Tagged With "Ageing Well"
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12 MYTHS ABOUT ACEs -- AND THE 12 MYTHS SKILLFULLY DEBUNKED
Author: Jane Stevens Founder, publisher ACEs Connection 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...
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ACEs' Strong Effects in Adults . . . and A Resilient Survivor
Addressing ACEs in Adults is Key (https://twitter.com/ACEs_Canada) In response to the post about the effects of ACES in adults cited above, Treva Massey from Tennessee wrote the response below that tells of the suffering caused by ACEs in later life—and the resilience that gives hope and purpose to life. I wrote to ask her permission to repost her response on our site, and she graciously permitted me to do so. I think that her post will be of great interest to those who follow the VBRP site...
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"An Ounce of Prevention . . ." Part of the VBRP Mission
Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the Best Available Evidence A NEW MANUAL FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION The CenterS for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control just published a manual outlining the means of preventing ACEs that have been proven to work. In the manual there are several strategies that can prevent ACEs from happening in the first place as well as strategies to mitigate the harmful...
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Children's Resilience Can Be Strengthened in a Crisis (originally published in Mommy Underground)
Use Your Family Crisis To Teach Your Children Resilience Photo by Ben White on Unsplash With over 10 million Americans applying for unemployment, it’s clear our country is going through a rough patch. Whether your home is experiencing economic hardship, or simply grieving the loss of a school year or extracurricular activities, chances are your children are facing tough times. Even worse, they’re feeling it. Maybe they don’t exactly understand what the coronavirus is, and how a virus could...
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Coping and Hoping
Love in the time of Coronavirus: HOPE-informed thoughts for parents Bob Sege 22 hours ago reposted from https://positiveexperience.org/ HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences – is a new way of seeing and talking about experiences that support children’s growth and development into healthy, resilient adults. We now know that that even in the face of adversity, key positive experiences help us heal. Join our ACES Community to find out more about Balancing ACES with HOPE , and visit...
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From Northern Maine: The Van Buren Resiliency Project (VBRP)
This is just a short message to let you know that we are active and after our "sort of" summer break, we're looking forward to the coming months. I have attached a short description of our mission and vision as well as what we hope to do. I am also appending a link to an article on the AcesConnection website that describes the Maine Resilience Building Network: https://www.acesconnection. com/blog/maine-resilience- building-network-catalyzing-a- statewide-movement . We are affiliated with...
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HELPING CHILDREN DEAL WITH TRAUMATIC STRESS
Seven Ways to Help a Child Deal with Traumatic Stress by Hilary Jacobs Hendel Life is stressful. That’s a fact. To grow and learn we must try new things. Struggling, prevailing, and tolerating failures along the way builds confidence and the deep feeling in a child that “I can do it.” But the positive aspects of struggle and stress are lost when the amount of stress becomes too great and/or sustained. Persistent and long-lasting stress on the mind and body caused by overwhelming emotions...
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Information About ACEs Endeavors in the NorthEast from AcesConnection National
Webinars and on-line Training -- You are free to sign up for any of them. April 9th : "A Better Normal" Community Discussion Series April 9th: Strengthening Families Webinar: Flourishing Families April 10th: "A Better Normal" Community Discussion Series April 13th: Origins Training & Consulting: Tips on Being Resilient During a Pandemic via Facebook Live April 14th: Webinar: Trauma: An Essential Component of Women’s Services April 15th: Origins Training & Consulting: Tips on Being...
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Northeast and Mid-Atlantic trauma leaders share successes and challenges at May 1 networking meeting
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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Parents and Kids, Toxic Stress and Resilience...It's a Community Thing
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has some great information about parenting and the stressors that many parents have to endure. The attached film clip that explains the stresses that many parents go through and talks about the effects that parental stress can have on the family. It explains that there are resources in many communities that can help parents and children to effectively deal with that stress. In our community there are not a lot of resources, but the Van...
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Pinetree Institute Podcast With Dr. Christina Bethell: Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and ACEs.
