare and our communities to become trauma informed, and she has been paving the path for others to join in. Ms. Walker describes how she came to take on this issue with such passion – noting that at the orientation retreat for gubernatorial spouses, everyone was asked to take on an issue they care deeply about. For First Lady Walker that would be trauma informed care...
Blog Post
Trauma Screenings Advisory Group (AB 340) Hosts First Meeting
On Friday, April 20, 2018, the AB 340 Workgroup, otherwise known as the Trauma Screenings Advisory Group, met for the first time to discuss the legislative charge to update, amend, or develop, if appropriate, tools and protocols for screening children for trauma as defined, within the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit in Medi-Cal. Both Children Now and Center for Youth Wellness were appointed members of the Trauma Screenings Advisory Workgroup, and we...
Blog Post
Virtual Screening of Cracked Up for ACEs Connection Members: June 9-10 - Register Now!
We are excited to offer an exclusive virtual screening to all ACEs Connection members of the new, acclaimed film, CRACKED UP . This documentary film is about the long term effects of childhood trauma, told through Saturday Night Live veteran Darrell Hammond’s journey in discovering adverse childhood experiences at the root of his lifelong battle with self-harm, addiction, and misdiagnosis. The film’s director, Michelle Esrick, and other special guests will join us after the screening window...
Blog Post
Visionary Atlantan grows community model for trauma-informed education with a housing solution
Real estate developer Marjy Stagmeier was sifting through tenant applications for an apartment complex she had purchased in Atlanta and noticed something disturbing: Many of the applicants were single mothers making $8/hour.
“I wondered how these women could they afford to live on so little, with the cost of housing, childcare and the daily needs of life being so high. Seeing how little they made moved me to decide, then and there, not to ever raise the rent,” says Marjy.
Blog Post
Whole People Series & Study Guide (www.pbs.org)
There's a fantastic five-part series, Whole People , done by PBS, " spotlighting the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) through personal and community stories. It explores the long-term costs to personal well-being and our society. While much work needs to be done, there are many innovative developments to prevent and treat ACES. We all play a role in becoming a whole people." It's amazing. The five topics covered are as follows: Childhood Trauma Healing Communities A New...
Blog Post
YBRS survey and report from Monroe County, New York
Elizabeth Meeker, an ACEs Connection member from Monroe County, New York shared that her county schools added ACEs questions to their Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (YBRS) in 2015, which is administered to students in schools. They were kind enough to share the instrument as well as a summary report of findings (both attached here). Elizabeth has indicated that she is available to answer questions that you all may have about the implementation of the survey. Thank you Elizabeth, for sharing!
Blog Post
2017 Kids Count Data Book [aecf.org]
Wednesday June 14th the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2017 Kids Count Data Book - State Trends in Child Well-Being. This comprehensive report is " a premier source of data on children and families." You can download the report from this post, as well as on the Kids Count website , where you can also access an interactive data map in their Data Center . This is an invaluable amount of data available to the public, relevant to anyone working with children and families - with the...
Blog Post
2020 California Children’s Report Card
The 2020 California Children’s Report Card – the whole child report on children’s health, education and well-being in our state – is available now. This year’s Report Card grades California on 31 key children’s issues – and includes new sections on Family Supports, Adolescents & Transition Age Youth and Connected Cradle-to-Career. It also shines a spotlight on the impact racism, poverty and immigration threats have on our kids. Despite recent progress, this year’s grades show the urgent...
Blog Post
A deadly addiction: Report shows Humboldt County’s overdose rates worsening [Times-Standard.com]
A recent report from the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services found that local drug and alcohol overdose death rates have been at least three times higher than the state average throughout the past five years. These findings did not come as a surprise to the department’s Mental Health Branch Senior Program Manager Sue Grenfell, which she said is unfortunate. Rather than focusing on drug treatment services alone, local health officials and other community partners are now...