October 2019

By Joan Cook, The Hill, October 10, 2019 Today is World Mental Health Day. And, California, a state with 10 percent of the U.S. population, just announced that it’s introducing the first toll-free statewide mental health line for non-emergency emotional support and referrals. What a wonderful way to kick off this occasion. This Peer-Run Warm Line is a reason to celebrate. As a psychologist, I’ve witnessed first-hand the emotional pains people carry, and how hard it is for them to come in for...

By P. Berman, A. Hosack & K. Hecht Where should I go? I have nowhere to run to! Maybe here… Larry had run about a half mile before realizing he couldn’t make it to his own church, it was too far away; the gang would catch up to him before he got there. He saw a church up ahead that looked like it might be Catholic. He would have to hope its unknown priest would help him. He ran up the stairs to the front door, almost out of breath. He pushed the heavy door forward and slipped in. No...

The current landscape of bullying has changed - but 1 in 3 students are still targeted. Learn strategies on how schools can respond. Join us for a panel discussion with experts from The Bully Project and Making Caring Common, a project from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Walk away with a better understanding of how the bullying landscape has changed and a roadmap you can use to respond. SAVE YOUR SEAT! We will cover: Celebrating diversity and reinforcing inclusion Building more...

Dear Colleagues, Wanted to share my new study out in Exceptional Children . I look at maltreatment patterns & their consequences for child welfare-involved children in special education. Findings can inform how educators support these youth, who are often overlooked. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0014402919870830?journalCode=ecxc If you don't have journal access, feel free to email me for a copy of the study: kagee@ucdavis.edu . Regards, Kevin Kevin A. Gee, Ed.D. Associate...

By Tyrone, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, October 7, 2019 March 7, 2012 my oldest brother was killed. He was killed by the NOPD (New Orleans Police Department). Coming home from school March 7, 2012, my oldest brother and his friend was sitting outside. They were just chilling and talking. Once he saw my siblings and I get off the school bus, he told us not to come outside until we finished our homework. I told him “OK” and we walked past him to the front door. First thing I remember...

By Hillary Hoffower and Allana Akhtar, Business Insider, October 10, 2019 Millennials are changing the way people look at and talk about mental health. As part of World Mental Health Day, Business Insider took a look at the mental-health state of millennials (defined by the Pew Research Center as the cohort turning ages 23 to 38 in 2019). It doesn't look pretty — depression and "deaths of despair" are both on the rise among the generation, linked to issues such as loneliness and money...

By Martha Fedorowicz, How Housing Matters, October 9, 2019 Until the 1940s, buying a home was nearly impossible for all but the most affluent households. Following World War II, the federal government was eager to support soldiers returning from the front, so it introduced policies that opened the door to 15- and, eventually, 30-year mortgages, mortgage insurance to reduce downpayments, tax incentives for homeowners, and additional homebuying subsidies for veterans. “Returning soldiers lined...

Susan Traylor says “When they see the cross on the table, they know someone has died.” The ‘they’ she is talking about are the many folks experiencing homelessness in our small community of Tarpon Springs, Florida. A few weeks ago, the cross was on the table for Terry. I knew him by sight but never knew his name. I observed him over the past few years quite often in a state that makes most people not only uncomfortable, but anxious and fearful as he argued with someone only he could see. He...

The Self-Healing Communities Project in Crow Wing County was launched in late summer 2018, and our initial focus is in the neighborhoods around Garfield & Lowell Elementary schools. We need EVERYONE in our community to come together to work towards safer, healthier neighborhoods! Learn more

A post on Facebook literally stopped me in my tracks. Artist Annie Lightsey had turned target practice sheets into riveting works of art to counterbalance the impact of community gun violence. She is using art as her only weapon and it is powerful. I am honored that Annie is sharing her art, philosophy and vision with the readers of this blog. _________________________________________________________________________ Artist Annie Lightsey

By Traci Pedersen, PsychCentral, September 20, 2019 Dysfunctional eating habits in overweight and obese adults may be deeply rooted in one’s personality traits due to early life experiences, according to a new study published in the journal Heliyon. As a result, weight loss interventions like surgery and cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) might not be enough to guarantee long-term success. “While the biological and environmental causes of obesity are well known, psychological determinants that...

By Sue Burrell, The Chronicle of Social Change, October 4, 2019 California has taken dramatic steps over the past several years to reduce the transfer of juveniles into adult court system, ensuring that more young people accused of crimes can benefit from rehabilitation in the juvenile system. Sending youth into the adult criminal justice system can have a profound impact on the health and well-being of a young person, and alter the trajectory of his or her life. In 2015, Senate Bill 382...