The Pinetree Institute is a Maine non-profit located on the NH border in Eliot. They conduct research and present workshops on ACEs and resilience. A workshop with Dr. Christina Bethell was scheduled for today, but was cancelled because of COVID-19. Dr. Bethell's field of expertise is PCE (Positive Childhood Experiences) and their role in combatting ACEs and promoting resilience throughout the lifetime. Because of the circumstances, Pinetree Institute is offering a 40 minute podcast in which...
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Routines Will Help Kids and Families Cope During the School Shutdown
Parenting in a Pandemic Damon Korb, M.D. Follow Mar 16 · 6 min read Staying organized is the key to keeping your sanity. It is a well-known fact that children thrive when there are routines. This time of year most children wake up, get dressed, eat their breakfast, head off to school where they move from class to class, come home and have a snack, do some homework, have some free time or participate in an afterschool activity, eat dinner, and then get ready for bed. The daily life for most...
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TENNESSEE STUDY LINKS CHILDHOOD TRAUMA TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Below I have extracted some information from an excellent article in the Johnson City (TN) Press about the link between ACEs and substance abuse. ( https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Health-Care/2019/09/02/Clear-link-between-childhood-trauma-and-substance-abuse-addiction-doctor-says.html ) We have witnessed that phenomenon in our own area, and this article reinforces our anecdotal information. I have added some information (highlighted ) comparing Maine statistics to the Tennessee numbers. AN...
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THE MAINE RESILIENCE BUILDING NETWORK
The Maine Resilience Building Network (MRBN) is a statewide organization dedicated to educating Maine citizens about ACEs and promoting resilience among those in our state who are suffering the negative effects of ACEs. MRBN meetings are held in Waterville whenever a fifth Thursday occurs in a month. Their meetings not only provide superb programs but also give the members a chance to network with other agencies in the state who work with people affected by ACEs. VBRP is a member agency of...
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Two studies shed light on state legislators’ views on ACEs science and trauma policy
New and returning lawmakers take the oath of office on day one of Washington state's 2017 legislative session. — Jeanie Lindsay/Northwest News Network As advocates prepare to see how ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) science, trauma, and resilience play out in the 2020 state legislative sessions — many beginning in January — they are undoubtedly asking: “What does a legislator want?" It may be a stretch to play on Freud’s question: “What does a women want?", but the query captures how...
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VBRP'S OCTOBER ACES PRESENTATIONS
OCTOBER WORKSHOPS The Van Buren Resiliency Project presented two October ACEs workshops. The first was an October 17 th presentation of the documentary “Paper Tigers” to the 35-member faculty of our Pre-K through 12 public school. The length of the film precluded much discussion during the time allotted to the presentation, but I have been stopped in the school hallways by teachers who want to talk about the film and its relationship to our town’s student needs. The presentation helped build...
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We must respond to the health crisis of adverse childhood experiences
Julio Cortez | AP In a photo taken Tuesday, July 2, 2019, Scott Hopewell, right, a student holistic specialist, gives a high-five to a child during a group session in a "peace room" at New Song Community Learning Center in West Baltimore. In Baltimore, a city enduring an out-of-control surge of gun violence that shows no sign of abating, there's been a growing realization that levels of youthful trauma, whether exposure is mostly from neighborhood or domestic dysfunctions, are alarmingly...
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We Must Respond to the Health Crisis of Adverse Childhood Experiences [bangordailynews.com]
By Joyce Schelling, Bangor Daily News, December 16, 2019 Maine has the nation’s highest rate of anxiety and the third highest rate of depression among children ages 3-7. It is above the national rate for behavior problems and children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). The average number of suicides per year by youth under age 20 is well above the national average and has risen by 50 percent in just five years. It’s time to ask if these frightening...
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Montana Demonstrates How Community Groups Can Band Together to Make a Difference
BY: Anndee Hochman 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...
