Last Wednesday, March 13th, I had the opportunity to present a Legislative Lunch and Learn to legislators, legislative staff, administrative staff, and the public in the Alaska State Capitol Building. To a room of ~ 30 - 40 people munching on lunch provided by the Alaska Children's Trust , and broadcast live via Gavel to Gavel (now archived here ), I had the honor to premiere the policymaker version of our History and Hope curriculum. This curriculum, and the policy-maker version, was...

Policymakers increasingly recognize the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on lifelong physical, emotional, and social health and are beginning to support efforts for incorporating trauma-informed care into the health and social service sectors. This new CHCS blog post looks at how proposed state and federal legislative, regulatory, and contracting policies aim to reduce trauma and toxic stress and promote resiliency and trauma-informed practices. It also explores how federal...

Childhood trauma is a widespread issue. According to Child Trends, nearly half of children in the United States and in Pennsylvania have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, or ACE, which often leads to traumatic stress. Research is clear that traumatic stress in children can negatively impact cognitive, academic and behavioral outcomes. Yet schools are not equipped to address these problems. A recent ACLU report notes that 90 percent of U.S. public schools do not meet the...

“A trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens must be a part of everything we do.” This statement by Laura Norton-Cruz, Director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, sums up the key message of last week’s Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing for Congressional staff which focused on “Afterschool Programs and a Trauma-Informed Approach.” On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the Senate Afterschool Caucus* — in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, Alaska Children’s Trust – Alaska Afterschool Network,...

Less then 5 years ago long-time trauma informed advocates, Sandra Bloom, MD and Andrea Blanch, PhD, brought together a small group of similarly-minded folks to talk about forming a new national organization focused on trauma informed policy and practice. Months later the Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy and Practice CTIPP was born. In May of 2019, CTIPP was selected by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to receive its Distinguished Service Award for meritorious service to the...

By Daniel S Press, The National Law Review, May 11, 2020 There will be many demands on the funds that Tribes and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) receive from the $2.2 trillion U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, but allocating funds to implement trauma-informed programs to address the surge in mental health problems caused by COVID-19 should not be overlooked. As quarantines end, the trauma caused by COVID-19 will become apparent and tribal communities will be...

Comedian turned advocate Darrell Hammond and filmmaker Michelle Esrick joined Congressional leaders for a discussion about trauma, healing, and prevention for the first forum hosted by the Congressional Trauma Informed Care Caucus (TICC).

The Office of Advocacy and Reform (OAR), established by Governor Tom Wolf’s 2019 executive order to protect Pennsylvania’s vulnerable populations, today announced the launch of a volunteer think tank comprised of 25 experts representing a diversity of fields and backgrounds who will develop a plan to make Pennsylvania a trauma-informed state. “The people of Pennsylvania are compassionate, thoughtful and resilient. We take care of each other, and that drive to protect our families and our...

As Greater Richmond SCAN , in collaboration with members from the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network and the 26 Trauma-Informed Community Networks across the state , began planning for the first annual Resilience Week Virginia, we certainly did not imagine we would be celebrating in the midst of a global pandemic. We worked to adapt activities and events to be done virtually as it became clear that the week, May 3-9, would take place in the midst of these strange new...

On Monday, March 2, 2020 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the Hogan Campus Center at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester Massachusetts state legislators will gather with community partners, families and professionals to learn how gateway cities can lead Massachusetts to becoming a trauma-informed state. To register for this free event, complete the brief form at this link: https://form.jotform.com/DCStraining/building-resilient-communities-

Building on the Foundation’s Trauma-Informed Philanthropy series, we are pleased to present a 10-month learning series, Investing in Community Resilience . This series, presented in partnership with the Scattergood Foundation, will provide vital information to funders and cooperative extension professionals for developing trauma-informed, healing-centered approaches in their work. Please join us for the sixth and final webinar in the series, Advocating for Trauma-Informed Policy and Systems...

Thank you to everyone who was able to join this month's CTIPP CAN call, and a special thank you to Dan Jurman, Dave Ellis, Commissioner Christine Beyer, and Angela Medrano Sanchez for their wonderful and informative presentations about the work in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We learned about strategies that have proven effective for launching statewide trauma-informed initiatives. If you were unable to join, would like to watch again, or want to share with others, you can find the call...

