Blog

By Alan R. Weil, Health Affairs, December 9, 2019 This month’s Health Affairs explores many dimensions of health and health care for the one out of five Americans who live in what the US Census Bureau defines as a rural area. Much attention is focused these days on the relatively poor health outcomes and heightened rate of socioeconomic disadvantage of rural America. As Janice Probst and colleagues point out in their overview paper, rural mortality rates only started falling behind urban...

By Anastasiya Bolton, KENS5, December 9, 2019 By now, we all know what happens after a mass shooting: The breaking news alerts, social media updates, body counts, thoughts and prayers and the public moves on. The victims, survivors, families, people who witnessed the carnage don’t get to. At least not right away. All need some form of immediate help: Counseling, money, someone to talk to who’s already “been there.” A person to provide insight as to what’s to come emotionally, financially and...

By Neha Gill, Forbes, December 9, 2019 What is trauma-informed design, and why is it important? Trauma-informed design is about integrating the principles of trauma-informed care into design with the goal of creating physical spaces that promote safety, well-being and healing. This requires realizing how the physical environment affects identity, worth and dignity, and how it promotes empowerment. It requires recognizing that the physical environment has an impact on attitude, mood and...

By Anonymous, The Guardian, December 9, 2019 Monday I work in schools, supporting children who are struggling including looked-after children, who are not being cared for by their birth parents. Some are with other family members. Others are with foster carers, and some may be in children’s homes. They make up 1% of the population and are the most vulnerable children in education. They achieve much lower grades and are 10 times more likely to go to prison than university. My role is to try...

By Sammy Caiola, Capital Public Radio, December 9, 2019 California health officials want children and adults on Medi-Cal to get screened for traumatic childhood events that can cause negative health effects down the line. Now the state has started giving doctors and nurses tools to do the screenings. People who experience adversity early in life have much higher chances of substance abuse, depression, or chronic diseases than their peers, according to national research. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s...

Eulanda Thorne and her children (L to R) Sarah, Joshua, Leah, Emmanuel When school counselor Eulanda Thorne discovered the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in 2018, she felt as if she were on fire. “I felt that I had missed a vital part of my education. Anyone who is in college for social work or teaching, a class on ACEs and trauma should be a required course.” Without an understanding of ACEs, she says, “I would think the students who are sent to me are being defiant or...

An original story for MIT, published December 6, 2019. Having trouble paying attention? MIT neuroscientists may have a solution for you: Turn down your alpha brain waves. In a new study, the researchers found that people can enhance their attention by controlling their own alpha brain waves based on neurofeedback they receive as they perform a particular task. The study found that when subjects learned to suppress alpha waves in one hemisphere of their parietal cortex, they were able to pay...

Please welcome these three new communities from South Carolina and Washington to ACEs Connection . More information about each one of them is below. Resilient Benton-Franklin (WA): Serving the Benton and Franklin area, we are strongly committed to serving as a network for community members across various sectors to collaborate in preventing and addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). We aim towards creating a resilient and trauma-aware community. Community Manager: @Carla Prock Risk...

Join the Family Trauma Institute for a free webinar this Wednesday, December 11, 2020, at 1 pm ET. Participants will learn how to use the FST | Family Systems Trauma Red Flags Checklist to prevent relapse.

By Andrea Petersen, The New York Times, December 8, 2019 Anne Firmender, 74, was working with her psychologist to come up with a list of her positive attributes. “I cook for others,” said Ms. Firmender. “It’s giving,” encouraged the psychologist, Dimitris Kiosses. “Good kids,” continued Ms. Firmender, who has four grown children and four grandchildren. “And great mother,” added Dr. Kiosses. Ms. Firmender smiled. [ Please click here to read more .]

By Annika Abbott, Public Broadcasting Service, December 6, 2019 Farmworkers face major challenges when it comes to staying healthy. They often spend hours daily performing physical labor that taxes the body, while language barriers and lack of employer-paid health insurance complicate their access to care. But the Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center is working on a unique way to improve health care for these workers. Anikka Abbott has the story. Judy Woodruff: Finally: Farm...

By Stephanie Stephens, Kaiser Health News, December 9, 2019 A lonely and anxious Rebecca Massie first called the Mental Health Association of San Francisco “warmline” during the 2015 winter holidays. “It was a wonderful call,” said Massie, now 38 and a mental health advocate. “I was laughing by the end, and I got in the holiday spirit.” Massie, a San Francisco resident, later used the line multiple times when she needed additional support, then began to volunteer there. [ Please click here...