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Prolonged Stress In Childhood Impacts A Person For Life
I learned the impact of prolonged exposure to stress from my foster child By Jenn O'Connor June 6, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. EDT You know what stress is, right? You’re late for work, your car won’t start, gas costs more than you expected. We’ve all been there, and it’s not pleasant, that palm-sweating, heart-racing anxiety. Luckily, it’s not long-lasting — not toxic. What is toxic stress? It’s prolonged adversity and/or abuse — not having enough to eat or being exposed to violence. It’s the kind of...
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Will we see a 'wounded generation' because of COVID-19?
From: Modern Healthcare , June 4, 2020 (by David Woodlock) David Woodlock i s president and CEO of the Institute for Community Living, a not-for-profit human services agency that offers a wide array of residential, treatment, rehabilitation and support services to children, families and adults in New York City and Montgomery County, Pa. Much of the public policy debate about re-opening society after months of stay-at-home edicts balances today's need for health and safety with tomorrow's...
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2020 KIDS COUNT Data Book is Available for Download
THE 2020 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK IS OUT! State Trends in Child Well-Being ABOUT THE DATA BOOK: The KIDS COUNT index reflects child health and education outcomes as well as risk and protective factors, such as economic well-being, family structure and community context. The index incorporates a developmental perspective on childhood and includes experiences across life stages, from birth through early adulthood. The indicators are consistently and regularly measured, which allows for legitimate...
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"ALL YOU NEED IS INSIDE YOU"
The New Science of Thriving Our well-being—individually and as a society—depends on mindfulness. Story by Christina Bethell • Illustrations by Joel Nakamura I n the early 1970s, my grandmother had a disagreement with the Beatles. When she heard “All You Need is Love” play on the radio, she would reply, “All you need is inside of you.” When I was a PhD student in the early 1990s, these messages bounced around in my mind along with my epidemiology and econometrics lessons. It was then that I...
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Emotional Abuse of Children Can Have Severe Lifelong Consequences
Childhood Emotional Abuse and Adult Substance Abuse by JOHN RIZZO What is Emotional Abuse? The emotional abuse of children involves words, behaviors, and the actions of people who care for them that have mental negative impacts on the child. Also called psychological abuse , this type of maltreatment of children can lead to a wide range of problems that echo well into adulthood. Emotional abuse can impair a child's emotional development or self-esteem. Examples of behaviors by caregivers...
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You'll Be Surprised To See How Relevant This Is For Aroostook County
Does Your Organization Unconsciously Operate with a White Supremacy Culture? 4 White Supremacy Culture Scenarios By IYA AFFO As we endure the pain of lost loved ones, manage the anxiety of financial insecurity and potentially fret over becoming ill, it is a brilliant time for change in our country and around the world. There is a special kind of racist exclusion in America. When I took my young son to live in India, initially, he struggled everyday on the bus to school. There was a lot of...
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Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network, first to join ACEs Cooperative of Communities, shows what it means to ROCK!
In 2012, Greater Richmond SCAN and five other community partners hatched a one-year plan to educate the Richmond, Virginia, community about ACEs science and to embed trauma-informed practices. Eight years later, the original group has evolved into the Greater Richmond Trauma-Informed Community Network (GRTICN) with 495 people and 170 organizations. And they're just scratching the surface.
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COVID-19 and its Effects on Young Children and Their Families
In the COVID Era: Stabilizing and Strengthening Young Children and Their Families BECKY HAAS 8/7/202:16 PM Becky Haas and Marlo Nash, co-authors of this article partnered to achieve a two-part goal. The first, to describe a systems-level need for early childhood, child maltreatment prevention and child welfare systems to integrate in response to the COVID pandemic. The second, to build off of the big picture need for change to offer a concrete, practical example for action centered on...
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CHILDREN NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DEFEND AGAINST BULLIES
How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school. By Stacey Colino, Laura Broadwell, Corinne Schuman, Suzanne Peck Bullying can exist in many forms: It can be physical (pushing, punching, or hitting); verbal (name-calling or threats); or psychological and emotional (spreading rumors or excluding someone from a...
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UNIVERSAL ACES SCREENING FOR CHILDREN -- GOOD IDEA? / BAD IDEA?
