January 2018

A recent study from researchers at the University of Missouri found more communication among family, friends and neighbors who experienced the devastating and deadly 2011 Joplin Tornado was related to more post-traumatic growth. The 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, was one of the most destructive in U.S. history -- killing 161 people, injuring 1,150 and destroying approximately one-third of the city's homes. Individuals who experience such disasters can exhibit a range of mental health...

It seems there could never be enough empathy and compassion in our world, but we are starting to discover that our capacity for empathy – to share the emotions of others and take their perspective – can come with a bit of a sting if we’re not careful. It seems there could never be enough empathy and compassion in our world, but we are starting to discover that our capacity for empathy – to share the emotions of others and take their perspective – can come with a bit of a sting if we’re not...

"When Arline Geronimus was a student at Princeton University in the late 1970s, she worked a part-time job at a school for pregnant teenagers in Trenton, N.J. She quickly noticed that the teenagers at that part-time job were suffering from chronic health conditions that her whiter, better-off Princeton classmates rarely experienced. Geronimus began to wonder: how much of the health problems that the young mothers in Trenton experienced were caused by the stresses of their environment? It was...

Hi all & happy 2018! Our Greater Richmond TICN formed a Trauma-Informed Legal/Courts Committee two years ago with the intention of bringing a focus to professionals within the disciplines related to legal/courts (law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, sheriffs, judges, clerks, probation/parole officers, detention center staff). We know that these professionals are exposed to primary, secondary and vicarious trauma on a regular basis and acknowledged that training and supports...

Within two weeks, 94 percent of women survivors will experience PTSD. #HealMeToo wants to give them a place to share and recover. In November, an online campaign inspired by the #MeToo movement launched in the hopes of encouraging sexual assault survivors to seek the resources necessary for recovery. Suitably named #HealMeToo , the campaign was created by Meghan Patenaude with the National Organization of Women, New York chapter, and is bringing the issue of trauma caused by sexual assault...

I found this article (from 2014) about women with chronic illness/pain and how many take offense at doctors stating that their pain is due to childhood trauma. I was surprised and not so surprised by this, since the offense they take is related to them feeling like their doctor thinks their pain is “all in their head” and they need a therapist and is therefore not a legitimate medical issue. Only 22% think their pain is linked to childhood trauma. Article: Seven out of 10 women with chronic...

Kathleen Wynne is a trail-blazer in many ways. She is the first female Premier of Ontario and the first openly gay person to hold that position. But she has also blazed policy trails. As Premier, she has quietly and methodically developed an integrated agenda for more broadly shared and inclusive economic growth. Ontario is a big province that is home to Toronto, an expensive superstar city; a thriving tech hub in Kitchener-Waterloo; and another large knowledge hub in Ottawa, the nation’s...

Most Americans drink safely and in moderation. But a steady annual increase in trips made to emergency rooms as a result of drinking alcohol added up to 61 percent more visits in 2014 compared with 2006, according to a study published this month in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Visits to hospital emergency rooms for alcohol-related issues rose rapidly over a nine-year period, though it's unclear why. The increase is alarming but also a bit mysterious to...

Intuition would tell you that bad experiences in childhood could lead to more bad things down the road, but doctors in Alberta are now finding new ways of integrating the research on childhood adversity into their day-to-day care. The medical term is adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, and they include everything from childhood abuse to moving often, or having a family member with mental illness. Julie McManus remembers the years she spent coming to terms with what happened to her as a...

We are so excited to announce our next opportunity to learn from the leading voices in our country on how collaboration and innovative approaches can positively impact overall outcomes for children, families and communities. We hope you can join us in welcoming Geoffrey Canada, Jim Sporleder and Dante DeTablan to the stage at The Maryland Theatre on March 29, 2018. Tickets are on sale now by visiting our website www.besterhope.org. Individual tickets are $45.00 (all fees inclusive) and group...

Cissy's note: I don't have a public health background and am constantly learning about sectors and cross-sector work as relates to work related to all things ACEs and ACEs science. I found it heartening that most of the public is as confused as I was about what cross-sector work is and how and why it can be innovative and effective. Like most people, I assumed this working together was already happening some or most of the time. So, when I heard about cross-sector models as innovative I...

Last year was the best year of my life. For one thing, I finally lost the extra weight I’d been carrying — about 40 pounds. I was (and am) thrilled to be back in a right-sized body. I’m happy about how I look when I try on clothes, and about how I feel when I get out of bed in the morning. I even got a super-congratulations letter from my doctor when she saw my recent blood work. But secretly, one of the best things about my weight loss is the feeling that one major, tell-tale sign of my...