Tagged With "human rights"
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In ACEs Connection webinar, physicians talk trauma, offer tips for helping pediatric immigrant patients
Dr. Raul Gutierrez, a pediatrician in the San Francisco Bay Area, said he and his fellow clinicians see constant fear and its health consequences every single day among the largely immigrant and Latino population they serve. It’s all the result of anti-immigrant policies and the news cycle that feeds the fear. Dr. Raul Gutierrez “It is almost inescapable with the repercussions of immigration policy on the radio, television, social media and from friends and family,” Gutierrez told the 69...
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January 24, 2018 ACEs Connection Meeting: How should we proceed?
At the January 24, 2018 meeting of the Sonoma County ACEs Connection, the Steering Committee organized work group sessions among members to answer our most important question: How should our group proceed moving forward? All over the room at Child Parent Institute there were large "Post-It" notes on the wall that the groups brainstormed answers to four questions about the direction of our group: (1) What do you enjoy about the General Meetings? (2) What could we use more of/doesn't serve us?
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January 24, 2018 ACEs Connection Meeting: Reflections & Visions for the Future
At the General Meeting for the Sonoma County ACEs Connection that took place on January 24, 2018, people came together to reflect on their experience in the coalition and to brainstorm about the future of the group. The questions included: What do you enjoy about the General Meetings? What could we use more of/what doesn't serve us? In a post-fire Sonoma County, where and how could we better serve our community? Does our name truly reflect what we are and where we are going? Who are some...
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January is Positive Parenting Awareness Month Time to Renew, Refresh & Recharge [Child Parent Institute]
Another year has flown by, leaving me wondering where the time went. As I think about my family’s milestones and memories over the past year, I’m reminded of how often I get consumed by work, my family’s hectic schedule, and the never-ending list of household chores. It’s easy for my family to go through the motions of our daily routines – get up, go to school or work, come home, eat, do homework or work, go to bed, repeat, repeat, repeat – and even be in the same room without really...
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Last Month's Early Childhood Mental Health Summit - Let's Put Our Learning into Practice Now
Just one month ago, on September 28, First 5 and partners pulled together a few hundred community members for an Early Childhood Mental Health Summit called " Building Relationships to Support Families in Times of Stress ." With the local wildfires distressing many families and children, community support is needed now more than ever. The event aimed to ensure participants: 1.) Expanded their understanding of Early Childhood mental Health as the capacity to form close relationships, manage...
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Leaders in SF public housing deal with their own and community trauma head on
Sengthong Sithounnolat, Jeris Woodson, Donald Greene, Ashley Blanco On a recent Saturday, 10 people gather around a table at the offices of Trauma Transformed in Oakland, Calif., where quotes from figures like Frederick Douglas, Nelson Mandela, and Coretta Scott King grace one wall as light streams in from a skylight above. The group is known as the Resident Warriors, which meets weekly. One participant talks of her recovery from addiction and her mother’s murder. Another mentions being...
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Learning the Game [National Conference of State Legislatures]
By Tommy Neal, 6/26/18, for Our American States NCSL Podcast Of all the games in town it would be difficult to find one more mysterious, unpredictable and least understood than the state legislative game. It is, however, a game not to be taken lightly. What your state legislature does affects many facets of your life—the taxes you pay, the highways on which you drive, public schools, the state supported colleges and universities you or your children may have attended, the state parks that...
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Local Teachers Love Learning about ACES!
Grace Harris MFT, Parent Resources Director for Child Parent Institute reported that she recently presented to staff at several schools on ACES and Trauma Informed Care (TIC). When asked, less than 10% of school staff said they were aware of...
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Lumpers and Splitters: Who Doesn’t Believe in ACES?
Here’s the problem. Since you are reading this on ACES Connections, you are likely not the type of person who questions ACES. Like me, when you first heard about ACES, you shouted “Eureka!” or felt the heavens open up or maybe simply thought “Well, that makes sense.” Writing this blog, I’m preaching to the choir. After all, there is so much scientific evidence to support ACES, doesn’t everyone believe it? Well, working in Public Health...
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Mapping the ACEs science movement — How close are we to a tipping point?