Painful Questions: What Happens When Doctors Uncover Adverse Childhood Experiences? By Karen de Sa and Nadra Nittle • Aug 19, 2020 (EXCERPTED FROM CALIFORNIA HEALTH REPORT) Illustration by Christine Ongjoco. California launches widespread screening for adverse childhood experiences. Critics question the science, and the consequences. Has your child ever lived with a parent or caregiver who went to jail or prison? Has your child’s parent or caregiver ever had depression, schizophrenia,...
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OST -- an effective response to homeless children's needs
Out-of-school Time Activities a Vital Part Of Oklahoma School For Homeless Students By Stell Simonton Posted on September 29, 2020 PHOTOS BY SIMON HURST PHOTOGRAPHY A child reads to Kelly Berger, Positive Tomorrows’ director of family support, in the school family room.First of several in a series (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of several articles in an occasional series about the intersection of OST and students experiencing homelessness.) Last spring, a teacher in Oklahoma City,...
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VBRP AND AMERICORPS TEAM TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN TO DELIVER SERVICES TO OUR UNDERSERVED AREA IN NORTHERN MAINE
VBRP recently received a grant from Volunteer Maine / AmeriCorps to design a strategic plan to use the talents and experience of AmeriCorps members to help deliver needed (and absent) critical services to our very underserved area of northern Maine. The grant fits in well with our mission to (1) educate the members of our community about the prevalence and the lifelong negative effects of adverse childhood experiences, and (2) to engage them in developing activities and programs that promote...
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SOME THOUGHTS ON ADDRESSING AND PREVENTING SCHOOL-RELATED BULLYING
Bullying Prevention: Understand Bullying and How to Help Amy Johnson Chong in MSW CAREERS ( https://mswcareers.com/bullying-prevention-intervention/ ) Part 1. Too Close to Home As a social worker, child therapist, and mother of two school-age children I have been paying close attention to bullying prevention initiatives. My own anxiety for my children has increased as they have gotten older and entered Middle and High School. Is my daughter being excluded from her old social group? Is my son...
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"A Better Normal" Community Discussion Series- Our Reckoning with Race and Equity at ACEs Connection
Register for A Better Normal- Our reckoning with race and equity at ACEs Connection
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PATIENCE, TENACITY, AND SUPPORT: A RECIPE FOR CHILDHOOD RESILIENCE
A Recipe for Raising Resilient Children - Skills and Factors that Contribute to Resiliency BETH TYSON 1 DAY AGO It's no secret that in 2021 mental health problems will continue on a steep rise for children and families. Resiliency is described by many as the ability to bounce back after facing hardships in life. It is a trait that we can develop, which is good news for those struggling right now. Tenacity is our lifeline for surviving the challenges of 2020, 2021, and beyond. This critical...
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HOW SCHOOL KIDS ARE AFFECTED BY COVID-19
Pediatricians: schools must reopen now to relieve children’s suffering From the San Diego Union-Tribune FEB. 7, 2021 6:06 AM PT By KRISTEN TAKETA ‘What we’re seeing is frightening because it is hard to see these faces. They are just empty,’ one pediatrician said. Pediatricians across San Diego County say they are deeply troubled by what they see school closures doing to children. Dr. Janet Crow, a pediatrician at UC San Diego, talks every day with middle and high school kids who are heading...
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Sibling Bullying and Abuse: The Hidden Epidemic
Often labeled rivalry and ignored, sibling bullying and abuse cause real trauma by Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT from PSYCHOLOGY TODAY (Posted Feb 03, 2020) Sibling abuse is the most common but least reported abuse in the family. Prevalence is higher than spousal or child abuse combined with consequences well into adulthood similar to parent-child abuse. Up to 80 percent of youth experience some form of sibling maltreatment; yet, it’s been called the “forgotten abuse.” [1] Therapists also...
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ACES and PCES: There are ADVERSE Childhood Experiences -- but there are POSITIVE Childhood Experiences, too!
