Tagged With "West Virginia"
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Traumatic Experiences Widespread Among U.S. Youth, New Data Show
[This is a media release from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.] New national data show that at least 38 percent of children in every state have had at least one Adverse Childhood Experience or ACE, such as the death or incarceration of a parent, witnessing or being a victim of violence, or living with someone who has been suicidal or had a drug or alcohol problem. In 16 states, at least 25 percent of children have had two or more ACEs. Findings come from data in the 2016 National Survey...
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Update on Bumper Crop of State ACEs bills in 2017—46 bills in 20 states
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...
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Virginia 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for Virginia. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input, we’ll...
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Vivian Watts: Justice system reforms will help protect children [pilotonline.com]
By Vivian Watts, The Virginian-Pilot, May 6, 2020 In my career as the former executive director of Fairfax CASA, as well as my work as the former secretary of Transportation and Public Safety and in the Virginia House of Delegates, I have fought to protect vulnerable children from abuse and exploitation knowing that our failure to do so has catastrophic consequences. For more than 20 years clinicians and social scientists have studied the impact that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and...
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West Virginia 2018 State Profile
Hi, Everyone: Here’s the state profile for West Virginia. To review the entire profile, open the PDF that is attached to this post. If you have corrections or additions, please leave them in the comments section of this post. We’ll be reviewing the comments regularly and doing fact-checks. The information you give us will also help us determine how to organize and expand the information in the state profiles. We will be turning this post into a living profile that, with your help and input,...
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With kids stuck at home, ER doctors see more severe cases of child abuse (msn.com)
Across the country, from California to Iowa to Massachusetts , child abuse reports have plummeted since the virus arrived. In the nation’s capital, hotline reports of abuse and neglect between mid-March and mid-April were 62 percent lower than in the same period last year, according to the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency. Reports to child protective services in Maryland have fallen just as far, and in Virginia, referrals from school staffers have dipped by 94 percent. The cases...
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WV Democrats Unveil Plan to Help Kids Having Adverse Childhood Experiences [wvnews.com]
By WV News Staff, West Virginia's News, February 3, 2020 Democratic members of both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature on Monday held a press conference to unveil their plan to help children in the state suffering from a variety of negative circumstances. The plan involves prioritizing children who are coping with poverty, drug abuse, parental separation and neglect — collectively referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, according to a press release issued following the...
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New director of Office of Drug Control Policy shares vision [register-herald.com]
Using the recently released opioid response plan from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources as a centerpiece, the new Office of Drug Control Policy director aims to build upon the plan with areas of his own expertise. Dr. Michael Brumage, appointed as director earlier this month, hopes to focus on the role ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) play in the opioid epidemic, as well as how providers can approach pain management with and without medication. "ACEs is a major...
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New documentary focuses on trauma faced by first-responders (sandiegouniontribune.com)
“Keeping the Peace,” a new documentary that recently premiered at the University of San Diego, brings to light the trauma often faced by first responders and encourages police officers, firefighters and others in the field to seek counseling when dealing with emotional issues. They’ve lost colleagues to suicide, had people die in their arms, seen horrifying injuries and had to tell family members about a loved one’s death. It takes a toll on law enforcement officers, firefighters and other...
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Northeast and Mid-Atlantic trauma leaders share successes to make big change at May 1 convening
Leaders in ACEs/trauma/resilience movement from nine states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and the District of Columbia gathered for a networking call on May 1 to learn about flexible funding opportunities for states under the CARES Act, ways to get involved in advocacy, and share their successes and challenges in building statewide coalitions. The meeting of leaders was organized by ACEs Connection and the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) in response to COVID-19...
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Personal stories from witnesses, U.S. representatives provided an emotional wallop to House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on childhood trauma
Room erupts in applause for the grandmother of witness William Kellibrew during July 11 House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing. The power of personal stories from witnesses and committee members fueled the July 11 hearing on childhood trauma in the House Oversight and Reform Committee* throughout the nearly four hours of often emotional and searing testimony and member questions and statements (Click here for 3:47 hour video). The hearing was organized into a two panels—testimony from...