[Note: This is most of a keynote presentation I gave at last week's sold-out National ACEs Conference in San Francisco. The energy at this conference was incredible. To all who attended, thank you for doing so. To those of you who weren't able to attend, we hope the posts about the conference give you some idea of the speakers and sessions.] We have come an extraordinarily long way in spreading the word about ACEs science. During the first National ACEs conference in Philadelphia five years...
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MARC Booklet 2016: Features Sonoma County
Please find attached the 2016 booklet for the Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) project, including Sonoma County and the other 13 communities that have been selected to participate in this 2 year learning collaborative. This is a great summary of the work happening in all 14 communities across the country. I am looking forward to working with you all as we tell your story to the world!
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Material from Neurobiology: the Powerful Science Behind your ACEs Work - ACEs & Resiliency Community of Practice Session
Thank you to all who attended our Community of Practice Event Neurobiology: the Powerful Science Behind your ACEs Work! Attached are the materials from our day together. If you would like to register for our June event you can register using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trauma-informed-organizations-community-of-practice-tickets-31518134589
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SONOMA COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT (MHSA)2017-2020 Three-Year Integrated Plan & Annual Update for 2015-2016
To read the full report, click here : Mental Health Services Act Integrated Report 2017 - 2020 Or see attached for a printable version of the report.
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Middle school tackles everybody's trauma; result is calmer, happier kids, teachers and big drop in suspensions
Sixth grader Cayla White (right) helps lead class meditation with Niroga Institute’s Lauren Banister (photo: Laurie Udesky) ________________________________ During the 2014/2015 school year, things were looking grim at Park Middle School in Antioch, CA. At the time, staff couldn’t corral student disruptions. Teacher morale was plummeting. By the end of February 2015, 192 kids of the 997 students had been suspended -- 19.2 percent of the student population. “I was watching really good people...
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Mobilizing ACEs, Trauma, and Resilience Networks to Support and Strengthen Pandemic Response Efforts [MARC.HealthFederation.org]
By @Anndee Hochman
“What are your signs of stress?” asked the leaders of a recent mindfulness webinar hosted by the Philadelphia ACE Task Force (PATF), held during the week that U.S. cases of COVID-19 neared half a million and more than sixty Philadelphians had died of the disease.
Participants spilled their responses into the chat box: “headache…teeth grinding…can’t think clearly…nervous stomach…ruminating thoughts…muscle pain…itchiness…bad dreams.”
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National Wellness Week is Coming - September 11-17
National Wellness Week is September 11-17 this year. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers free resources to support Wellness Week and promote Wellness. Here is a link to a 3-minute video on the 8 Dimensions of Wellness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDzQdRvLAfM&feature=youtu.be. And a pdf is attached. Enjoy!
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Notes from 4/22/2015 meeting
Seventeen Sonoma County ACEs Connection members attended our monthly, in-person meeting on April 22. Once again, Allen Nishikawa greeted us with a warm, steamy hand towel so that we could truly “arrive” and be mindful. We agreed that, for...
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Notes from the 10/1/2014 meeting
We have a new name - Sonoma County ACES Connection ! If you were unable to attend today’s meeting, you missed a lot ! Please mark your calendar for our next meeting Wed Oct 29 th , from 12:30 to 2:00 in the DHS Public Health...
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Oakland, CA, trying out model used in Baltimore to reduce trauma, increase resilience
Oakland BSC activity: Photo/ Courtesy of Trauma Transformed/East Bay Agency for Children When a group of community organizations in Baltimore came together in 2015, they already knew trauma figured large in many lives. There was violence in the community, in schools, and in community members’ homes. Police brutality occurred. Many suffered the loss of loved ones to incarceration or death. There were house fires and homelessness. Much of the dysfunction was systemic and rooted in racism,...
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Oakland Unified to fund Restorative Justice with "at least" $2.3 million!
I'm not sure if this has already made the rounds, but I didn't see it on after scrolling 10 pages, and it's such good news, it's definitely worth a repost! "Oakland Unified school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to eliminate willful defiance as a reason to suspend any student and to invest at least $2.3 million to expand restorative justice practices in its schools". What a beautiful commitment to the child, to meeting their actual needs rather than just sending them away with their...
