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Dr. Mimi Graham is Florida’s Johnny Appleseed, but instead of planting apple trees, she’s been seeding hundreds of ACEs-science-informed schools, courts, juvenile detention centers, hospitals, childcare centers, home visiting programs, mental health agencies, law enforcement agencies, and drug treatment centers. Graham, who has served as director of the Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy in Tallahassee since 1993, focuses on early childhood,...

Last week, three pediatricians — with a combined experience of 15 years integrating ACEs science into their practices — reflected on the urgency they felt several years ago that prompted them to begin screening patients for childhood adversity and resilience when there was practically no guidance at all. Along their journey , they accumulated a list of lessons learned for other pediatricians and family clinics to use. The three pediatricians participated in the ACEs Connection webinar,...

An ACEs Connection webinar co-sponsored with 4 CA In 2017, California became the first state in the country to pass a law supporting universal screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the 5.3 million children in the state’s Medicaid program. As clinicians around California await the state’s announcement of what this new policy will entail, many are wondering what it takes to integrate ACEs science in a pediatric practice. Meet Drs. Deirdre Bernard-Pearl, R.J. Gillespie and...

Susan Traylor says “When they see the cross on the table, they know someone has died.” The ‘they’ she is talking about are the many folks experiencing homelessness in our small community of Tarpon Springs, Florida. A few weeks ago, the cross was on the table for Terry. I knew him by sight but never knew his name. I observed him over the past few years quite often in a state that makes most people not only uncomfortable, but anxious and fearful as he argued with someone only he could see. He...

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...

Hello All! Gender is a complex, social construct that can be damaging to adolescents when gender stereotypes are perpetuated. I wanted to begin a health communication campaign that begins a community conversation about gender and the gender stereotypes present in our everyday lives. I chose to promote this campaign with three items. 1. An infographic that is targeted towards adolescents to help them understand how how gender stereotypes can harm us personally and others around us. This...

CONNECT is a campaign proposed to support critical care nursing team members by proposing to them methods to embrace evidence based resiliency practices. The World Health Organization recognized on May 28, 2019 a mental state of the "burnout phenomenon" that plagues the job force but has its highest prevalence in the nursing job force with nearly 20% turnover rate annually. Consequently, burnout can lead to a worsening occupational hazard - secondary traumatic stress or compassion fatigue -...

We all know that walking is great exercise, but what if a walking group could build resiliency in communities and in individuals? I believe it can, if done correctly. This is what my final project focused on. Walking is beneficial in that it allows people to perform non-strenuous activities while still getting in shape. Groups are important in building friendships in communities, which we know in turn builds resiliency. And the walking group was born.. 1. I first began my project with a...

A growing body of literature has shown that youth sport participation may serve a protective function for youth, particularly those from high-risk backgrounds (Hermens et al., 2017). For instance, sport participation is positively correlated with physical activity, life skill development, academic achievement, and social and emotional learning (Holt et al., 2011). Additionally, relationships with caring adults have a significant impact on healthy development, particularly during middle...

Resilience for the forgotten is a rehabilitation program for the imprisoned. The Prisoner ACE Survey done in Wales in 2018, found that higher ACE scores are significantly more common in prisoners, particularly violent offenders when compared to the general population 1 . Additionally, this population with higher ACE scores are more likely to re-offend within three years of release, thereby contributing to recidivism rates, which are currently ranging from 22% to 58%, depending on the state...

The idea of this project is to utilize primary care providers who see low income teens in rural areas of northern Florida in order to build resiliency among these youth. Providers and teenagers will be encouraged to form mentor type relationships with one another to benefit the teenager. Increased frequency of visits would deepen the trust between the provider and patient. At these visits the provider can talk to their patient about health concerns, take the time to explain how they can...

An ACEs Connection webinar will offer helpful self-regulation tools to those rocked by recent shootings in Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX , and Dayton, OH. The Building Resilient Communities webinar is offered by ACEs Connection this Thursday, August 9, at 10:00 AM PDT / 1 :00 PM E D and will last approximately 1 hour. Elaine Miller-Karas will teach her Community Resilienc y Mode l. Find registration details below. This webinar is free and open to the public. It serves professionals and community...