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Realizing Opportunity for All Youth: Members of the National Academies Report Committee discuss the Report
April 3 2020, Charlottesville VA, presented by Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, School of Medicine, University of Virginia. Members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report committee present and discuss Realizing Opportunity for all Youth . Faculty for the day will be Richard Bonnie, Professor with the UVA School of Law, and ILPPP Director, who was chair of the committee producing the report, and other members of the report committee including...
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Recap- Virginia Summit On Childhood Trauma And Resilience 4/25/19
On Thursday April 25, 2019 Voices hosted over 950 attendees at the Virginia Summit on Childhood Trauma and Resilience . The goal of the Summit was to connect child-serving professionals and advocates across the Commonwealth to best practices to prevent, and better address, the impacts of childhood adversity. California’s first Surgeon General and well-known ACEs expert, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, provided the keynote address. Both Governor Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam addressed the...
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Snapshot of ACEs Statutes and Resolutions through end of 2018
The attached table summarizes all of the statutes and passed resolutions that contain the words "Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)" and trauma-informed language through the end of 2018. There are nearly 60 statutes with the earliest law enacted in Washington State in 2011. The laws are categorized by subject matter such health care, education, training, and funding. If you are aware of something we missed, please leave a comment to this post.
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STATE HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS CHILDREN’S TRAUMA, EXPOSURE TO VIOLENCE AND ACEs
I found this document by Futures Without Violence to be a useful resource. From the forward: The health care system plays an important role both in identifying children who may be exposed to extreme adversity and violence, currently and in the past, and in providing the evidence-based interventions that can help children heal from trauma and prevent health conditions and other poor outcomes associated with trauma and ACEs. The health care system is also central in supporting the greatest...
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State profiles for 50 states and District of Columbia
Hi, Everyone: We’ve made a first pass at gathering highlights of ACEs initiatives in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Within the text, below, are links to the individual posted profiles for each state. If you see corrections or want to make additions, we’d love that. Just add them in the comments section of that individual post. Instructions are at the top of each individual post. We will be turning those posts into living profiles that, with your help and input, we’ll keep...
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States Produce a Bumper Crop of ACEs bills in 2017—nearly 40 bills in 18 states
A scan done in March by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) through StateNet of bills introduced in 2017 that specifically include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the text produced a surprising volume of bills (close of 40) in a large number of states (18). A scan done a year ago produced less than a handful. NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves both state legislators and their staffs. The shear volume of bills in so many states represents a promising...
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Durbin, Capito, colleagues introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address childhood trauma [Office of Senator Durbin of IL]
The following is a press release issued by the office of U.S. Senator Durbin (D-IL) on Monday, June 10, announcing the introduction of bipartisan bicameral legislation that builds on last year’s opioid legislation SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act and recommendations from a recent GAO report. A link to the bill and other information will be provided as soon as possible. In the meantime, an earlier draft of the bill and a section by section are attached to this post. For Immediate...
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Funding Trauma-Informed Community Networks - We are #TraumaInformedVA
“I know from personal experience that trauma can be life-changing, but I didn’t know that talking about trauma could change my life. And the lives of others,” said Theresa Caldwell, member of the Southside (TICN) Trauma-Informed Community Network , which is supported by the Crater Health District under the leadership of Dr. Alton Hart and Brian Little. The Network works to foster healthy communities through disease prevention and control, health promotion, environmental protection, and...
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Getting Restorative Justice Approved By Your State Political Body Is Worth the Trouble [jjie.org]
It is becoming increasingly clear that diverting individuals from the juvenile justice system, which is consistent with public safety and still holds offenders accountable, is generally a best-practice concept. This can have a significant impact on public safety by increasing successful life outcomes for young people. A crime prevented is far better than a crime successfully adjudicated. Having spent my career in the juvenile justice field and now serving as a Virginia state senator, I have...
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Governor Declares May 3-9 Resilience Week in Virginia
As Greater Richmond SCAN , in collaboration with members from the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network and the 26 Trauma-Informed Community Networks across the state , began planning for the first annual Resilience Week Virginia, we certainly did not imagine we would be celebrating in the midst of a global pandemic. We worked to adapt activities and events to be done virtually as it became clear that the week, May 3-9, would take place in the midst of these strange new...
