Blog

By Frederick J. Riley, USA Today, July 8, 2020 A few months ago, before the whole world changed, I moved from Cincinnati to accept a new position with the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C. I was excited about my new role with Weave: The Social Fabric Project . A few weeks into the job, the world came to a halt because of COVID-19. Suddenly, I found myself leading a new team from behind a Zoom screen, alone, in an unfamiliar city, anxiously tracking the health of my family and friends. As...

By Alisa Chang and Jonaki Mehta, National Public Radio, July 7, 2020 In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The decision is often framed as a landmark decision that transformed education for Black students, allowing them equal access to integrated classrooms. But more than six decades later, segregation in American schools is still very much a reality, says Rebecca Sibilia, founder of EdBuild , a nonprofit that...

By Dwayne Proctor, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, May 5, 2020 One of the most troubling aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is how it is exacerbating long-standing and deeply rooted inequities in communities of color. Health disparities stemming from structural racism have contributed to COVID-19’s devastating toll on blacks and Latinos in America . Often overlooked is how heightened stress from this heavy burden is impacting mental health. Yolo Akili Robinson, a recipient of the RWJF Award...

By William Heisel, Center for Health Journalism, July 6, 2020 The idea that there is a systemic problem with racism in the United States is a pill too big to swallow for some. We tend to act as if we have put racism behind us. We elected a Black president. Twice. We must then, collectively, be more open-minded, right? That kind of mindset often leads to the “one bad apple” theory. I saw this recently in my Facebook group. I had posted about a photograph that went viral of Samantha Francine,...

By Mayors For a Guaranteed Income. Economic insecurity isn’t a new challenge or a partisan issue. Wealth and income inequality, which have long plagued our country, continue to grow. Even prior to the pandemic, people who were working two and three jobs still couldn’t afford basic necessities. COVID-19 has only further exposed the economic fragility of most American households, and has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown people. This is our New Deal moment: everyone deserves an...

By Jackie Augustine, Finger Lakes Times, July 7, 2020 Family Counseling Service of the Finger Lakes has been awarded a large grant in support of its Resiliency Center. This project was a finalist for the Downtown Revitalization program but ultimately was not selected. The mission and structure of the center are being worked on right now, but as I understand it, it will merge the expertise of Family Counseling in providing trauma-informed care with the unique needs and resources of the city...

By Kathryn Joyce, The Marshall Project, July 8, 2020 Tara Coronado, a 45-year-old mother of four, sat in a nondescript Austin courtroom six years ago during a custody fight with her ex-husband, biting her tongue as the judge dressed her down. “There is a huge amount of anger coming from you,” said Judge Susan Sheppard. “You deny it and are obviously not recognizing how almost every piece of information you give the Court is tinged by, tainted by, influenced by your overwhelming anger and...

While we know that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can cause risk behaviors, research has told us that the presence of protective factors can help mitigate the effects of ACEs. Common risk behaviors such as smoking tobacco and alcohol misuse can be a result from the trauma of childhood disadvantage. In responding to ACEs, public health research proposes that protective factors such as safe, stable, nurturing relationships (SSNRs) with a caring adult can mitigate the long-term effects of...

By Alexandra Retter, Winona Post, July 8, 2020 Childhood is a formative period, and the experiences one has during it resonate throughout one’s life. One local professor has been helping to share information about the impacts of trauma during childhood on adult life, and she was recently honored for her work with an award. Winona State University social work professor Ruth Charles recently received the 2020 Champion for Children Award from Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC, or...

By Meryl Schulman and Emma Opthof, Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc., July 7, 2020 COVID-19 and the stressors it is placing on individuals’ physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing create a new imperative for health care systems to look to trauma-informed care to support both patients and frontline workers. To learn more about how health care providers are using trauma-informed approaches to care in the current environment, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) recently...

By Poorna Kushalnagar, Claire Ryan, and Raylene Paludnevicience, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, July 4, 2020 Introduction This study explores adverse childhood communication experiences and its RRs for acquiring specific chronic diseases and mental health disorders in adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. Methods A cross-sectional design with snowball sampling was used to recruit adults who were deaf and hard of hearing and were born or became deaf in both ears before age 13...

By Michaela Haas, The New York Times, July 7, 2020 Maria Carmen Tapia has learned a host of new skills in the last few months. The 42-year-old housekeeper and all her colleagues at the housekeeping app Up & Go were trained by Occupational Safety and Health Administration-authorized trainers, learning to put on protective gear correctly and establish safety protocols to keep themselves and their clients safe during the pandemic. At first glance, Up & Go resembles any other...