Tagged With "Pottstown School District"
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A Story of ACEs and Resilience
Many of us are aware of ACEs and the effects it has on our children and on us. We must keep in mind that an ACE score is not the end. See the story of Pastor Darrell Armstrong of Trenton NJ.
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ACEs and the Unified Science of Human Development - Jane Stevens - Aug. 2, 2016 at California Home Visiting Summit
This is a repost from the Philadelphia ACEs group - attached is a PowerPoint from Jane Stevens, presented at the California Home Visiting Summit on August 2, 2016.
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ACEs Connection launches Cooperative of Communities
The ACEs Connection Cooperative of Communities launches today. We want to continue to contribute to the ACEs movement for as long as it takes to create a worldwide healing-centered culture based on ACEs science. We want that to take hold in this world in the same way electricity has — we only notice it if it isn’t there.
First, a clarification: Nothing on ACEsConnection.com changes! Membership remains free! Everything our current 300+ communities use stays free, and remains free for new ones.
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ACEs Connection's Inclusion Tool makes sure nobody's left out
We developed ACEs Connection's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Tool — called the Inclusion Tool, for short — to ensure that ACEs initiatives across the world focus on being inclusive when forming a steering committee, recruiting leaders, providing education about ACEs science, recruiting members, or providing resources and services within their communities. The more inclusive your ACEs initiative is, the more diverse it will be, giving your initiative a real shot at achieving equity and...
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April Pottstown Trauma Steering Committee Meeting
The next meeting of the Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Initiative Community Steering Committee is scheduled for: Thursday, April 7 from 12:00-3:00 Place: Pottstown Area Health & Wellness F oundation We have a busy agenda for the meeting. Looking forward to seeing everyone! Welcome & Introductions Community Updates Communications Updates and Decision Points Overall language ACEsConnections.com Review of Logic Model and Workgroup Activities Communications Network Training General...
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Childhood Trauma in Pottstown can Lead to Future Health Challenges [The Mercury]
Take a look at this great article from Mica about our Pottstown Trauma Informed Community work. POTTSTOWN >> A local initiative is bringing awareness to research that shows traumatic childhood experiences such as poverty, sexual abuse and drug addiction can lead to lifelong challenges in mental, social and physical health. Representatives of the school district, borough and police department, as well as several other organizations, have come together to form the Pottstown Trauma...
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Community Partner's Meeting Raffle Winners
Thank you everyone for a fantastic meeting! We are so proud of Pottstown's commitment to a Trauma-Informed Community. We are pleased to announce the winners of the Planning Assessment Raffle: 1) Brianna Ringwood - Montgomery County DA's Office 2) David Genova - Pottstown School District 3) Katie Anne Mantle - Creative Health We will follow-up individually with you to coordinate bringing you the gift cards. Thank you!
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Community Urged to Take Part in Pottstown Childhood Trauma Initiative [Mercury]
Thank you to everyone who attended our Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection meeting. It was great to see all of the interest and support of the work in Pottstown. Thank you to Mica Patterson for writing a great article in the Mercury. Please see below and click on link for full story. Community Urged to Take Part in Pottstown Childhood Trauma Initiative POTTSTOWN >> “Do you know anyone who has been divorced? I bet most of us could say yes. That is a person or a family that...
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Creating Trauma Informed Schools by Dr. Sandy Bloom
In June 2014, Dr. Sandy Bloom was the keynote speaker for the PEAK Annual Meeting and presented a training for teachers focusing on ACEs and becoming trauma informed schools. Below is a copy of her presentation. Sandra L. Bloom is a Board-Certified psychiatrist, graduate of Temple University School of Medicine and recently was awarded the Temple University School of Medicine Alumni Achievement Award. In addition to her faculty position at the School of Public Health at Drexel, she is...
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Dr. Steve Berkowitz to deliver keynote at Brookside Country Club
The Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection group is underway in planning the January 31 Community Connection Connection Matters networking at 8:30 followed by a 9:00 am to 11:00 am meeting at Brookside Country Club where Dr. Steve Berkowitz, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Director Penn Center For Youth and Family Trauma Response And Recovery will speak on "Childhood Resiliency: Crisis, Early Intervention...