7 Positive Childhood Experiences that Help Kids Grow into Successful Adults Posted by Idaho Youth Ranch on May 1, 2020 5:00:42 PM Just as there are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that play a role in the future success of kids, there are also 7 positive childhood experiences (PCEs) that can offset their damage. This recent discovery comes from a John Hopkin’s study published in 2019. Researchers were looking to determine if any “protective childhood experiences” could be linked with...
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Supporting Mental Well-Being through Child Care Settings - 9/30, 1:30-3:00 ET
A webinar offered by the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) Thursday, September 30, 1:30 - 3:00 pm EDT Register today . Addressing the mental health needs of child care providers and children in care is vital in the face of the pandemic, a population-level traumatic event. CTIPP is offering a "plug and play" framework to ease the process of developing a continuum of training, reflective coaching, and consultation to build the capacity for supporting relational health...
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COMMODITY FOOD BOX DISTRIBUTIONS PLANNED IN NOVEMBER
What you need to know about the Aroostook Agency on Ageing's November food drops.
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A Trauma-Informed Approach to Vaccine Hesitancy (Sign On Letter Attached In First Line)
Please sign onto and share this memo supporting using a trauma-informed approach to decreasing vaccine hesitancy! Many of the challenges we are facing with vaccine hesitancy can be better understood by looking at the issue through a trauma-informed lens. The following memo has been developed with input from many of the clinical and academic thought leaders from the trauma healing field to offer supportive guidance to the Administration. To successfully address this challenge, we need to...
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Adverse Childhood Experiences, the Brain, and Exercise: How exercise strengthens the brain wounded by toxic childhood stress
Even small amounts of exercise can quickly and dramatically improve mood, brain health, brain function, and the ability to cope with stress, while preparing the brain to rewire the hidden wounds from childhood.
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MeCAP TO SHARE RESULTS OF FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND STATEWIDE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Maine Community Action Partnership (MeCAP) and Maine’s ten Community Action Agencies will release a first-of-its-kind Statewide Community Needs Assessment this Wednesday in Augusta. At the same time the statewide release occurs, ACAP will release the needs assessment specific to Aroostook County.
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Aroostook Agency on Aging Offers New Classes and Opportunities in February
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Staying well allows us to live better lives. Through group classes, informational sessions and events, the Aroostook Agency on Aging staff and volunteers share topics and techniques that are intended to help all people age well.
We offer monthly programs developed to help older persons and their care partners succeed and thrive in their own homes.
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Adverse childhood experiences, the brain, and sleep
Sufficient, good quality sleep strengthens the brain wounded by ACEs in many ways. Intelligent sleep strategies improve mood, brain (and medical) health, brain function, and the capacity to rewire negative neural pathways imprinted in childhood.
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Nightmares and ACEs: They No Longer Need Rule the Night
Recurring nightmares lead to much needless suffering for survivors of adverse childhood experiences—suffering that goes well beyond disturbed sleep. Five steps help take back the night.
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Kids and adults need lessons in life skills now more than ever
In this world of pandemics and politics, emotional outbursts and adverse reactions are becoming more common among adults and children. So the question is, what can we do to stop it?
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America After 3PM: Promoting healthy futures
A look at how well-planned afterschool programming supports children, parents, and communities as a whole.
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Child Abuse: What Is It and What Can I Do To Prevent It?
While most people today know that child abuse exists, many don’t know what constitutes child abuse. This information, excerpted from an article by Dr. Stephanie Deutsch, gives us a good idea of what child abuse is, its different types, how to spot it, and what we need to do to ensure children are protected.
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The 2023 Creating Resilient Communities Accelerator Program is now Open For Registration
PACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.
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EXCITING NEWS – PACEs Connection is BACK!
Former PACEs Connection employees Dana Brown (L) with Vincent Felitti, MD, co-author of the 1998 Adverse Childhood Experiences study, and Carey Sipp (R) in San Diego in January, 2024. The last few months have been quite challenging, but we pushed, persevered, and didn’t give up hope. The “we” is Carey Sipp and Dana Brown. We were long-time staff members of PACEs Connection determined to reinstate the website and the resources and information we provide to communities after the platform went...