Every Monday and Thursday since the pandemic started in March I do a video "Mental Health Check-In" on Facebook Live. The goal is to increase mental health literacy and to end the stigma of discussing mental illness. Additionally, I'd like for us to move away from the term "mental illness" and towards trauma-informed language in which we understand that illness of the mind, body, and spirit are deeply intertwined with the physical and emotional experiences—not just events we remember—but the...

What is the difference between working hard and being a workaholic? Workaholism is glorified in our society and the term is often misused, making it difficult for people suffering from it to know they have a problem. Before childhood trauma research gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s, there was no understanding of trauma and its consequences on a person’s life as adult, the link was not made between beating or neglecting a child and how it impacted the adult child’s mental health...

The Roanoke Valley TICN began in 2017 with the goal of educating & empowering non-profits, social services, and education providers about ACEs, trauma, and its ongoing effects. Since then, the network has grown to 20+ organizations and is in its second learning cohort of organizations transforming their systems to better serve their staff and their clients. How to Get Involved: Attend a Trauma Basics Workshop, at no cost to you! Sign up for our Newsletter Attend one of our Community...

There have been some truly remarkable research papers written about complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in the past few decades. Some of the research focuses exclusively on CPTSD while others can apply to any mental health disorder. In this article, I’m going to break the ice in the series about complex post-traumatic stress disorder and new research findings. A Definition of CPTSD I realize that many reading this article are familiar with the definition of CPTSD. However, for the...

Resilience Week had to live up to its name. Virginia’s recognition of resilience-building efforts, originated by the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network (GRTICN) and planned in collaboration with TICNs across the state, was set for May 3-9, 2020. Then COVID-19 came. A work group of GRTICN members collaborated with businesses, movie theaters, libraries, schools, local government agencies and non-profit organizations to swiftly pivot their plans to take place virtually: story...

For nearly 40 years, school attendance zones in Roanoke, Virginia, hardly shifted. The patchwork map that started crosstown busing was first created as part of a 1971 court-ordered desegregation plan, and for decades, school officials said they saw no reason to make major changes. By 2009, though, the attendance zones were long outdated. Demographic shifts meant that schools became segregated once again, and in many cases, Black students were being bused to majority-Black schools. In...

The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice ( CTIPP ) is inviting individuals and organizations to express their support for a set of executive actions for the Biden-Harris Administration to take “to address trauma and build resilience throughout the country.” Most of these actions could be taken early in the Administration and would not require congressional action with the exception of some recommendations that could be included in a new stimulus package. The recommendations are...

Compassionate Schools Newsletter | Issue 4, December 2020 Coping with the Loss of School Traditions By Carey Jacobsen, Director of Clinical Services As we enter Holiday Season, we are reminded again that this school year is so very different than any we have ever experienced. There will be no Snowball Dance, no Thanksgiving lunch with grandparents, no year-end Holiday Party with snacks and parent volunteers milling about. Semester exams look different, and every week there are adjustments to...

By Kristin Wong, The New York Times, August 17, 2020 “Let’s play!” my friend’s 4-year-old squealed, tugging on my arm. I was tired, so I told her, “I’m too lazy to play.” But I wasn’t allowed to be lazy because I’m big, she said. Unable to come up with a convincing rebuttal, I found a place to hide while she counted to 20. Fred Rogers said that play is “the work of childhood.” Kids take this work seriously, they’re good at it, and they can teach us a thing or two about why play is important...

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

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