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OCAP needs you! Apply now to become a member of their 2019 Citizen Review Panels
Make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children in California. Use your voice to change the child welfare system in California! Convened by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP), they are seeking citizen (YOUR) input at their quarterly meetings. Now is your chance to make recommendations to the State! Apply now t o become a member of the California Child-welfare Citizen Review Panels (CRPs). Meetings are held 4 times a year. Participation can be by phone, computer, or in-person.
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Oreos, Apples, Coconuts and Bananas: The Precarious Position of Interpreters. Basic ACES Training for Providers, Part Three
If you work with clients in health or human services, you will at some point work with an interpreter. Have you thought about the awkward position they occupy? Language is only part of the problem. They must be “white” enough to understand and navigate the bureaucratic culture, while being black/brown/yellow/red enough to understand the client’s worldview and concerns and to be able to gain the trust of the communities they serve. When I worked with refugees, I often served...
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PARENTING GUIDES: Please share to support parents
During this challenging time, parents need more resources than ever. Please let parents know about the following guides from the Yolo County Children's Alliance and the Yolo Child Abuse Prevention Council. All guides are available at www.yolokids.org/forfamilies , and I have attached a summary of the guides if you would prefer to share that. Please note that we will be releasing our positive discipline guide on 4/1/20 ( Handling Your Child's Challenging Behaviors at Every Age ). The guides...
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Peer Voices Now! Spring 2018 Newsletter
Kalia Mussetter of Living Bridges " Bringing people together for transformative community service," invites you to read the attached Peer Voices Now! newsletter. Kalia writes: "Please enjoy this beautiful newsletter. It is rich with fine, heartfelt writing by many local mental health Peer Providers; talented individuals who serve our mental health stakeholder community every day. There is a focus on experience of both loss and healing from the recent fires, as well as moving accounts of peer...
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Petaluma Group Inspired to Prevent, Heal, Treat ACES
A local Petaluma group kicked off 2016 by inviting Karen Clemmer, PHN, and Brian Farragher, Executive Director of Hannah Boys Center to speak about preventing, healing, and treating Adverse Childhood Experiences. Erin Hawkins, Community Outreach Program Manager of the Petaluma Health Care District, encouraged members of the Community Health Initiative for Petaluma Area (affectionately known as "CHIPA" to many members) to ponder the impact of ACES on the health of Petaluma...
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Petaluma Health Center leads effort to link women to services
Sonoma County was one of six sites selected nationally to participate in a CityMatCH practice collaborative to prevent substance exposed pregnancies. In 2012 Rebecca Munger CNM, PHN the Sonoma County Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health Coordinator lead a broad coalition of reproductive health champions who worked across sectors and settings to develop a trio of strategies to reduce substance exposed pregnancies. The first strategy developed with CDC and WHO technical support was a bundled...
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Preparing People for Climate Change in California: Sonoma County Listens and Shares
Last summer Bob Doppelt asked me to join a planning committee for a conference on climate change . I was surprised to be asked as my recent professional expertise is tied to addressing childhood adversity. Bob changed my perspective on the relevance by saying, "Adversity and trauma are the social side effects of climate-related disasters. Imagine the social-emotional impacts on Katrina survivors." The connection was a glimmer in my mind, but I agreed to support a California conference .
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Prevent Child Abuse - Sonoma County annual report 2014-2015
In case you missed picking up a copy of the 2014-2015 annual report from Prevent Child Abuse-Sonoma County, here it is. This year, it provides a snapshot of child abuse and neglect data, a two-page overview of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study,...
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Proactively preparing teens and children for 13 Reasons Why, season 2 (Netflix)
By Tracie Dahl, LCPC, Middle School Therapist with Intermountain School-based Services (Helena, MT) 13 Reasons Why is about to drop its second season in just a matter of days. Since Season 2 is no longer adapting Jay Asher's 2007 YA novel and telling a completely new story, as service providers who work with young adults, we would like to know what we can expect from the upcoming string of episodes. We were more reactive than proactive when Season 1 came out and it’s easier to be more...
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Program offers hundreds of young men, boys safe space to heal from ACEs
Dennis McCollins recounts some of the experiences that caused him to harden against the world as a teenager. “There were times I went to more funerals than birthdays,” says McCollins, who is the clinical director of the School Based Health Center at Greenwood Academy in Richmond, Calif. And it took its toll: “I spent time homeless. I got expelled [from school]. I was so angry and upset and mad,” he says. Dennis McCollins Then a man that he met when he was sent to Job Corps as a teen turned...