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Drexel Studies Show Intergenerational Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Food Insecurity [ASPPH]
ASPPH | Drexel Studies Show Intergenerational Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Food Insecurity New research from Drexel University’s Center for Hunger-Free Communities has added evidence on the relationship between food insecurity and adverse child experiences (ACEs). One study of 1255 female caregivers of young children, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine , found that depressive symptoms and ACEs were independently associated with household and child food...
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Educators learn the ABCs of school wellness at Pottstown institute [PhoenixvilleNews.com]
Right before students are due to return for the fall session, tri-county area educators learned how to incorporate play into the school day during a wellness seminar at the Pottstown Middle School. About 160 people representing 13 area school districts attended the 2016 “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Institute” last week. The two-day event shows educators and school administrators how to incorporate physical fitness as well as other healthy activities into the school to create a better...
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Focus on Reducing Childhood Trauma in Pottstown [Reading Eagle]
Pottstown officials are taking steps to reduce instances of childhood trauma among students in the school district. The topic was discussed during a roundtable at the Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness, or PEAK, program's annual meeting at Montgomery County Community College. A program of the school district, PEAK partners with private child care locations to provide prekindergarten education to local students. The trauma that officials hope to reduce is related to adverse...
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Follow PTICC on Social Media
Did you know that you can follow Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection not only here on ACEs Connection, but also on Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram ? On those platforms, you will find photos and videos from community events, information about upcoming programming, and news related to ACEs and trauma. Follow and join in on the conversation about trauma and #BreakingTheCycle in Pottstown because community matters, connection matters, and your story matters.
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How Trauma is Changing Children’s Brains [NEA Today]
Read more about the traumatized brain from NEA Today. For several years, John Snelgrove began his workweek with a lengthy fax from the local police, listing the home addresses where officers had answered domestic violence calls over the weekend. Snelgrove, head of guidance services for Brockton (Mass.) Public Schools, would check those addresses against the district’s student database. When a match came up, he’d alert the counselor at that child’s school, who, in turn, would take a red...
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Join Feb. 18th webinar on addressing ACEs in public policy
Please join this ACEs Connection co-sponsored webinar "Making Meaningful Change: Addressing ACEs through Public Policy" on Feb. 18 (11:30 am-1:00 pm ET) presented by the Health Federation of Philadelphia and MARC (Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities). In this webinar, three nationally recognized experts will discuss policy and advocacy strategies on a local, state, and national level using evidence from studies they have conducted with legislators and the general public. Speakers...
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New Study Shows Communities Can Reduce the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences [Mathematica Policy Research]
A new study commissioned by the Adverse Childhood Experiences Public-Private Initiative (APPI) of Washington State finds that communities can create effective, local strategies that reduce the long-term social, emotional and physical problems related to abuse, neglect, and other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Research shows that the prevalence of 10 specific ACEs—such as witnessing domestic violence or experiencing physical abuse—trigger a stress response that can harm a child’s...
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How Community Networks Stem Childhood Traumas [NYTimes]
By David Bornstein Liberals and conservatives often disagree about the causes of poverty and other social ills. Broadly speaking, liberals point the finger at structural factors and advocate for policy changes, while conservatives look to individuals and families and favor behavior changes. Clearly, both points of view have validity. But what’s often overlooked is what lies between these two poles — communities and neighborhoods — and the value of focusing on this middle zone. Last week, I...
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Organizations develop a Funders Guide to Trauma-Informed Practice
Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection is one of the featured stories in this resource. "Responding to the overwhelming demand of funders in the Delaware Valley to better understand the impacts of trauma on our region and how they can apply trauma informed practices to their own work, Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey partnered to produce this hands-on resource...
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PEAK Parents and Staff Featured in Center for American Progress Report
Last fall, I was contacted by a policy writer for the Center for American Progress. She was writing a paper on the challenges that families face in accessing affordable child care and other services for their young children. She found PEAK online and wanted to talk about the way we support families. We arranged a focus group of some parents and Judy Warner, a senior policy writer, spent several hours talking with the parents and visiting the YWCA Tri-County Area. Bethany and Ada are both...
