August 2019

A new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics looks at the effects of racism on children’s development, starting in the womb. This month the American Academy of Pediatrics put out its first policy statement on how racism affects the health and development of children and adolescents . “Racism is a significant social determinant of health clearly prevalent in our society now,” said Dr. Maria Trent, a professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was one of the...

The Central Florida community continues to look for solutions to the ongoing opioid crisis. Join Project Opioid's leadership team as we convene business and faith leaders from across Central Florida to learn how they can make a difference and help stop the opioid crisis. Registration Link: https://hope-for-the-opioid-crisis.eventbrite.com/ With special guests: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis At this free event, you will learn about: The current status of...

*Note: While Sarasota, FL is not Central Florida, it felt relevant to share this opinion piece here to examine what other Florida cities are doing to advocate for and build resilient communities. -- By Carrie Seidman ... Sarasota Strong seeks to build “a community that cares for itself” by “empowering people to thrive through trauma education, connection, and healing.” Its metaphoric symbol will be the banyan, a tree that begins its life clinging to another plant and eventually produces...

Right now, Florida legislators, Senator Randolph Bracy and Representative Kamia Brown are advancing bills about reparations for the Ocoee Massacre and “want to see a reconciliation, including a state study of what happened on Nov. 2, 1920, for the state record, and compensation for the descendants of victims.” (FLAPOL) In the Spring of 2018, the Peace and Justice Institute led film forums in partnership with the local Truth and Justice Project. Earlier this year, the City of Orlando and...

By JANE STEVENS (ACES CONNECTION STAFF) 16 HOURS AGO Almost the first thing you hear out of the mouths of police after a mass shooting is: “We’re looking for a motive.” In Gilroy, CA, the FBI is investigating the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival as domestic terrorism. In El Paso, TX, police are describing the shooting as a possible hate crime and act of domestic terrorism , and focusing on the manifesto written by the shooter . Police in Dayton, OH, are still looking for a motive for...

August 15-16, 2019 , 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Valencia College School of Public Safety 8600 Valencia College Lane, Room 149 Orlando, Fl., 32825 NO COST Registration Link: https://web.spcollege.edu/survey/28951 The Community Resiliency Model® (CRM) introduces participants to six wellness skills to help create “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-informed” individuals and communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system. Resiliency can be...

An ACEs Connection webinar will offer helpful self-regulation tools to those rocked by recent shootings in Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX , and Dayton, OH. The Building Resilient Communities webinar is offered by ACEs Connection this Thursday, August 9, at 10:00 AM PDT / 1 :00 PM E D and will last approximately 1 hour. Elaine Miller-Karas will teach her Community Resilienc y Mode l. Find registration details below. This webinar is free and open to the public. It serves professionals and community...

Connie has lived in Tarpon Springs for over forty years. During that time, she has served as Interim Director of the Chamber of Commerce and “cut the ribbon” for many new businesses. It was here that she came to know and love the people of Tarpon Springs and developed a heart for both the youth and elderly. As one of the founders of “Wellness Ministries”, Connie works with folks experiencing homelessness by providing food, clothing, medical and spiritual support. She volunteered for over...

By Healthy Children, American Academy of Pediatrics, July 2019 After any disaster, parents and other adults struggle with what they should say and share with children and what not to say or share with them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents, teachers, child care providers, and others who work closely with children to filter information about the crisis and present it in a way that their child can accommodate, adjust to, and cope with. No matter what age or...

My “turn big waves into small ripples” campaign focuses on creating a supportive high school culture with norms and social constructs that encourage students to cope with stressors and positively expressing their emotions. By encouraging a trauma-informed community within the school setting, students will be better prepared to cope with traumas and stressors post-graduation. They will also be capable of passing on this information to their parents, siblings, peers, and future generations.

By Jane Stevens (ACES Connection Staff) One person asked me recently if ACEs Connection does anything besides distribute news about ACEs science and trauma-informed/resilience-building practices based on ACEs science. Another was surprised that it’s a social network with more than 35,000 members (and growing). And I’d guess that most of those members have no idea that we support more than 300 local ACEs initiatives (and growing). ACEs Connection reminds me of the elephant in the parable that...