The May 19th CTIPP CAN call will address a critical question that many organizations are increasingly asking themselves - "How do we determine where on the spectrum my organization sits in regard to becoming fully trauma-informed, and what more can we be doing to become trauma-informed?" Our presenters are experts who have developed or are applying different tools for evaluating and providing answers to these questions. May 19th, 2-3:30pm ET/11am-12:30pm PT - How to Determine if Your...

We appreciate everyone who joined the June CTIPP CAN call and a special thank you to Donna Manuelito from the San Carlos Apache Unified Public School District, Ann Mahi and Jason Roberts from the Nanakuli-Waianae School Complex, Godwin Higa from the Cherokee Point Elementary School, Guy Stephens from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, and Melissa McGinn from the Virginia Trauma-Informed Community Networks. The link to the call recording is here , which we encourage you to watch...

The latest surge in funding for the social determinants of health and mental health reflect populations impacted by trauma.

The trauma-informed community networks of Virginia ( VA TICNs ) are hosting Community Conversations with First Lady Pamela Northam and members of the Children’s Cabinet as part of the First Lady’s Road to Resilience Tour throughout the Commonwealth in October. Network representatives will have the opportunity to share examples of resilience in their communities, as well as needs relating to children, families, and the workforce amidst the ongoing trauma of the pandemic. The conversations...

Are you looking for ways to support students from marginalized communities, but don't have time to take a class? Then check out our new trainings, created to help you develop a better understanding of your students, and provide supportive strategies grounded in a trauma-informed approach! The series includes a detailed look into the experiences of children from several marginalized communities, and offers techniques designed to help students feel safe, empowered, and able to focus on their...

In response to the current war in Ukraine, the Trauma-informed Design Society and Cowart Trauma Informed Partnership are pleased to announce a new resource for responding to collective trauma. Grounded in the knowledge that we can interrupt the possible negative effects of trauma, the pamphlet is available in three languages and provides an overview of resilience and how we can help develop a sense of safety that will lower the stress levels of survivors.

Cowart Trauma Informed Partnership is named as trauma-informed design consultants for a new transitional residence for women and children affective by domestic violence.

Announcing upcoming courses for educators! Join Trauma-informed Education or Supporting Marginalized Students this summer!

In April 2022, the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) organized more than 170 advocates across 36 states to sign a coalition letter urging Congress to invest $1 billion in this year’s federal budget to increase trauma-informed resources and improve access to mental health professionals in America’s schools. This work has paid off. In June, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee released their draft Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) spending legislation, which included CTIPP’s...

Announcing upcoming courses for educators! Kick of your school year with Trauma-Informed Education or Supporting Marginalized Students!

The Trauma-informed Design Society is pleased to announce the new TiDEvalK12 tool ! This tool is the first of its kind--an evidence-based tool to facilitate interior design renovations and new builds of K-12 schools! It can be used to evaluate the physical space and identify changes that can lower the stress levels of students and staff. The tool is grounded in the Substance and Mental Health Services Administrations' guidance for a trauma-informed approach, the Trauma-informed Design (TiD)...

PACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.

PACEs Connection is excited to roll out our summer 2023 *CRC* curriculum dates. Members who complete the CRC will qualify for a fall 2023 fellowship program.

Lazy days of summer? Not around here! At Cowart Trauma Informed Partnership, we've been busy laying the groundwork for the exciting season ahead! We're announcing upcoming courses, scheduling professional development sessions, planning a roadshow, and offering new opportunities for individuals interested in joining our research team!

BIG NEWS! We are teaming up with the BAC to offer the first Trauma-informed Design college course of its kind this Spring!

Former PACEs Connection employees Dana Brown (L) with Vincent Felitti, MD, co-author of the 1998 Adverse Childhood Experiences study, and Carey Sipp (R) in San Diego in January, 2024. The last few months have been quite challenging, but we pushed, persevered, and didn’t give up hope. The “we” is Carey Sipp and Dana Brown. We were long-time staff members of PACEs Connection determined to reinstate the website and the resources and information we provide to communities after the platform went...

Hooray! Great news!