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PTICC Featured in Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation Fall 2016 Well-Informed Community Benefit Report
Our work with ACEs and trauma in Pottstown was featured in the Fall 2016 Community Benefit Report issued by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation (PAHAWF). Within the feature, you can read about how we are becoming a trauma informed community, some scientific information about the effects of ACEs on the developing brain, a note from the President of the PAHAWF, and information from PEAK Coordinator and Chair of the Communications and Messaging for PTICC, Mary Rieck. There are...
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PTICC Launch Presentation
We had a great launch to our Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection with 126 participants. We will post more information about the meeting a little later but below is the presentation that was used. Thank you for being involved in this important work in Pottstown.
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Ready for kindergarten? Gap between rich and poor narrows, Stanford study finds (scienceblog.com)
On the first day of kindergarten, poor children are already behind. But the distance they need to cover to start school on par with richer kids has shortened – in spite of widening economic inequality – according to surprising new research co-authored by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Professor Sean Reardon . The study, conducted with Stanford GSE alumna Ximena Portilla, compared the achievement gaps between high- and lower-income children kindergarten in 1998 and 2010 using the...
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Rep. Sappey's trauma-informed education signed into law [dailylocal.com]
By Daily Local News, July 5, 2019. Legislation to implement trauma-informed education in Pennsylvania schools has been signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf, largely thanks to a bill authored by state Rep. Christina Sappey, D-158th Dist. Earlier this year H.B. 1415 and S.B. 200, which would implement approaches to student learning that recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma and integrates that knowledge into education-based policies, learning, procedures and practices, was introduced by...
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Retiring Pottstown Superintendent Leaves Legacy [Reading Eagle]
This is an article in this past Sunday's Reading Eagle about the retirement of Dr. Jeff Sparagana. Thanks to him for his leadership for all these years and for his continued involvement. Joan Daly, former executive director of the Pottstown YMCA, recalled a meeting 11 years ago with Pottstown School District Superintendent Jeffrey Sparagana, then assistant superintendent, in which the seeds were planted for what would become one of Pottstown's most successful educational programs. "At the...
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Social Emotional Learning in Elementary School [RWJF.org] - Reposted from ACES in Education
Social emotional learning (SEL) programs can promote academic achievement and positive social behavior, and reduce conduct problems, substance abuse, and emotional distress. The Issue There is widespread evidence of successful, universal SEL programs and practices that can support social and emotional development in students during the elementary school years. Based on decades of research and evaluation in rigorous field trials, these approaches are now widely available to schools, along...
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Steering Committee Meeting Notes - May 24, 2016
See attached for the meeting notes from the May 24, 2017 meeting of the Pottstown Trauma Informed Community Connection Steering Committee
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Stress and Urban Poverty by Dr. Roy Wade, Jr.
Here is a presentation that was made by Dr. Roy Wade, Jr. in June 2015 at the PEAK Annual Meeting. Dr. Wade focused on the impact of stress and urban poverty on families and children and the expanded ACEs study. Dr. Roy Wade, Jr. is currently an Instructor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the Department of General Pediatrics. He recently completed a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Fellowship at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of...
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Supporting Older Trauma Survivors as They Heal Their Pasts, Grow Their Futures
Marie-Monique Marthol handed out the cards to older adults at meetings of her local civic association. With the pastor’s permission, she left some at a neighborhood church. She stacked them in restaurants, community centers and even at the laundromat. On the front, the cards read, “Time never runs out for change. Let go of fear and guilt. Focus on healing and growth from ACEs.” The flip side said, “Healing from your past; giving to your future.” They were slogans fine-tuned through months of...
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Trauma 101 Training Results
Results from our Trauma 101 Trainings, presented at a recent PTICC Steering Committee Meeting, are available as photo attachments below.
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Trauma Informed Care Initiative [Urban Innovation Exchange]
Read how arts, youth development and sanctuary are connecting in Philadelphia.. Sanctuary is a place of refuge or safety. In urban neighborhoods all throughout America, sanctuary is a luxury almost beyond attainment. But Michael O'Bryan is working to bring that sense of sanctuary to the North Philadelphia community of Strawberry Mansion. The Sanctuary Model originated in Philadelphia in the early 1980s. It promotes safety and recovery from adversity through the active creation of a...
