December 2018

When you face obstacles that threaten delivery of quality services and positive outcomes, it’s more important than ever to address trauma and build resilience – for your organization, your staff and those you serve. But how can you do it? Since 2013, the National Council for Behavioral Health has worked with more than 650 behavioral health, social service and community organizations to deliver trauma-informed, resilience-oriented care. With the launch of our 9th Trauma-Informed,...

Michael Pritchard came to visit us in Lake County on December 8, 2018 for two shows about 90 minutes each. The 2 pm show was directed to children, parents and teachers. Most who showed up didn’t know what to expect, they knew he is a comedian and that he talks to kids about bullying, but they weren’t really sure what they were going to get from him. What Michael gave was his heart. While he sat and made funny noises stemming from his Star Wars character voice overs, children laughed, and...

Ulf Sandstrom and Gunilla Hamne of Peaceful Heart Network have spent years in Africa and now in Europe teaching survivors of civil wars and other traumas the Trauma Tapping Technique (TTT), which uses a simplified version of EFT tapping to relieve stress and trauma from the body without using words. They recently released a free app (available in multiple languages) with easy-to-follow video instructions. This would be a great way to introduce children to tapping. Here's what they had to...

Update, Dec. 13, 2018 at 8:15 p.m. ET: On Thursday evening, the Senate unanimously passed its version of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, sending it to the president to sign. Congress moved a big step closer on Tuesday toward addressing one of the most fundamental problems underlying the maternal mortality crisis in the United States: the shortage of reliable data about what kills American mothers. The House of Representatives unanimously approved H.R. 1318 , the Preventing Maternal...

“I was one of those statistics that ACEs scientists and researchers talk about,” Dr. Gregory Williams, an administrator in the Baylor College of Medicine, told the school’s first-year class. Williams’ presentation about the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and his own experience as a trauma survivor, was organized by Dr. Reena Isaac of Texas Children’s Hospital for her class, "Hiding in Plain Sight: Understanding and Identifying Victims of Violence.” Williams regularly speaks...

Thanks — for nothing, Mr. Reiner. When I started my reporting on the 20th anniversary of California’s Proposition 10 — now known as First 5 — I fully expected to have filmmaker Rob Reiner’s quotations and retrospective as a central piece of the package . After all, he was the sponsor of the ballot measure that created the tobacco tax-funded system for programs serving young children from birth to age 5. And, he welcomed me into his Beverly Hills office for an interview when the measure was...

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of trauma, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect or family dysfunction. And what is one of the most important factors in building resilience? Healing, hopeful, honest and trusting relationships. Those relationships are the heart of the work we do and the people we serve. The National Council for Behavioral Health’s 9th Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Approaches Learning Community is a year-long initiative that provides you with...

In the aftermath of recent hurricanes and wildfires, the Sesame Street in Communities team wanted to reach out to provide information on our available resources to help families cope in the aftermath of natural disasters, and other traumatic experiences. Bilingual videos, articles, printables and more, are all available for free on our website at www.sesamestreetincommunities.org . Here are the links to a few topic pages that may be most useful to you as you work with families in the...

A program that aims to inspire and prepare North Bay high school senior s for careers in the construction trades is building on a big addition in four more counties early next year. From the pedagogical and logistical framing already up in Sonoma County, North Bay Construction Corps will be starting classes in Marin, Napa and Lake counties , adding more cohorts in Sonoma County and incorporating a mirror program in Mendocino County. Now the push is to sign up students for the new cohorts and...

Wrestling Ghosts now has a trailer! Please feel free to share with your colleagues and friends who may be interested in our film. We have some community screenings coming up down the pipeline, and can't wait to share Kim's story with more people! Check out the trailer here!

On October 15-17, the Center for Youth Wellness in collaboration with the ACEs Connection presented the 2018 ACEs Conference and Pediatric Symposium. The theme this year was, “Action to Access,” and communities from around the United States shared current research, programs, tools, and initiatives that use ACEs science to address childhood adversity and its impact. The Sonoma County Field Nursing team was selected to showcase their work to address ACEs with caregivers during home visits.

Nola Brantley Speaks has partnered with the California Department of Social Services to offer a 2-day Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) 102 engagement skills training. If you are working directly with youth, it will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to better engage youth at-risk of becoming involved in CSEC, and help you learn strategies for helping CSEC survivors see themselves as more than a survivor. If you are not working directly with youth, this...