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By ANYA KAMENETZ • APR 2, 2020 Right now students are out of school in 185 countries. According to UNESCO , that's roughly 9 out of 10 schoolchildren worldwide. The world has never seen a school shutdown on this scale. And not since Great Britain during World War II has such a long-term, widespread emptying of classrooms come to a rich country. To get a little perspective on what this all might mean, I spoke with several experts in the field known as "education in emergencies." Some have...

By Rajeev Darolia and John Tyler ; Monday, April 13, 2020 R ecent high-profile litigation and settlements among states and local governments with drug companies have highlighted the costs of the opioid epidemic on communities. The dollar amounts discussed in some of these cases have been huge. For example, Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt agreed to a national settlements of about $10 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively, and a judge in Oklahoma recently awarded a settlement of $465 million...

By Simon F. Haeder and Kelli Caseman** guest columnist; Mar 31, 2020 The coronavirus has changed the world as we know it. In the span of just a few weeks, we’re seeing and doing things much differently. Rightfully so, because for the most vulnerable among us, their lives depend upon it. Yet in the middle of this chaos, there has only been a limited focus on perhaps the most vulnerable group among us: children. From a medical perspective, the effect of the pandemic appears mixed. We know that...

Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris joined Gov. Newsom for the first time last week to announce a number of actions leaders have taken to address the pandemic. By Genoa Barrow, Sacramento Observer, April 17, 2020 As a pandemic sheds a spotlight on long-standing health inequities for African Americans, California’s surgeon general looks to find lasting solutions. Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris was named to the new position created by Gov. Gavin Newsom in January 2019. She is an African American pediatrician,...

By Jeff Rice, March 18 2020 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Katie Boeckenhauer worked as a nurse extern on the behavioral health floor at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, last summer. The Penn State Behrend student and Schreyer Honors Scholar got to know some of the patients and came to understand how the effects of childhood trauma manifested in those patients as adults. “That kind of got me thinking, ‘What can we do for these people to prevent the development of mental health issues...

By Richard van Zyl-Smit, MedPage Today, April 15, 2020 I described to a friend this week the current feeling of being in the hospital with COVID-19, as like sitting under a 1,000V high-tension electricity cable: there is a constant humming above your head, which is unnerving and just does not go away. Two years ago, I published a book called They Don't Award Nobel Prizes to Dead People about my experience as an academic clinician with a stress-induced anxiety disorder. The context is very...

Trauma Camp for Teachers Podcast Episode #9: "The Shadow Pandemic: The Rise in Domestic Violence Since Coronavirus Shutdowns with Kristen Thomas, J.D." Link to Episode: https://www.traumacamp.com/11

Trauma Camp for Teachers Episode #10: "The Letter: One Principal's Approach to Education During COVID-19 with Principal Mathew Portell" Link to Episode: https://www.traumacamp.com/10

From Center for American Indian Health, Johns Hopkins University, April 17, 2020 The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health and Indian Health Service are working together to produce relevant materials related to COVID-19 for tribes to distribute. Currently, there are nearly 20 fliers with information ranging from Talking to Your Kids About COVID-19 and Caring For Yourself at Home to Elder Mental Health . Social media messages are also available for use. Radio messages are currently...

By Jasmine Dellafosse, Alliance for Boys and Men Of Color, April 17, 2020 On behalf of The Gathering for Justice and Justice League NYC|CA, I would like to invite you, your youth and organization to join us for a very special youth-led event. On Wednesday, April 22, The Gathering will host a Virtual Town Hall featuring young people from across the country, Our Voice, Our Power: Building the Framework for the Beloved Community. I’m sure you share my feelings about the uncertainty of our...

During the COVID-19 crisis - learn about the increased risks to our children of grooming online including via gaming apps, which can lead to sexual exploitation and trafficking. Hear about ways to convey positive and empowering messages to children to keep them safe. Featuring: Lt. John Pizzuro, NJ ICAC Commander, NJSP Internet Crimes Against Children Unit & Jeffrey W. Anthony, Health Educator, Middlesex County Center for Empowerment Presented by the New Jersey Coalition Against Human...

By Bill Schubart, Apr 1 2020 Bill Schubart, a retired businessman, is a regular columnist for VTDigger. Do you know what an ACE is? It’s not your local hardware store, the winning card in your hand, nor your friend who plays professional tennis. It’s an increasingly used acronym for “adverse childhood experience.” Plumb your own childhood, and if you recall a deeply traumatic emotional event that altered who you are today, you’re familiar with ACEs. They include: Sexual, emotional, or...