Blog

This past month the Building Community Resilience collaborative met in Dallas to focus on strategies for communities and hospital health systems to reduce toxic stress and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through a population-health approach. The Dallas BCR team led by Cheryl McCarver at Children's Health wrote this blog that highlights the power of collaboration and potential in community to build resilience. Learn more about how we are connecting health systems and community to...

When I think of spreading awareness of trauma informed care, I sometimes feel powerless, helpless, and overwhelmed at the magnitude of the task. Then, I remember that "design thinking" is a multi-disciplinary approach to human centered problems, centered in empathy. It uses empathy as the lens into people needs, so that solutions to problems are authentic and effective. Here's post on Design Thinking in K12 education . And here's one about Andres Marquez-Lara, a man who uses "design...

In 2011, I began studying the negative effects of educational practices. There is a lot of research on the negative developmental implications of standardized curricula, and yet we perpetuate it year after year. There is evidence that students are experiencing burnout before graduating high school. And there are many stories about students succeeding in high school, entering college, and not completing their degrees. At every stage of education, there are case studies of injury and trauma. I...

With teens today facing unprecedented levels of toxic stress, self-compassion is one way to nurture inner wisdom, promote self-kindness, and self-heal. Christopher Germer, author of the Mindful Path to Self-Compassion says my forthcoming book, Self-Compassion for Teens: 129 Activities & Practices to Cultivate Kindness, which will be published on Nov. 7, is "just the ticket for parents, teachers, and counselors who know the burdens of modern teens and want to help." Tara Brach, author of...

Cutting unnecessary suspensions in Memphis schools might start with a simple “good morning.” At least, that’s the hope of Heidi Ramirez, chief academic officer for Shelby County Schools. Ramirez and her colleagues in Tennessee’s largest district are among the growing number of educators across the nation who have concluded that suspending students frequently comes at too high a cost. A recent decline in suspensions meant that local students spent a total of 65,000 more days in class last...

At the end of June, I found myself running through the streets of Geneva with two other brain mappers—all three of us sweaty from trying to catch the bus. Even though I live in New Jersey and am used to muggy weather in the summer, I couldn’t help but recognize how humid it was. We nearly missed the bus that would take us to the World Health Organization (WHO) to talk about how the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) and WHO can work together to improve international public health...

Mental Health Facts, Stats, and Data Mental Health America is committed to promoting mental health as a critical part of overall wellness. We advocate for prevention services for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated services, care and treatment for those who need it, and recovery as the goal. We believe that gathering and providing up-to-date data and information about disparities faced by individuals with mental health problems is a tool for change. [For...

A Report from the 2016 California Adverse Childhood Experiences Conference For many children, middle childhood marks the entrance into the formal education system. Three speakers at the 2016 California Adverse Childhood Experiences Conference in San Francisco, held Oct. 19-21, spoke at a breakout session on ways that schools can play a critical role in identifying and supporting children who have been exposed to adversity. The conference was hosted by the Center for Youth Wellness in San...

Summary: A new study could explain why the ‘one size fits all’ approach to treating depression has been ineffective. Source: University of Amsterdam. Depression is generally considered to be a specific and consistent disorder characterised by a fixed set of symptoms and often treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. However, the standard rating scales used by healthcare professionals and researchers to diagnose this disease often differ in the symptoms they list, perhaps...

California preschools are mirroring an alarming national trend, suspending or expelling children from preschools far too frequently. This is the judgment of a group of state educators, policymakers and representatives of public agencies, including the California Department of Education, who are working on a proposal that will offer solutions. The group is an unofficial committee that grew out of a project involving the Department of Defense and the WestEd Center for Child and Family Studies...

This special report from the Austin American-Statesman is worth a read for a glimpse into just how difficult it is for a police chief to change the culture of local law enforcement. On October 20, investigative reporter Tony Plohetski released audio of a private meeting that Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo held with police department commanders in August. The chief was miffed about two publicized instances of police violence. One involved police officer Bryan Richter, who was caught on film...

Hundreds of unaccompanied child asylum seekers are being taken to Britain, moved from a camp in Calais, northern France, as its closure begins . There were 387 unaccompanied minors in the French refugee camp known as “the Jungle” with links to the UK and they are arriving in England in groups of 70. Upon arrival, the children are taken to a secure unit for 72 hours, before being reunited with families already living in the UK. They are from a group of more than 1,000 children who have been...