Tagged With "Big Ideas"
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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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34th annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
The 34 th annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, will take place January 26-31 st at the recently renovated Town and County Hotel in Mission Valley. We expect upwards to 2000 professionals from 30 or more countries. Once again this year we are offering a reduced registration rate for the entire conference to San Diego professionals who would like to attend. Attached is a copy of the advance brochure and a flyer outlining how your staff can take advantage...
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Artists in the ACE and Resilience Movement: Creative Avenues to Change
They began with a song and ended with a poem. In-between, there were photographs and giant graphic renderings, movement exercises and a “human pulse” formed when 90 people stood in a circle and squeezed each other’s hands. At a June summit in Whatcom County, Washington, titled “Our Resilient Community: A Community Conversation on Resilience and Equity,” the arts played a starring role. Kristi Slette, executive director of the Whatcom Family and Community Network, one of two Washington sites...
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San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team November 2, 2018 Meeting Minutes
Hello all, Please see attached and below for the minutes from our November meeting. San Diego Unified School District's presentation AND notes from our activity are also attached. See you in January! Welcome - Introductions (Name and Organization) Members Invitation on Topic-Specific Membership Meetings - Launch in January, 2019 a. Have attendees share their areas of interest on post-it notes --Leadership team provided examples for members (e.g. Zoom for region-focused meetings, Spotlight...
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MARC Booklet 2016: Features San Diego
Hi All! Please find attached the 2016 booklet for the Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) project, including San Diego and the other 13 communities that have been selected to participate in this 2 year learning collaborative. This is a great summary of the work happening in all 14 communities across the country. Harmonium, Inc, the San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team, and ALL of us play a pivotal role in advancing the resilience building movement across our community.
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Harmonium CEO Rosa Ana Lozada “walks the talk” of trauma-informed, resilience-building practices
Harmonium staff pictured (left to right ) Front row: Brian Newcomer, Rosa Ana Lozada, Heidi Echeverria, and Janice Tangback Back row: Amy De Meules, Natalie Kessler, and Justin Campbell There’s almost a Zen-like feeling when you walk into the office of Rosa Ana Lozada, chief executive officer of Harmonium, Inc. The deep red accent wall, large corner windows, and small Japanese fountain send a message that a trauma-informed, resilience-building mindset starts at the top of this...
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Broadening Your Network and Identifying Partners for More Resilient, Healthier Communities
Who should you partner with to create lasting change through resilience in your community? The Building Community Resilience (BCR) initiative aims to address, prevent, and reduce the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adverse community environments (ACEs) on children’s health and wellbeing ( The “Pair of ACEs” ). An essential element of the successes of BCR’s five test sites around the country has been strategic collaborations. In your work to build resilience, identifying...
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Changing Minds and Creating Trauma-Informed Communities Convenings - South and North
Last week, on two separate days in Los Angeles and in San Francisco, about 150 people (total) convened to listen and brainstorm about creating trauma-informed communities. Futures Without Violence, which is rolling out its Changing Minds campaign later this year, hosted both events. Some very interesting and important themes emerged from the two days: Residents with lived experiences should participate in the decision-making bodies of service providers and vested...
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Each Mind Matters: Raising Awareness For Men's Mental Health (livewellsd.org)
Traditionally, men are raised to be self-sufficient, tough, and to protect their family and property. But what happens when the strong protector needs help? Fear of appearing weak or vulnerable, being unable to meet responsibilities or serve the role they expect of themselves can lead men to feel that they are a burden and that those around them might be better off if they ended their life. Men are less likely than women to reach out to mental health professionals or even to talk about their...
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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.
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Fighting homelessness with yoga (sandiegouniontribune.com)
A La Jolla man is launching a national effort to help homeless people by practicing yoga. “This is not a new idea,” said Andrew Beinbrink, CEO of SportsForce, a local college recruiting company. “This is already being done in different communities on a small scale, and the evidence of its successful so far is mind-blowing.” Yoga, Beinbrink said, has been proven to reduce traumatic stress, depression, insomnia and addictions. It also has been used to help veterans with post-traumatic stress...
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“Wheels of Change” offers part-time jobs, transportation for homeless (kusi.com)
The City of San Diego has announced a new program that provides day jobs and transportation for homeless people. Councilmember Scott Sherman says the program, called “Wheels of Change,” could help address one aspect of a multifaceted issue. A van will pick up 10 to 12 people at a time and take them to do jobs like weed-pulling, brush abatement and litter cleanup. Sherman says this will make city employees available for other jobs while helping people get on their feet. It may also help...
