March 2018

When Consuela's grandmother died in December, 2015, the then 23-year-old medical secretary was understandably bereft. But her grief was compounded when, several months after her loved one passed, the owners of the Staten Island, New York, apartment complex where the pair had lived sent Consuela an eviction notice. "My grandmother had spent more than 26 years in that unit and had never had any problems," Consuela told Truthout. "She was never late with the rent and never caused any trouble.

Are women and men receiving equally good care from their physicians? Not according to feminist writer Maya Dusenbery, author of the new book Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick . Instead, she argues, the medical field is rife with gender disparities, leading to poorer outcomes for women. Throughout history, women’s experiences have been overlooked or discounted in doctor’s offices—and in medical and scientific research,...

There’s no doubt that we are currently experiencing a watershed moment, ushered in, whether one wants to acknowledge it or not, the #MeToo movement. More and more women are speaking up, sharing their experiences, signaling not just their frustration with the rape culture that continues to insinuate itself into social, sexual, and professional interactions between men and women, but also their refusal to pander to that culture any longer. A woman speaking up is a powerful thing. And because...

NAME ANY SOCIAL ILL, and it likely has its most devastating impact on people of color. That’s why the results of a new study on one of this nation’s most persistent problems are shocking, but not at all surprising: People of color are far more likely than white people to be homeless . The Center for Social Innovation , based in Needham, analyzed six communities, including Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco. It found more than 78 percent of those experiencing homelessness are people of color.

Are you racist? It's a question that makes most of us uncomfortable and defensive. Harvard University psychologist Mahzarin Banaji says while most people don't feel they're racist, they likely carry unfavorable opinions about people of color — even if they are people of color themselves. Banaji is one of the creators of the Implicit Association Test , a widely-used tool for measuring a person's implicit biases. She says it's important to acknowledge that the individual mind sits in society.

Easy access to a gun at home is bad for a child’s mental health, particularly for girls —bad enough, according to a new examination of a study of American schoolchildren from the 1990s, to suggest parents think carefully before making the decision to bring a gun into the home, especially one that may be accessible by the children in the household. University of Wisconsin–Madison sociology graduate student Jinho Kim found that teenagers who participated in a national study were more likely —...

Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey are pleased to release Trauma-Informed Philanthropy, Volume Two , a new guide that feature s lessons learned from leading local and national efforts that provide insights on strategies for advancing the trauma-informed movement in Philadelphia. The three partnering organizations collaborated in 2016 to publish Trauma-Informed Philanthropy,...

On 60 minutes this week, Oprah discussed the need to take action in the Trauma-Informed Care movement. For governmental agencies, service providers, and even community members, just asking the questions on Adverse Childhood Experiences is not enough. While it shifts the conversation towards understanding, it does not shift the underlying assumptions about health and behavioral outcomes for clients including homelessness, academic, and mental and physical health. She has become a Resilience...

Excerpts: and Cissy's Note: I wish the more expansive view of ACEs / ACE Test had been included. I'm glad homelessness was included as trauma and childhood adversity. I hope does a follow-up on implementing trauma-informed frameworks, community resilience, and more about what individuals, communities, and organizations can and are doing.

My Passion: Trama informed human beings from all walks of life from youth and parents to systems - that care = Trauma Informed Care. https://durhamvoice.org/meet-wanda-boone-durhams-social-justice-and-resilience-warrior/

Dear ACEs Connection Members & Visitors: Lots of us are planning our meals and evenings around watching Oprah's 60 Minutes episode tonight. She'll be interviewing Dr. Bruce Perry (7 p.m. EST). Some of us will be live tweeting during the show. Come visit ACEs Connection on Twitter . Twitter handle is #ACEsConnection Or, come back after and leave make a comment or observation. Remember, we're an open network and all members can: Publish a blog post Join our communities Share articles and...

By Jennifer Jones, director of the Alliance’s Change in Mind Institute Brain science research will come to prime time during a 60 Minutes segment this Sunday at 6 p.m. CT. Reported by Oprah Winfrey, the story will discuss the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and efforts to build resilience through trauma-informed care. Focusing on Milwaukee, Oprah’s hometown, the episode will feature Alliance for Strong Families and Communities member SaintA. Those of us who have...