What's Your 30 Second ACEs Elevator Rap?

Wow. Ditto. Actually thought you wanted a rap (as in RAP song).....that is something a friend of mine could help with someday )

 

As I work predominantly with professional educators who care deeply about children, but for whom the concept of "unconditional regard" might be a stretch - I generally try:

 

Imagine that this little guy/gal who is in your class actually has the equivalent of a "Vietnam Vet brain" in their body at times which literally commands their attention...it transports them back to a hard time or place we might only imagine....and it is not one that they woke up hoping to have, but one that was the result of being dropped in a "war" of words, a "war" of adversity (divorce, trauma, neglect, poverty, sexual abuse - you name it)....and that by just showing up in school today it is a testimony to their absolute brilliance at self-care, self-preservation, self-determination....and even though our educational tradition has been to ask, "What's wrong with this child?" - I ask you to consider asking an entirely different, and empathetic question, "What happened to this child?" 

 

From this context I can usually immediately tell the receptivity of the professional to take a learning stance where trauma-informed care principles are of interest - OR- if the adult themselves does not feel safe enough in the moment to learn anything more than what they already know - I listen empathetically. I also reflect very HARD about what barriers to learning the adult might have which can include their own ACEs. I find that it is in that moment that I can best convey compassion toward the professional themselves and say, "If you, as a trained professional and adult,  are hoping that I am looking at the complexity of your professional situation through a lens of compassion, how much more is that true of this child as s/he looks to you?"

 

When I time this it usually comes out to 29.8 seconds, give or take a few seconds. 

I don't have my 30 second blip written up yet but this is an extremely important issue. Also it is important for the  media speech.  i.e. in our small towns when we talk to the paper or local news... we need this quick 30 second overview...... I would like this collated for us in one area (addressing the media).  Alicia  as far as the parental educational handout that I had modified for our clinic and have been sending around and posting all over town, I got it from Jane and it originally came from Spokane. We modified it with our information. I am gonna look for the spokane one in my dialogues but currently, I don't have a copy.  

 

This one would be helpful if modified so it can be edited for each location like an excel file and put in a section file by (words for the media - in words for the medical field but in a way even that handout makes it easy to share with the media the who,what, when and why of aces and resilience in a simple two page handout.  

 

Having a section that is easily found and accessed concerning "spreading our message" would be so helpful here on ACEs connection to those of us working to get the word out about aces in our small communities and I am truly starting to believe - it is small groups of people in small places that can be a LARGE part of moving the needle for ACESs awareness.  

 

An area where our simple messages both for written and verbal communication can be in a central repository and easy for us to grab - a priceless next step in the movement!!!!

 

https://www.pacesconnection.com/...nal%20Aug%202012.pdf

Thank you Tina!!! Yes, we're on it! We're in the process of developing handouts and raps and appreciate all the collective wisdom from our members. I look forward to seeing your 30 sec rap when you get a chance to post it.

My first 30 second ACEs rap attempt (for Pediatricians and Family Physicians): 

To begin, I have to give some background. Today I met with a local House of Rep State Candidate and was discussing Adverse Childhood Experiences.  I had printed off ACEs 101. When we were discussing ACEs (me, the representative candidate, his wife, and two other supporters), he was reading ACEs 101. As I was describing ACEs, he said something like "This says it all" referring to the first sentence of ACEs 101 Jane wrote.  So I have modified that slightly.  Now as a pedi (or a FP) we may prefer the term "toxic stress' as that term is promoted in our medical literature and I happen to like it better than ACES.  The reason I like "toxic stress" better than  ACEs is that acronym is confusing.

1. ACEs sounds positive.
2. We have an ACEs academy here - an alternative school for children with behavioral health issues who aren't succeeding in the standard school.
3. When I think of ACEs, I think of euchre. The aces are the most powerful cards in the game besides the bowers. 

Thus, I prefer to use Toxic Stress or Adversity: So here goes.  Please help me edit this to something more professional since I am not a writer.

Adversity in childhood damages the developing brain as severely as lead poisoning or some infectious diseases. Adversity harms children's brains so profoundly that in addition to early affects such as learning difficulties or behavioral health problems, the effects are also seen decades later resulting in much of the chronic disease physicians treat, most mental illness people experience, and is the root cause of the majority of violence in society.  Adversity isn't destiny! Healing and prevention are possible.  Prevention begins with doing what we do best.  Just as we screen for lead toxicity and vaccinate for infectious diseases, we can screen for adversity and guide children and families towards wellness and health.

 

Thanks Anna! Love this rap!