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Wristbands Connect East County Homeless To Services (kpbs.org)
For the past week, the East County Chamber of Commerce has been giving out wristbands to local homeless shelters and first responders. Their goal is to better connect homeless people to services and resources. People can text "ConnectEC" to 77453, which then gives them options for help covering basic needs such as health and shelter. The idea is to refer them to local resources, like the Crisis House in El Cajon. The East County Chamber of Commerce said they worked with people who are...
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San Francisco Dept of Public Health Trauma-Informed Systems Initiative
From Jane Stevens.... I thought you might be interested in taking a look at the 2014 year in review from the SF Dept of Public Health's Trauma-Informed Systems Initiative. It's attached, below. The Department made the commitment to...
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SDTIGT 7/10/15 Meeting Minutes
Please see attached for minutes from our last meeting. Thanks again to Jen Hossler for her presentation on Rady's Children's Hospital Chadwick Center's trauma informed journey!!
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From Awareness to Action, with Voices of Lived Experience: Wisconsin’s Collective Impact Initiative
Perhaps it wasn’t the optimum time to update the network’s vision and values statements: a virtual meeting held in the midst of a global pandemic. But a record number of people—51, compared to the typical 30—tuned in for the May 1 Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) Collective Impact Council, and they gave the new values statement, which highlights inclusivity and collaboration, an enthusiastic thumbs-up. At the virtual table were members from key state departments—Children...
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Grow Your Trauma-Informed Mind: Help Them Go For The Gold
Those of us who get the trauma-informed movement understand how to put the dots together when were interviewing a new client. Our ear hears the pertinent details: the ACES, the Big Ts, the little ts and all the complexities as they tell us their story. We sit, knowing the many tools we can offer to help this hurting person cope, heal and recover. We validate, affirm and offer hope for a better future. We know we can help. We have gold to give them. But, not all who have suffered what we...
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It’s About Results at Scale, Not Collective Impact [SSIR.org]
t’s easy to see why collective impact —the commitment of a group of important cross-sector actors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem—caught fire in 2010. During an economic downturn, when few new resources were available, a voice said there was a way to do more with what we already had. The concept offered hope for achieving results at the scale we desired, even though we were feeling constrained. And thank goodness. Collective impact both validated work that had been...
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Learning empathy through art in prison (sandiegouniontribune.com)
Project PAINT: The Prison ArtsINiTiative at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility was started by Laura Pecenco, a sociology professor at Miramar College whose doctorate thesis at UC San Diego was on the performance of masculine in arts creation in prison. Pecenco, an artist herself for her company Hester Crown Jewelry, met with Warden Daniel Paramo in 2013 to discuss the idea of working with inmates to create murals that would decorate visiting areas. The next year, the men created...
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Local students create Project Tabby for Chula Vista kids (sandiegouniontribune.com)
Tabby the bear is delivering smiles to homeless children across Chula Vista with the help of university students and police officers. Created by students from Brandman University in Irvine in partnership with the Chula Vista Police Department, the bear is meant to provide comfort to distressed children. The project is part of Brandman's organization leadership doctoral program, which challenged the students in an assignment to change the world by creating the most value possible. One team...
Comment
Re: PUBLIC COMMENTS NEEDED BY SEPT. 23 TO HELP SAN DIEGO GET MORE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR HOMELESS (eastcountymagazine.org)
Hi Godwin, Fabulous idea! Please have someone take pictures on 9/23 and capture your co-presentation with the Trauma Informed Community Schools team at the Early Childhood Mental Health Conference. Should they need any assistance with posting their blog (attaching pictures, etc.), please know I'm thrilled to help.
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Re: SDTIGT 7/10/15 Meeting Minutes
Thanks for having me SDTIGT, it was my pleasure! This is a really great way to share information about our agencies, as well as our TI journey! Excellent idea.
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Re: Simple Tips to Integrate Trauma Informed Practices from Harmonium’s Chief Executive Officer: Tip #1
Thanks Rosa Ana! Such a wonderful and, as you say, simple idea. I'm going to recommend it to my organization!
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Local Affiliates Accelerate ACEs-and-Resilience Movement in Montana
In Toole County, Montana, deputy sheriffs call a school counselor, from their patrol cars, after responding to a traumatic incident—a domestic abuse call, an overdose, an arrest—that involves a child. “Handle with care,” they tell the counselor, and they give the child’s name. The counselor passes that information to teachers: a quiet heads-up that the student might be hungry or sleepy, tearful, angry or distracted by whatever happened at home. “My teachers love it,” says Mary Miller, chair...
