Tagged With "Ph.D. students and mental health"
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ACEs Science Champions Series: Training future counselors to integrate ACEs science in the classroom
Nemia with peacock used in therapy with children. Talking with an animal is often easier than talking with an adult for a child who's experienced abuse. _________________________________________ Toni Nemia, program and clinical director for the University of San Francisco Child and Family Center's School-Based Family Counseling, says that her graduate students are often surprised to hear that ACEs science (adverse childhood experiences) has an international reach. In fact, Scotland is an...
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Tuition or Dinner? Nearly Half of College Students Surveyed in a New Report Are Going Hungry (nytimes.com)
In the coming weeks, thousands of college students will walk across a stage and proudly accept their diplomas. Many of them will be hungry. A survey released this week by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice indicated that 45 percent of student respondents from over 100 institutions said they had been food insecure in the past 30 days. In New York, the nonprofit found that among City University of New York (CUNY) students, 48 percent had been food insecure in...
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Unbroken: Accepting who you are and what you need (SDSU Student Health 101)
Different kinds of minds come with different kinds of strengths (as well as challenges). Many unusual thinkers and innovators - people who may have been considered mentally ill, disabled, or eccentric - have made critical leaps in the sciences, arts, and technology. The concept of neurodiversity acknowledges and helps us accept these natural human differences. "Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general," wrote journalist Harvey...
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What Having Mental Illness in College Is Like for Me (themighty.com)
M ental illness in college can be a silent battle. Mental illness in college is channeling my intense emotions into each new experience. I can inspire people with my passion. It’s making connections with the best friends I’ve ever had. It’s having a roommate who researches my illnesses when I’m in the hospital. Or the friend who gets me out of bed to go for a walk with her when it’s pretty outside. The friend who comes to be with me when I say I’m fine, because she knows I’m not OK. 1 And...
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What I Realized After Being Hit With Suicidal Thoughts After Finals (themighty.com)
This past December, I hit a rough patch. I entered into a terrifying depressive episode, full of thoughts and feelings I couldn’t handle. Life with mental illness necessitates these moments on occasion, but there are still things I can do to try to prevent big collapses into depression . I had not been taking care of myself, and I fell apart. What was remarkable about this particular depressive episode was its timing in my life. It was exactly one day after finals ended, my first day of...
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What It Was Like to Talk About My Mental Illness in Front of Students (themighty.com)
My psychologist (I’ll refer to him as Dr. F for this post) is amazing. He has helped me tremendously over the last six months. I’m quite sure I wouldn’t be here anymore if it wasn’t for him. A month ago, he asked me if I would like to speak to the psychology class he teaches at a local college. At first, I wasn’t sure. My anxiety is horrible and even the thought of speaking in front of people terrifies me. The idea I would be talking to people about my depression and mental disorders made me...
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What Success Looks Like: On-Campus Resources and Support for Foster Youth (socialjusticesolutions.org)
After identifying a statewide need for support services for foster youth, the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) was created in 2006 through a collaboration between the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), the Foundation for California Community Colleges and numerous partners and stakeholders. According to Jessica Smith, the statewide liaison for FYSI, the “network of support” provided by FYSI includes assistance with academic needs, financial aid, physical and...
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What Success Looks Like: On-Campus Resources and Support for Foster Youth (socialjusticesolutions.org)
After identifying a statewide need for support services for foster youth, the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) was created in 2006 through a collaboration between the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), the Foundation for California Community Colleges and numerous partners and stakeholders. According to Jessica Smith, the statewide liaison for FYSI, the “network of support” provided by FYSI includes assistance with academic needs, financial aid, physical and...
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When Being a Prepared Student Is Really Anxiety in Disguise (themighty.com)
I have always been the prepared one — maybe even too prepared . The girl who analyzed project and assignment rubrics extensively to make sure the submitted work was perfection. The girl who had normalized excessive anxiety and stress for far too long. It sent me into a major depression , stripped me of my personality and my happiness. It made me ill. Nothing had prepared me for an illness which made me convinced suicide was the answer. Four years ago, I thought I would be graduating this...
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Who Helps Our Helpers? "Portraits of Professional Caregivers" Documents in Film Their Passion and Pain.
Director and producer Vic Compher’s documentary film, Portraits of Professional Caregivers: Their Passion. Their Pain , takes a deeper look at the causes of and treatments for what’s called secondary traumatic stress, a condition commonly...
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Gender Odyssey 2020 Conference (San Diego, CA)
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Informative Health Fair
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LGBT+ Voices: A Cultural Experience
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Nurse to Nurse Bullying: A Sepsis in Healthcare (Webinar)
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Poetry and Convo with Queer Indigenous Poet TOMMY PICO
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Resilience documentary: Key Speaker - Dr. Vincent J. Felitti
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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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5 Tips for Supporting College Age Students' Mental Health [blogs.psychcentral.com]
By Andrea Schneider, PsychCentral, February 7, 2020 Did you know that the second leading cause of death in people ages 15-22 is suicide (ACHA, 2020)? Those are some sobering statistics. After a recent move from S CA to N Ca, I am currently serving in a new role in which I am the Lead Counselor on a college campus for this age range. Unfortunately, those statistics don’t lie. I am deeply involved in creating new programs, strategies, and direct clinical support for the students my campus...
