April 2021

There has been a growing awareness in recent years that traumatic events can rewire minds and bodies in all sorts of ways that corrode health and shorten life spans. While much of the journalistic coverage of these themes over the past decade has focused on early childhood, two speakers at the Center for Health Journalism’s 2021 Domestic Violence Symposium recently walked reporters through some of the science of the trauma caused by domestic violence, with the goal of spurring deeper...

Earth Day has blossomed into a month-long celebration in April focusing on getting outdoors, appreciating nature and coming together as a community all of which are important in our work as ACEs Aware grantees. Recently, “spending time in nature” was added to the list of ways to practice self-care in relation to Adverse Childhood Experiences. The idea behind the self-care practices is to regulate an overactive stress response which can be heightened due to exposure to ACEs and lead to toxic...

If you think of Balboa Park as a crown, then its museums are the crown’s jewels. Among them is the Museum Of Us , formerly known as the Museum Of Man. After months of being closed, the museum opened its doors to visitors once again on Wednesday. The pandemic has brought changes large and small to all the museums in Balboa Park. At the Museum Of Us, it has sped up a reckoning the museum has been engaged in over the last several years with its ties to European Colonialism, beginning with the...

Companies that support mental health —meaning, they talk about it, they work differently, they offer resources and normalize people using them, they train their leaders and managers to know how to support employees, and they hold people accountable for prioritizing mental health—see a 5:1 return on investment . Some of these companies might even (gasp) work fewer hours, but they are working better, smarter, more sustainably. In other words, they are more productive and higher performing.

April is National Month of Hope. While hope is something we all need right now as we surpass one year of the COVID pandemic, HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) means something different in our work as ACEs Aware grantees. The YMCA of San Diego County , San Diego State University Social Policy Institute , San Diego Accountable Community for Health (SDACH) and American Academy of Pediatrics – California Chapter 3 are combining efforts as ACEs Aware grantees to work with...

At last week’s fabulous HOPE Summit, one person told me that they didn’t realize all the things that PACEs Connection does.

So far, 2021 has proven to be a year of ups and downs. At San Diego for Every Child (SDeC), we recognize both the challenges and opportunities emerging from the last year and a half and continue our work towards a healthier, more equitable, more resilient San Diego. Your support and partnership makes this possible. Among the challenges has been a spotlight on long standing inequities, hate, and racism. San Diego for Every Child stands in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific...

With many San Diegans still out of work and struggling under the pandemic, we're thrilled to announce Housing Help San Diego, a new housing and rent relief resource. HousingHelpSD.org is a one-stop hub made to help renters and landlords alike understand their rights and the resources available to help prevent evictions and homelessness. Residents can access the latest info on the moratorium, receive relevant updates and news right to their inbox, and even speak directly with a housing...

The Behavioral Health Workforce Collaborative presents Integrating Our Work and Our Approach event on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 from 2:00PM - 4:00 PM. There are tremendous opportunities to integrate the way we work in our communities. The goal for this seminar is to address interdisciplinary collaboration and how we can empower and promote diverse perspectives in leadership. (Please see attached flyer for information regarding registration.)

Virtual Art Show, via Zoom, featuring local community artists. Submit your artwork before April 7th. Friday, April 9th, at 5:30 pm Featuring; Eshash Cloninger - Rincon Salvador Juarez - Rincon/Iipay Anthony Hurtado - Rincon/San Xavier Jade Congnilio Mrs. Bonanno, and more. Please contact with questions; Ami Admire amiadmire@gmail.com Mrs. Bonanno bonanno.ad@vcpusd.org

Amid a pandemic that shined a harsh light on domestic violence , Californians are increasingly viewing these abuses as a pressing social issue, according to a new survey of nearly 2,000 adults. Two-thirds of Californians consider domestic violence a public issue rather than private family matter, and 91% of participants said domestic violence is a serious societal issue, the survey found. “This info has given some validation to things folks have been talking about for a long time...

Racism and its associated injustices have created barriers for people of color since the beginnings of our nation. We see its effects in all of our systems, from unequal medical care to discrimination in housing , employment, education, and the justice system—and beyond. How does racism affect health? Research shows that this history of individual and structural racism spanning generations denies opportunity to people of color and robs them of their physical and mental health. The life...