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San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team January 1, 2019 Meeting MInutes
Happy New Year! Thanks to those who were able to attend our January meeting! It was great to see both familiar and new faces! Hope to see you all in March! Meeting minutes and handouts are attached.
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The Atlanta Shootings Fit Into a Long Legacy of Anti-Asian Violence in America (time.com)
From the time the first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived as laborers in the U.S. in the 1850s, Asian Americans have always been subject to racist violence . As a source of cheap labor to build railroads, Asian immigrants came to be seen as threats to white jobs and scapegoated as dirty and disease-ridden. The “yellow peril” ultimately led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first time the U.S. had ever barred a specific ethnic group from the country. The brutality runs through more...
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We’ve changed our name to PACEs Connection!
We have some very exciting news! As of today, ACEs Connection is now PACEs Connection. PACEs stands for Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
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The pandemic is changing how we think about domestic violence, new survey shows (centerforhealthjournalism.org)
Amid a pandemic that shined a harsh light on domestic violence , Californians are increasingly viewing these abuses as a pressing social issue, according to a new survey of nearly 2,000 adults. Two-thirds of Californians consider domestic violence a public issue rather than private family matter, and 91% of participants said domestic violence is a serious societal issue, the survey found. “This info has given some validation to things folks have been talking about for a long time...
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Mother Nature’s Buffer Against Adverse Childhood Experiences
Earth Day has blossomed into a month-long celebration in April focusing on getting outdoors, appreciating nature and coming together as a community all of which are important in our work as ACEs Aware grantees. Recently, “spending time in nature” was added to the list of ways to practice self-care in relation to Adverse Childhood Experiences. The idea behind the self-care practices is to regulate an overactive stress response which can be heightened due to exposure to ACEs and lead to toxic...
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Employers must create space for authenticity at work (workforce.org)
I arrived at the interview 15 minutes early, wearing my freshly pressed outfit and holding copies of my resume. As I walk through the door, I am flooded with anxiety. Not because I feel unprepared for the interview or concerned that I lack the skills and experience needed for the job; the anxiety stems from a fear that they will see through the protection I hoped my outfit offered and I wouldn’t get hired because they know I am a lesbian. For myself, and so many other members of the LGBTQ+...
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San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team Learning Exchange August 6, 2021
A HUGE Thank You to Aisha Pope for her informative and thought-provoking presentation at our recent Learning Exchange entitled, Bringing Your Authentic Self to Work: the Costs of Code Switching !! And thank you to everyone who attended and participated in our learning exchange break out groups! We hope to see you back at our next meeting, October 1, 2021 from 12:15 - 2pm. Please see attached for meeting minutes and Aisha's PowerPoint.
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A Volunteer-Run Program Could Be Model for Mental Health Response Without Police Intervention (nextcity.org)
On September 22, California Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager held a virtual press conference to call for passage of AB 2054 – also known as the CRISES Act — which would establish a statewide pilot to have community-based organizations serve as first responders to mental health crises instead of the police. In late August, the bill, which was co-sponsored by 13 organizations and includes input from family members of individuals killed by police as well as experts in non-police responses to...
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San Diego County Supervisors vote 3-2 to redefine ‘woman’ (kusi.com)
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – During Tuesday’s San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting, they held public hearing on a controversial agenda item item, Agenda Item 34. Tuesday’s Agenda Item 34 was “an ordinance to provide for the local implementation of the United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW).” Proponents of the ordinance like Democrat Supervisor Nora Vargas, claim it will protect “women from discrimination.” But opponents correctly...
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San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team June 3, 2022 Minutes
Wow! What a fantastic meeting! Dr. Vincent Felitti joined us as did Godwin Higa! See minutes attached or watch the recording via this link: SDTIGT meeting 6.3.22
Calendar Event
"The Many Faces of Public Safety" Free Mental Health Event
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Chula Vista Already Had Community Schools – Nearly 50 Years Ago (voiceofsandiego.org)
Jim Groth sits in front of newspapers from November 1978 from The San Diego Union and the Los Angeles Times taken at Harborside Elementary School in Chula Vista. / Photo by Ariana Drehsler Author: To read Jakob McWhinney's article, please click here. Jim Groth moved to Chula Vista in early 1975. He’d come from Minneapolis, where he worked in community education, largely on summer school programming. John Pletcher, the principal of Harborside Elementary in Chula Vista, had recently come back...