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Sonoma County supervisors are staking out a multi-million-dollar plan to expand preschool access for every 3- and 4-year-old in the county, a move touted as critical to improving health, increasing high school graduation rates and strengthening the region’s economy. The Board of Supervisors, which made its case for universal preschool in 2014, is set to consider on Tuesday whether to move forward with a county health department proposal for preschool expansion. About half of the county’s 3-...

James Redford shared his vision for making the landmark ACE study understandable and accessible to the general population while serving on a panel at the Sonoma Film Festival last Saturday. He created Paper Tigers and Resilience to offer a medium for learning that was visually compelling and emotionally moving. While gathering the story elements for his films, he also created this "Bonus Content" which helps to explain ACEs in a short, clear video:

Interlink Presents: Introduction to Peer Support April’s Topic: “Trauma Informed Care and Feelings” Tuesdays from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm at Interlink Self-Help Center 1033 Fourth Street Santa Rosa A new series of classes is being offered at Interlink Self-Help Center based on handouts, videos, research and conversation on a variety of topics. We will be exploring the world of mental health recovery and how our recovery journeys can be of help to others. Topics will include: Self-Awareness Lived...

James Redford will screen "Resilience" twice at Sonoma's Film Fest this weekend. For those of us who were transformed by his first film, Paper Tigers, it is big news that he'll screen his latest documentary in our own backyard. The film works with the provocative premise: “The child may not remember, but the body remembers.” The trailer will surely capture your attention - watch it here . Redford's website further explains: The original research was controversial, but the findings revealed...

"At Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, we care for many patients who struggle with addiction; some are women who become pregnant. Our primary goal is to treat them with compassion and respect. It is helpful to view addiction as a chronic disease, similar to diabetes, rather than a moral problem. For many struggling with addiction, especially women, childhood trauma, domestic violence and mental health issues co-exist with substance use. It is hard to treat the addiction without...

Today our group conducted a few straw polls to ordain ourselves with a name, mission, and Pro Tem leaders. Looking back we can agree we'd outgrown the party room at Mary's Pizza shack as we have more than 30 regularly participating community partners. (82 Community Members asked to be on our meeting invite list and participate as they can!) But were we ready to move from an informal group to a partners united under one mission? The energy during our meetings always makes the room feel a buzz...

Dear Friends, We look forward to coming together again on Wednesday March 23, 2016 at 12:30 in the City View Rooms at 625 5 th Street, Santa Rosa, CA. Your voice and energy is vital to our collective effort to prevent, treat and heal ACE’s in Sonoma County and we thank you for carving out the time for this meeting. The agenda is attached. You can also find our meeting minutes here .

(See the attachment for a colorful version with photos.) Dear Sonoma County ACES Connection Enthusiasts, Thank you to all that participated in today’s ACES meeting. We packed the City View Rooms and showed a team of grant evaluators a great display of passion fueled by our local network. Today, we started the meeting with a quiet mindful moment . Kate offered everyone a raisin and led is in eating it slowly and consciously. Kate reminded us how taking time to deeply observe eating is a...

This report highlights how housing insecurity can have tremendous impact on the mental health and well being of children and families. Are there ACE's to prevent in addressing this huge issue? Read the 2016 Displacement Brief for yourself here: http://files.ctctcdn.com/c5679d79501/8b862fbe-6570-4a29-bc8e-29e7fbeef38e.pdf Mental Health Impacts: The emotional toll of displacement and living with the threat of displacement is significant, affecting mental wellbeing, sense of belonging and...

We are pleased to inform you of another opportunity to view the acclaimed documentary series, The Raising of America – Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation . In honor of Week of the Young Child (April 10-16), National Public Health Week and National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the series will be made available online for free for a limited time from April 1-17! Please see details below. As you may know, this important film shows how a strong start for all our kids leads to a...

From Tugg.com, March 17, 2016 Tugg Edu is proud to present the highly anticipated ACEs documentary PAPER TIGERS to the educational marketplace. Directed by James Redford ( THE BIG PICTURE: RETHINKING DYSLEXIA, RESILIENCE ), PAPER TIGERS follows a year in the life of an alternative high school that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect families. With over 450...

Findings of the ACE Study have had a swift and substantial impact on MCH policy, practice and research. This issue of the journal is intended to provide a forum to enhance knowledge of the Study and its implications across the field. Topics of interest include: The aims and findings of the ACE Study, The implications of the Study and use of Study findings to shape MCH practice in clinical, program and policy settings, The import of the Study in relation to life course theory and the social...