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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the immune system by decreasing the number of healthy white blood cells in the body (CDC, 2022a). In 2020, 30,636 people in the United States (US) were diagnosed with HIV (CDC, 2022b). In 2019, there were 34,800 new HIV diagnoses in the US, of which 70% or 24,500 were from same-gender-loving (SGL) men (CDC, 2022c, & HIV, 2022). Unfortunately, SGL men are disproportionally impacted by HIV, with black men being diagnosed at a...

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma have a profound impact on a child's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The most recent census reported that 13.3% of residents in Osceola County, Florida, fall within the poverty level ( U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Osceola County, Florida , n.d.). Low-income families are at higher risk of experiencing ACEs and trauma, which can lead to lifelong health consequences, that perpetuate cycles of poverty. Raising awareness and providing...

LOQuYSIF aims to connect existing resources in Florida – foster organizations, mental health services, academic counselors, career planners, and legal services – to serve queer youth facing homelessness. Primary outcomes for LOQuYSIF include reducing homelessness, increasing the number of foster homes for queer youth, reducing queer youth in the juvenile justice system because of homelessness, advocating for policy change, increasing self-efficacy, and improving emotional regulation abilities.

Oral health is vital to systemic health and quality of life (Kabani et al., 2018). Despite Alachua County having Florida’s only state funded dental school, rates of negative dental disease are higher than other counties (Tomar, 2018). In a 2018 annual screening of all Alachua County public school third graders, between 20-60% had untreated dental caries (Tomar, 2018). In one school, over 20% of children needed urgent care due to clinical signs of infection or toothache (Tomar, 2018). Rates...

According to Beck et al. (2009) and Karsten et al. (2019), people with a history of ACEs, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and childhood maltreatment, are highlighted to have increased chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and pelvic floor dysfunction. Sexual abuse, violence, and childhood maltreatment events are reported to be linked to CPP, which is associated with various diseases and dysfunctions such as dyspareunia (painful sex), vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis, gastrointestinal disorders,...

People that have experienced adverse childhood events (ACEs) are at an increased risk for the development of heart disease. In order to reduce the risk, our goal is to begin screening those with an ACE history with regular cardiologist visits. In addition, we will be assessing lab values, daily weights, and blood pressure readings. This will be used as a tool for us to guide our medical interventions. In addition, we would like to provide education for patients in terms of healthy lifestyle...

Because of a collaboration with Columbia University and UW-Madison, we have answers to these questions. By Peter Peter Pecora, Casey Family Programs, March 17, 2023 - Overview The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released a “ roadmap ” to reduce child poverty by as much as half through the implementation of a series of social policy packages. The aim of this study was to simulate the reductions in Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement and foster care placements that are...

We are pleased to provide a career opportunity at Florida State University , located in Tallahassee, FL. FSU is recruiting a Director for the new Trauma and Resilience Collaborative (TRC) . The Director of TRC will identify, harness, and promote the university’s trailblazing multidisciplinary expertise on trauma and resilience. This is a Faculty I 12-month salaried position. The Director will be responsible for the growth of TRC programs and end users by successfully recruiting partnerships...

As a clinician, researcher and policy specialist devoted to the prevention and treatment of the ill effects of child abuse and neglect (CAN) I read “Recommendations for Population-Based Applications of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study: Position Statement by the American College of Preventive Medicine” (Sherin KM, Stillerman A, Chandrasekar L, Went N, Niebuhr DW. Recommendations for Population-Based Applications of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study: Position Statement by the...

By Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma Psychology Today, September 30, 2022 Mental health can suffer after extreme climate events. KEY POINTS Mental health conditions exacerbated by natural disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. After a disaster, the number of people needing assistance from the mental health systems strains or exceeds community capacity. There are simple strategies helpers can use to help survivors restore...

The last 24 hours have reminded us of our individual vulnerability, as well as the vulnerability of our community and our state. Hurricane Ian is an example of a traumatic event in the third realm of ACEs that can bring about increased stress and strong emotional reactions. We acknowledge that this can be an incredibly challenging time for many and we encourage people to stay connected, reach out for help when needed, and support each other as you are able. This is how we can build...

The TAP-IN Resilience Youth Engagement program will be offered throughout the week days from 8am-6pm for youth to spend their down-time engaging in healthy and positive interests and hobbies. Such interests can be in the form of sports, food and cooking, traditional art, creative interests, crafts, games, reading, and other enrichment hobbies. The program will also offer professional development workshops, STEM-related activities, and educational seminars about substance use periodically...