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Two studies shed light on state legislators’ views on ACEs science and trauma policy
New and returning lawmakers take the oath of office on day one of Washington state's 2017 legislative session. — Jeanie Lindsay/Northwest News Network As advocates prepare to see how ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) science, trauma, and resilience play out in the 2020 state legislative sessions — many beginning in January — they are undoubtedly asking: “What does a legislator want?" It may be a stretch to play on Freud’s question: “What does a women want?", but the query captures how...
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Walkabout: FOCUS Pittsburgh trauma recovery model drawing national attention [post-gazette.com]
FOCUS Pittsburgh knew it was onto something when it piloted its model for strengthening communities — starting with the knowledge that social service help will not stick unless trauma is confronted. In 2015, FOCUS chose the 2900 block of Webster Avenue in the Hill District to start a block-by-block approach of bringing people together toward healing. The group is only into its second area — the 900 block of Bryn Mawr — but people around the country are validating that it is onto something. A...
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What is Social & Emotional Learning in Pottstown School District? [VIDEO]
Watch this video from Pottstown School District to learn about the new Second Step Social & Emotional Learning curriculum which is currently integrated into 64 classrooms. Each class at Elizabeth B. Barth Elementary School, which is featured in the video, has SEL lessons.
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What's Next For 'Safe Injection' Sites In Philadelphia? [npr.org]
Philadelphia is a step closer to opening what could be the nation's first supervised site for safe drug injection. But turning the idea into reality won't be easy. City officials gave the proposition the green light Tuesday. They were armed with feasibility studies , harrowing overdose statistics and the backing of key leaders, including the mayor and a newly elected district attorney. "There are many people who are hesitant to go into treatment, despite their addiction, and we don't want...
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With new proposal, trauma-informed care could become standard in Pa. schools [WHYY.org]
If a pair of powerful Pennsylvania state senators get their way, a burgeoning approach to managing student behavior could become a mandate. State Sens. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, and Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, announced a proposal last week to create a “trauma-informed system of education.” The central plank of their proposal is a requirement that all teachers, school board members, and school employees “with direct contact with students” receive trauma-informed training. The details don’t...
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Re: April Pottstown Trauma Steering Committee Meeting
Can't wait to hear the group's thoughts on the work of the Communications group!
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Re: April Pottstown Trauma Steering Committee Meeting
Great and productive meeting! I'm so honored to be part of such important work. More to come
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Re: PTICC Launch Presentation
What a great turnout, Mary! I'm looking forward to learning more about what happened at the meeting.
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Re: Mission Kids & Creative Health Journey to Healing [7 min]
Mission Kids, Montgomery County’s (PA) Child Advocacy Center, Creative Health Services, Pottstown’s Community Behavioral Health Center, the Pottstown Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office partner to provide a safe path for victims of child abuse and their families to undergo the interviewing process once and get connected to counseling and therapeutic services back in their hometown. Learn more about this path to healing.
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Wolf Administration Releases ‘Trauma-Informed PA’ Plan with Recommendations and Steps for the Commonwealth and Providers to Become Trauma-Informed [PA Governor Tom Wolf Press Release]
July 27, 2020 As a companion to Governor Tom Wolf’s multi-agency effort and anti-stigma initiative, Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters, the Office of Advocacy and Reform (OAR) is releasing the “Trauma-Informed PA” plan to guide the commonwealth and service providers statewide on what it means to be trauma-informed and healing-centered in PA. This plan is the result of four months of work from OAR and the Trauma-Informed PA Think Tank, formed in February. The think tank was made up of...
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Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network, first to join ACEs Cooperative of Communities, shows what it means to ROCK!
In 2012, Greater Richmond SCAN and five other community partners hatched a one-year plan to educate the Richmond, Virginia, community about ACEs science and to embed trauma-informed practices. Eight years later, the original group has evolved into the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network (GRTICN) with 495 people and 170 organizations. And they're just scratching the surface.
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Hiring for Pottstown Trauma-Informed Community Connection Community Coordinator
The Pottstown School District is currently hiring for a part-time Community Coordinator for the Pottstown Trauma-Informed Community Connection (PTICC). See description for details: https://pottstown.tedk12.com/ hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=1759