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Handle With Care funding is part of federal opioid legislation [WVMetroNews.com]
By Shauna Johnson in News | October 17, 2018 at 11:25AM CHARLESTON, W.Va. — President Donald Trump is expected to soon sign into law the 2018 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the comprehensive, bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic across the United States on many fronts. Included in it is funding to support programs that offer trauma-informed care for young people, specifically programs like Handle With Care which got its start in West Virginia and has...
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Hearing in U.S. House Education and Labor Early Childhood Subcommittee addresses intersection of trauma and education
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (l) and Karina Chicote, Churchill Fellow from western Australia meet after congressional hearing After watching the hearing on a monitor in the overflow room, Karina Chicote, a Churchill Fellow from western Australia, and I hustled to the hearing room in hopes of speaking to the lead witness, Nadine Burke Harris, MD, the first Surgeon General of the State of California. She was deep in conversation with others, including a young woman who wanted to tell her how...
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HHS releases additional $487 million to states, territories to expand access to effective opioid treatment; 2019 SOR grants will total $1.4 billion [hhs.gov]
[March 20, 2019] Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an additional $487 million to supplement first-year funding through its State Opioid Response (SOR) grant program. The awards to states and territories are part of HHS’s Five-Point Opioid Strategy and the Trump administration’s tireless drive to combat the opioid crisis. Together with the $933 million in second-year, continuation awards to be provided under this program later this year, the total amount...
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Illinois Governor Signs Law to Include Social-Emotional Screening in School Health Exams
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and Diana Rauner, President of Ounce of Prevention Fund _____________________________________________ Consistent with being the first state to adopt standards for social emotional learning (SEL) in the country, Illinois recently passed legislation (SB 565, Public Act 99-0927 ) to require social and emotional screenings for children as part of the their school entry examinations. Governor Rauner (R) signed the bill on January 20. It goes into effect June 1 of...
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Illinois Governor Signs Law to Include Social-Emotional Screening in School Health Exams
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and Diana Rauner, President of Ounce of Prevention Fund _____________________________________________ Consistent with being the first state to adopt standards for social emotional learning (SEL) in the country, Illinois recently passed legislation (SB 565, Public Act 99-0927 ) to require social and emotional screenings for children as part of the their school entry examinations. Governor Rauner (R) signed the bill on January 20. It goes into effect June 1 of...
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Implementation of new Vermont law begins with the appointment of legislators to bicameral, bipartisan ACEs Working Group
After the 2014 Vermont legislative session, Rep. George Till was picking himself up, dusting himself off and reflecting on what he called an “ALE or Adverse Legislative Experience” when his ambitious legislative vision fizzled and became a tiny bubble of hope along the path to a trauma-informed state. Policymakers in Vermont are now preparing to implement the most recent ACEs-related legislation ( No. 43, H. 508 , signed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott on May 22) and while the law calls for...
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Interim report of the President’s opioid commission says its final report will address early intervention strategies for children with ACEs
On August 8, President Trump spoke to the opioid crisis in this country and declined to declare a national emergency as recommended by the “President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.” Instead, the President emphasized the law and order aspects of the problem and the importance of preventing drug use in the first place since addiction is so hard to overcome. The Commission will make a final report in the fall. The recently released interim report makes eight...
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Medicaid Expansion Improved Health in Southern States: Study [thehill.com]
By Peter Sullivan, The Hill, January 7, 2020 A new study finds that Medicaid expansion improved people’s health in Southern states, resulting in fewer declines in people’s health. The study published in Health Affairs finds that Medicaid expansion made declines in health status 1.8 percentage points less likely in states that expanded the medical coverage. It examined 12 Southern states, including those that have accepted the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, like...
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17 states collect ACEs data in 2018; total now 42 states and DC
The US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated information about the states' inclusion of the ACE module in the BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey). The CDC reports that “…since 2009, 42 states plus the District of Columbia have included ACE questions for at least one year on their survey.” In 2018 alone, 17 states included the ACE module, four of them (Idaho, Indiana, New Jersey, and West Virginia) for...
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A Snapshot of Statutes related to ACEs and Trauma-Informed Policy
A legislative scan in March by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) of bills that specifically include references to ACEs (nearly 40 bills in 18 states) also found seven statutes enacted in six different states. That number increases significantly when laws that reference “trauma-informed” policies are included—the number of statutes totals 20, enacted in 15 different states. These numbers are based on information from various sources (including the NCSL, our own reporting,...