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ACEs Research Corner, December 2017
Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site -- abuseresearch.info - - that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs . Every month, she posts the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address ACEs on the main ACEs Connection site. If you missed December's summary review it HERE . Scott Webb from WIsconsin Dept of Health Services catalogs research and news about ACEs and trauma-informed care . His summary from December...
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Anxiety Overtakes Depression as No. 1 Mental Health Problem (wakeup-world.com)
Anxiety is the new depression, with more than half of all American college students reporting anxiety . Recent research shows anxiety "characterized by constant and overwhelming worry and fear” is now 800 percent more prevalent than all forms of cancer. A 2016 report by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State confirmed the trend, finding anxiety and depression are the most common concerns among college students who seek counseling. Data from the National Institute of Mental...
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Balancing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) With HOPE*
New Insights into the Role of Positive Experience on Child and Family Development *Health Outcomes of Positive Experience Abstract This report presents evidence for HOPE (Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences) based on newly released, compelling data that reinforce the need to promote positive experiences for children and families in order to foster healthy childhood development despite the adversity common in so many families. These data: Establish a spirit of hope and optimism and make...
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Behavioral Medicine journal seeking manuscripts on resilience
An exciting opportunity for the ACEs community to submit a manuscript on resilience for a special issue of the journal Behavioral Medicine.
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Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) Blogging Tips and Talking about Trauma
Berkeley Media Studies Group facilitated a southern and northern California Strategic Communications Workshop in October 2015. Attached, please find their powerpoint, created by co-facilitators Julieta Kusnir and Pamela Mejia, titled "Talking about Trauma: Tips & Tools for Communicating Effectively" and "Blogging Tips for Media Advocates" articulating tips on content, headlines, length and tone of blogs.
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Big Data Hackathon Creates Solutions for Public Health (livewellsd.org)
The second Big Data Hackathon for San Diego organized at San Diego State University provided the platform and resources needed for students and collaborators from varied disciplines to come together and develop projects that will benefit the San Diego community. On February 18, 25 and 26, collaborators from SDSU, University of California San Diego, Texas A&M University, Oregon State University and local high schools joined together to help develop solutions for local public health issues...
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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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Bystander intervention goes professional: 4 tips for stepping in on the job (SDSU Student Health 101)
Here’s something most of us know, and the research backs up: Small actions make a big difference, especially when it comes to preventing sexual harassment and assault. If we see something that doesn’t feel right, we can act. This is bystander intervention: stepping in to reinforce our community values and prevent harm when we see something that looks like disrespect or pressure. Many of us already do this, like when we disrupt a conversation that seems uncomfortable or speak up when people...
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California colleges get funding to expand services to undocumented college students [edsource.org]
As the federal government increases immigrant detention and attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, many California colleges are finding new ways to help undocumented students succeed and get assistance to their families as well. The latest effort is the California Campus Catalyst Fund , established by a group of educators, funders and advocates, and administered by the nonprofit organization Immigrants Rising, which announced last week that it has awarded...
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California colleges get funding to expand services to undocumented college students [edsource.org]
As the federal government increases immigrant detention and attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, many California colleges are finding new ways to help undocumented students succeed and get assistance to their families as well. The latest effort is the California Campus Catalyst Fund , established by a group of educators, funders and advocates, and administered by the nonprofit organization Immigrants Rising, which announced last week that it has awarded...
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California is failing our kids [SactoBee.com]
California’s economy is the seventh-largest in the world, and home to global industries that have revolutionized our way of life. Yet when it comes to caring for our children, we are failing to provide the essential services they need to thrive and succeed. The facts are disturbing and unacceptable. California ranks 49th among the states for standard of living for kids; roughly half of children are in families in or near poverty; nearly three-fourths of our youngest kids don’t receive health...
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CDC ACEs Research & Evaluation Fellowship application due April 24
This is a reminder that applications for the CDC Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) Research & Evaluation Fellowship ( announced last month on ACEs Connection ) are due April 24. The new fellowship position reflects a growing ACEs capacity within the CDC. The announcement states “The selected candidate will assist with research related to evaluating comprehensive community-based prevention strategies for primary prevention of ACEs (i.e., potentially traumatic experiences, such as child...
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Communities Come Together to ‘Change Minds’ About Child Trauma [ChronicleofSocialChange.org]
Projected on the enormous screen at the front of the room was a blue-tinged image of a brain scan with a seemingly simple phrase next to it: Changing Minds. The striking image and accompanying messages are still being developed by national nonprofit Futures Without Violence (Futures) for a public outreach campaign about the complex issue of childhood trauma. Participants at the Changing Minds and Creating Trauma-Informed Communities convening, hosted by Futures in early February, got a...
