November 2019

The Center for Youth Wellness' National Pediatric Practice Community on ACES (NPPC) is a co-designed community committed to collaborative learning. To promote this learning, we have been working with six pilot sites over the last year, representing practices of various sizes and service delivery settings, to implement ACEs screening and intervention. On Monday, December 2nd at 1pm PT , we will be holding a webinar to discuss the findings of these pilot site case studies. Please register...

24 November 2019, UN News Here is the grim reality, in numbers: A third of all women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, half of women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family, and violence perpetrated against women is as common a cause of death and incapacity for those of reproductive age, as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than road accidents and malaria combined. The prevalence of the issue, “means someone around you. A family...

Today CPTSD is recognized as needing long-term treatment because of the damages done to a person’s self-identity, deficits in self-regulation and their inability to see there is hope and healing available to them. Fear and hopelessness can be a daily reality for most survivors living with CPTSD symptoms. Therapists choosing to collaborate with patients living with CPTSD symptoms must take the time to receive the education they need to provide trauma-informed care. Additionally, they will need to

Healthy Spaces: Promoting Healthy and Resilient Communities December 2019 Webinars Funding provided by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families The New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (NJAAP) believes that all children deserve to feel safe and secure in their home, at school, and while at play. The Healthy Spaces program aims to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through partnerships with pediatric/family healthcare teams, schools and communities.

“What percentage of our children should be traumatized?” This is a question New Mexico state senator Bill Soules is asking his fellow lawmakers. He believes 100% of children, students and families should be trauma-free. The senator has been the strongest advocate for our Anna, Age Eight Institute in Santa Fe and our 100% Community initiative focusing on the data-driven prevention of ACEs and childhood trauma. 100% Community is New Mexico’s first data-driven, cross-sector and county-focused...

I was 5 years old when I had my first encounter with trauma. Too young to comprehend the magnitude of the situation, my first grade class participated in a “Good Touch/Bad Touch” workshop,centered around educating and recognizing signs of sexual abuse. I found relief in finding a safe place to lay down the burden I had been carrying. I went straight to the school counselor and told her, in vivid description, the intimate details of my unwarranted molestation. I remember the grueling...

Addiction is an incredibly complex problem that affects nearly every part of the body. However, the brain is one of the most affected areas and unfortunately, drug use can become a cyclical problem due to the way that it affects the brain. Substance abuse affects multiple parts of the brain. Three of the most affected parts of the brain include the basal ganglia, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex. Basal Ganglia The basal ganglia are one part of the brain that is involved in controlling...

According to Alice Miller author of The Drama of the Gifted Child, an Enlightened Witness is “an understanding person who helps a victim of abuse recognize the injustice they suffered and gives vent to their feelings about what happened to them”. Brene Brown author of Daring Greatly states, "empathy is feeling with or alongside someone, while sympathy is feeling sorry for." https://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw In Topeka we unpacked and explored the message of the Enlightened Witnesses in our lives.

In life, oftentimes the greatest victories create the best version of your self-concept. As you encounter life and the transitions that manifest from your growth, it can be an overwhelming experience. Of course, it's not easy tackling your old habits, thought process, or behavioral patterns. However, once you become intentional towards grappling your journey, motivation becomes your daily fuel. It’s okay, to find yourself questioning the process, feeling uncertain or even lacking confidence...

I have cancer. Advanced ovarian cancer. It’s hard to put those words together. It’s hard to believe this is real. What I want is to believe is that I’m still in the hospital, groggy from the anesthesia that hasn’t worn off yet. I want to be in an altered state where it’s just the fear talking, a conditioned trauma response sending me to catastrophic thinking. I don’t want this diagnosis. I want this to be a bad dream. Prior to the surgery, the ob/gyn suspected I had a torsed cyst. She...

Robin Saenger, Founding Director of Peace4Tarpon and a Champion for ACEs, will be the special guest for the entire hour on "Breaking the Silence with Dr. Gregory Williams" Radio Show this Sunday evening LIVE at 8:00 pm Central Standard Time.

By Michele C. Hollow, The New York Times, November 19, 2019 As soon as James Griffin gets off the school bus he tells his mom, “Go dance, go dance.” James is 14 and has autism, and his speech is limited. He’s a participant in a program for children on the autism spectrum at the University of Delaware that is studying how dance affects behavior and verbal, social and motor skills. One afternoon while dancing, he spun around, looked at his mother, smiled and shouted, “I love you.” His mom,...