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Abortion. Transgender rights. Voting access. Polarizing issues could dominate statehouse agendas in 2020. [Washington Post]
Virginia House Del. Jeffrey M. Bourne, left, stands onstage with Lashrecse D. Aird, center, who won her House District 63 race, and Virginia state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan at a Democratic election watch party at Hilton Richmond Downtown on Nov. 5. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) Republican-controlled state legislatures are gearing up to try to tighten abortion laws across the country, while some states controlled by Democrats are looking to enshrine the right to choose into law. It’s...
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Child Welfare Agencies By State
This comprehensive list was created back in July of 2014 and undoubtedly already needs some updating. But, most of it is likely current. This list was NOT created to harass ANY state child welfare employee, but rather to make it possible...
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U.S. Southeast trauma leaders share successes, challenges in making changes
Leaders in ACEs/trauma/resilience movements from 10 states in the Southeast U.S. met for a networking call on May 21, 2020, to learn about flexible funding opportunities for states under the CARES Act, ways to get involved in advocacy, and how to share their successes and challenges in building statewide coalitions. The meeting of leaders was organized by ACEs Connection and the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) in response to COVID-19 and the growing interest in...
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National Governors Association Chooses Delaware to Participate in Adverse Childhood Experiences Learning Collaborative [Delaware.gov]
Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families | Featured Posts | Date Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Wednesday announced Delaware was one of four states chosen by the National Governors Association to participate in a learning collaborative focused on recognizing and responding to adverse childhood experiences. The State of Delaware will join teams from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wyoming in the Improving Well-being and Success of...
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Mobilizing ACEs, Trauma and Resilience Networks to Support and Strengthen Pandemic Response Efforts
“What are your signs of stress?” asked the leaders of a recent mindfulness webinar hosted by the Philadelphia ACE Task Force (PATF), held during the week that U.S. cases of COVID-19 neared half a million and more than sixty Philadelphians had died of the disease. Participants spilled their responses into the chat box: “headache…teeth grinding…can’t think clearly…nervous stomach…ruminating thoughts…muscle pain…itchiness…bad dreams.” [ At left: #TakeCarePHL during COVID-19 #StayHome #StaySafe.
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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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Police 'Pretext' Traffic Stops Need to End, Some Lawmakers Say [pewtrusts.org]
By Marsha Mercer, Pew Stateline, September 3, 2020 On a family vacation in Virginia in 2017, Democratic Maryland state Del. Charles E. Sydnor III was driving in the left lane on a nearly empty, unfamiliar highway when a state trooper pulled him over. Sydnor’s wife and three daughters — ages 9, 10 and 13 — were in the car. “Are you going to jail?” one of his girls asked. [ Please click here to read more .]
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Delaware joins interstate collaboration on childhood trauma (Delaware Public Media)
By Nick Cliolino, August 28, 2020, DPM. Delaware is collaborating with other states to study Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. The First State, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wyoming were chosen by the National Governors Association to be mentored by California, Tennessee and Alaska on how to be more trauma informed. The collaboration seeks to share and analyze data on ACEs, offer training for state agencies and create collaborations with the public sector. [ Please click here to read more. ]
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Delaware joins interstate collaboration on childhood trauma (Delaware Public Media)
By Nick Cliolino, August 28, 2020, DPM. Delaware is collaborating with other states to study Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs. The First State, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wyoming were chosen by the National Governors Association to be mentored by California, Tennessee and Alaska on how to be more trauma informed. The collaboration seeks to share and analyze data on ACEs, offer training for state agencies and create collaborations with the public sector. [ Please click here to read more. ]
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This Time, Lawmakers Want Control Over COVID-19 Aid [Stateline]
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, with Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, left, and First Lady Britainy Beshear, places a flag at the state Capitol to memorialize Kentuckians who have died of complications from COVID-19. In Kentucky and at least three other states, lawmakers are trying to gain control over funds allocated to their state under the latest federal COVID-19 relief package. Photo Credit: Ryan C. Hermens Lexington Herald-Leader via The Associated Press March 31, 2021 With states set to...
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