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Concordia University Launches Trauma & Resilience Curriculum [businesswire.com]
PORTLAND, Ore.--( BUSINESS WIRE )--More than 25 percent of American youth experience a serious traumatic event by their sixteenth birthday, and many children suffer multiple and repeated traumas, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. This trauma affects children learning in the classroom. Beginning January 2018, students in Concordia University-Portland’s College of Education can complete an MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Trauma and Resilience...
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Consideration of Personal Adverse Childhood Experiences during Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care Curriculum in Graduate Health Programs (thepermanentejournal.org)
We designed a curriculum to help students become comfortable addressing typically uncomfortable topics, practice listening and collaborating skills, and ultimately form confidence to implement their knowledge of ACEs and TIC in clinical practice. Using a model of teamwork and collaboration, we sought to better understand future health care practitioners’ consideration of the lifelong effects of trauma and violence, and ways to combat resistance to such understanding. We hypothesized that...
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Count your way to calm: A simple breathing technique to help you stay present (SDSU Student Health 101)
One of my favorite things about meditation is how uncomplicated the practice is. When my life gets hectic or my mind feels overrun with racing thoughts, the simplicity of meditation can be a huge relief. There’s a scientific basis for this feeling: Meditation reduces activity in parts of the brain associated with mind-wandering and unhappiness, according to a 2011 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . When I teach meditation, I try to keep my instructions concise so as...
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Echo Conference Spotlight: Mental Health of Undocumented Students
Echo's conference this year is packed with great workshops for teachers, parents and anyone who works with children and their families. In addition to the not-to-be-missed keynotes (such as Susan Craig ), we are proud to present: Jose Ivan Arreola-Torres Workshop Spotlight: Holistic Healing for Immigrant & Undocumented Youth In this important workshop, Jose Ivan Arreola-Torres will talk about an often overlooked aspect of student mental health - the mental and emotional...
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From Convict to College Student (theatlantic.com)
California’s public universities are starting to embrace a program that helps transition people from prison to campus. A program at San Francisco State University has quietly been helping former prisoners earn college degrees for decades. Now, it’s gaining wider attention as schools around the state begin to look for ways to help formerly incarcerated men and women gain access to higher education. In 1967, John Irwin, who had been incarcerated before becoming a sociology professor at SF...
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Helping College Kids With Depression (childmind.org)
Dr. Roy Boorady , a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute, says he gets “lots of calls first semester” about college kids who are having a hard time. “Usually what they end up doing is calling their parents in the middle of the night. Then their parents call me and say, ‘I’m getting two and three o’clock in the morning calls from my child who is crying and depressed and unhappy. What do we do?’ Detecting depression in kids college students who are away from home can...
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How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain (mindful.org)
Recent evidence suggests that a promising approach is to complement psychological counseling with additional activities that are not too taxing for clients but yield high results. In our own research, we have zeroed in on one such activity: the practice of gratitude . Indeed, many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. We set out to address these questions in a recent research study involving nearly 300...
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How to Help Students Believe in Themselves [greatergood.berkeley.edu]
“She’s just going to be a maid anyway.” This was the reason given to me by a fifth grade teacher as to why I, a student teacher at the time, shouldn’t give extra help to a child who was working hard to improve her reading. Once my shock at this disturbing statement wore off, I realized that the teacher’s beliefs and assumptions were potentially jeopardizing the quality of life and future aspirations of this student. Bar none, reading skills are essential to life. And while there is...
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How to Succeed in College and Life [GreaterGood.Berkeley.edu]
You should get some exercise, eat healthy, and sleep enough. You should be supportive of your friends. You should do what you’re passionate about. We’ve all gotten such well-meaning advice, and it’s good advice. But there’s one problem: People rarely tell us how to achieve these worthy goals. Luckily, there is a new book that gives you the “how,” and will help you not just survive, but thrive. U Thrive: How to Succeed in College (and Life) by Daniel Lerner and Alan Schlechter—two New York...
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Just breathe: Mindfulness may help freshman stress less and smile more (scienceblog.com)
Mindfulness training may be one way to help students successfully transition to college life, according to Penn State researchers. To help ease this transition, researchers offered an eight-session mindfulness training program to first-year students at Penn State, according to Kamila Dvorakova, a doctoral Compassion and Caring fellow in the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center and lead author of the study. In mindfulness meditation, practitioners learn how to develop an accepting,...
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Legislation Signals Growing Support for Significance of Trauma Indicators [CaliforniaHealthline.org]
As a college student, Rob Bonta had a summer job working as a counselor for troubled kids. Now, two decades later he is bringing legislation to address some of the needs he saw then. “I worked with some of these kids as a counselor out of college, and I’d walk them home and hear some of these stories,” Assembly member Bonta (D-Oakland) said. “Shootings they heard. Or shootings they witnessed the night before.” It was the summer of his junior year at Yale, when...