Policies

Several ACEs Connection members should be feeling proud about now. Karen Clemmer, Carla Denner, Jessica Hackwell, Nick Dalton, and several others joined the 4CA Campaign to educate legislators about ACEs and trauma . Our partners with First 5, Maternal Child Adolescent Health, and the County Board of Supervisors also wrote letters to state policy makers urging consideration of a bill requiring trauma screenings for all children who receive MediCal support. And....drum roll please... As of...

So...who joins me in wanting to give our children the best start possible in life? It turns out, there is a long list of passionate supporters in our County. We urge you to come to the upcoming Town Hall and connect with folks like you who are committed to preventing childhood adversity and supporting resilience. Thursday, October 5, 2017 ∙ 6 - 8 PM The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Information fair, refreshments, onsite free childcare (limited by appt.) available at the event...

Did you know that a Be Safe training program was held in Sonoma County? "It's a two-way education" said Lt. David House, an organizer of the program and administrator with the Sonoma County Jail whose autistic son, Isa, 21, was on hand. For people diagnosed with autism, the basic elements of an emergency situation, from the startling nature of a patrol car's lights and sirens to a police officer's commanding voice, are circumstances that can cause great distress. Sonoma County Regional Parks...

Parents and community members are encouraged to come together for this important community conversation around our children: Right Start Town Hall: Preventing Toxic Stress in Early Childhood for Health, Social-Emotional Wellness and Resilience When and Where: Thursday, Oct 5, 6-8 pm at The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Refreshments and childcare available (please register ahead for childcare.) Translation to Spanish provided on headsets. Link to Register: ...

The latest update of state legislation considered by state legislatures in 2017 reveals the growing interest by state policymakers across the country in addressing trauma across sectors. The attached “At-A-Glance” table shows 46 bills in twenty states reference Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) or trauma-informed policy and practice. Take a look at the attached “At-A-Glance” table and leave a comment if your state considered ACEs/trauma legislation that is not included here. A handful of...

4CA Members' Webinars and Registration Link We have a number of new people who joined 4CA and we want to ensure you are registered for members' webinars. Please use this link to register. Below is our scheduled webinars for this year and next year. Webinar Calls Sep 11, 2017 1:00 PM Nov 6, 2017 1:00 PM Jan 1, 2018 1:00 PM Mar 5, 2018 1:00 PM May 7, 2018 1:00 PM Jul 2, 2018 1:00 PM Sep 3, 2018 1:00 PM Nov 5, 2018 1:00 PM Registration link: ...

Did you know that California is currently considering 4 pieces of legislation that seek to address trauma and childhood adversity? ACE's Connection members recently (July 2017) participated in a P olicy Maker education Day on Childhood Adversity . Jessica Hackwell, Karen Clemmer, Carla Denner, Nick Dalton, and two youth from Sonoma County partnered with the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) to ensure our policy makers understand the terms "adversity," "trauma," and...

Carla Denner, Health Information Specialist II at First 5 Sonoma County, plans traveling to our state capitol next week. Under her arm she'll have a stack of handouts (see attachment) for policy makers educating them about how adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma affect our community and what they can do to help. The California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) is coordinating this Policymaker Education Day in Sacramento. "Join with allies from across California to...

Editor's note: The Sonoma County Department of Health Services Public Health Department's response to the Grand Jury was filed in September 2017. It is attached to this post. The 2016-2017 Sonoma County (CA) Civil Grand Jury issued a remarkable report today. Tucked among the "Sales Tax Report" and "Elementary School Truancy" was — " Maternal Child and Adolescent Health: Caring for the Most Vulnerable ". The 10-page report casts an unblinking eye on the consequences of adverse childhood...

At our October meeting, we will vote to approve a set of working guidelines for Sonoma County ACES Connection. Attached you will find a description of the recommended changes. Please read and be ready to discuss and vote on the proposed changes at our meeting on the 26th. How we developed these recommendations I had requested that SCAC members post any comments or concerns about the proposed guidelines. I received comments from a few persons and invited all of them to participate in an ad...

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues New Guidelines to Encourage Secure Sharing of Information Between Schools and Child Welfare Agencies to Better Serve Foster Youth Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced that the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Children’s Justice (BCJ), the California Department of Education (CDE), and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) have jointly developed statewide guidelines for school districts, county offices of...