Philadelphia Group Blogs

The Workforce Development Workgroup met on Wednesday, October 19 th . The group began with an update on the work that is being done with the School District of Philadelphia to conduct focus groups with teachers to better understand the facilitators and barriers to implementing trauma-informed tools in the classroom. It is the goal of the subcommittee working on this project to have IRB approval by December of this year so that recruitment for focus groups can begin in January 2017 and the...

The ACEs Messaging Group met on Tuesday, October 12 th to discuss their project on their messaging work with three different target audiences. The group began with some light housekeeping – agreeing to keep the space and meeting location and deciding to cancel their November 8 th meeting so that everyone in the group has the opportunity to get out to vote. Several members of the group have been engaged in an online course through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement which focuses on...

Responding to the overwhelming demand of funders in the Delaware Valley to better understand the impacts of trauma on our region and how they can apply trauma informed practices to their own work, Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey partnered to produce this hands-on resource that will help funders : Understand the science behind trauma, adverse childhood experiences,...

NPR has sponsored a special series entitled The Mental Health Crisis in Our Schools. Click here to read more.

Please check out this amazing research study about Hopeworks and our transition to a trauma informed model prepared by Rutgers Center for Urban Research and Education! Special thanks to Dr. Natasha Fletcher and New Jersey Health Initiatives for making this study possible!

LucidWitness has built an index of posts that raise awareness around trauma and development. The new index includes links to excellent resources and references, as well as a narrative series of short (true) stories meant to be shared (one or two at a time) in social media. Growing awareness of the impacts of developmental trauma, with an emphasis on the intersection of developmental trauma and public education, is the overarching goal. LucidWitness is designed to share with a broad, general...

Mattie McQueen was about five years old when her mother offered a surprise: “Let’s all go for ice cream.” McQueen and three of her siblings scrambled out to Mom’s old blue station wagon. They talked, on the way, about what flavor of ice cream they’d get, till Mattie noticed they weren’t traveling the usual route to Dairy Queen. “Don’t worry,” her mom replied. “We’re going for ice cream.” Minutes later, she parked and led them into an office waiting room. “I’ll be right back,” she said. She...

The Philadelphia ACE Task Force held their full body meeting on September 26 th , 2016. The meeting began with a brief community meeting – the group was generally energized and excited. Philadelphia ACE Task Force Staff did a report out on the launch of the website: philadelphiaACEs.org on August 15 th . In a little over a month, the website had over 700 views from all over the US and from outside the country. The website had been visited every day since the launch and many spent a good deal...

The Need for Trauma-Informed Curricula at Institutions of Higher Learning: A Call to Action On October 20th, Children's Crisis Treatment Center , The Philadelphia University Community and Trauma Counseling Program and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey are hosting a very special and important conversation for any one who is involved in training the next generation of service professionals - nurses, doctors, social workers, teachers, lawyers, community health...

The Workforce Development Workgroup met on Wednesday, September 21 st . The group had not met in several months so they used their time to update each other on their ongoing projects. They began with a review of the training database that was developed for the Philadelphia ACE Task Force website . This database holds information about regional trainings and is searchable by target audience, available credits, and whether or not the training is offered for free. Members asked how to highlight...

The School District of Philadelphia deserves huge congratulations for creating a new position as part of its plan to be a trauma informed education system! They are seeking an excellent candidate to serve in this critically important and cutting edge role. Following is the job description Job Summary Develops, coordinates and implements trauma-informed practices in the schools. Works with administrative, instructional and non-instructional staff, to put into place evidence-based...

The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is an innovative program that brings the medical home to the patient’s home. VIP establishes a direct and sustainable connection between the hospital and the community through individual and family-directed interventions. We employ a trauma-informed approach in working with 8-18 year old patients who recently received care in the CHOP Emergency Department (ED) or Trauma Unit for an injury due to...