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Proposed Changes to Sonoma County ACEs Connection Working Guidelines
Holly asked me to review the SCAC Working Guidelines we developed at the retreat and prepare a document for approval at the October meeting. I invite all members to send me any comments or suggestions regarding the current document. For the purposes of this vote, I am limiting proposed changes to only those issues where there is a discrepancy, disagreement or lack of clarity concerning an existing guideline. Any brand new guidelines should be proposed and adopted later. The current version...
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Proposed Changes to the SCAC Working Guidelines: Vote at October Meeting
At our October meeting, we will vote to approve a set of working guidelines for Sonoma County ACES Connection. Attached you will find a description of the recommended changes. Please read and be ready to discuss and vote on the proposed changes at our meeting on the 26th. How we developed these recommendations I had requested that SCAC members post any comments or concerns about the proposed guidelines. I received comments from a few persons and invited all of them to participate in an ad...
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Find out about events to observe the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires at SonomaCountyRecovers.org
You may have heard about a number of events that are planned around the county to observe the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires. A listing of these events can be found at SonomaCountyRecovers.org . The anniversary of our October 2017 fires is not just a typical day, it is a day where many may feel disillusioned and realize they are still working their grief. It is a day where while we might have to go to work, we have to remember to take care of ourselves and remember it is...
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For the January Meeting: This is Who We Are
Over the last several months, Sonoma County ACEs Connections (SCAC) has been struggling to develop organizational guidelines and committees. We have attempted to adopt them on several occasions but have not been able to agree on a plan. This has been especially frustrating for some of us, because back in November of 2015, SCAC voted to adopt a group of committees. For a variety of reasons however, folks keep wanting to reinvent that wheel. I am proposing one more attempt to discuss our...
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Free of Violation of Rights - Legal Imperatives That Could Address the Impact of ACEs
Last week, I took a call from a passionate suicide prevention advocate, James Gallant who wanted to discuss an approach for reducing ACEs. "Do you assess kids with disabilities for violations of their legal rights?" James asked. I was stumped at how to answer this, and didn't immediately see the connection to ACEs. But as James went on to share his expertise on the subject, I felt more compelled to find out what we are doing locally. James makes the case that kids with an ACE score of 1 are...
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From Awareness to Action, with Voices of Lived Experience: Wisconsin’s Collective Impact Initiative
Perhaps it wasn’t the optimum time to update the network’s vision and values statements: a virtual meeting held in the midst of a global pandemic. But a record number of people—51, compared to the typical 30—tuned in for the May 1 Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) Collective Impact Council, and they gave the new values statement, which highlights inclusivity and collaboration, an enthusiastic thumbs-up. At the virtual table were members from key state departments—Children...
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Help for Those Needing Temporary Housing
A major source of stress for many right now is finding housing. This #Sonoma Proud effort connects those in need with those who can give. ATTENTION: FIRE EVACUEES IN NEED OF TEMPORARY HOUSING SHARE Sonoma County is matching fire evacuees seeking housing with compassionate home providers. FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, COUPLES, INDIVIDUALS AND PETS ARE BEING ACCEPTED. PLEASE CALL US IMMEDIATELY AT: (707) 765-8488, EXT 126 OR VIA EMAIL AT amy@sharesonomacounty.org VOLUNTEERS ARE STANDING BY TO...
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Helping Young Children Recover after the Northern California Wild Fires
Helping Young Children Recover after the Northern California Wild Fires In the aftermath of the wild fires in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Solano countie s that started on Sunday, October 8, 2017, many children and their parents may be experiencing varying levels of distress related to events associated with the fires. The way in which this time of acute stress is handled can be very predictive of the long-term impact of the fires on each of us, especially children. The most important thing...
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How collaboration helps clinic in San Mateo County, CA, tackle ACEs in children
Dr. Elizabeth Grady is a pediatrician at the South San Francisco Clinic, a community clinic of San Mateo Medical Center. She and Susana Flores , a senior public health nurse with San Mateo County Health, spoke with me about how the clinic and other health agencies in San Mateo have been able to craft ways to work together to prevent and heal toxic stress in children. Grady also talked about how she and Flores have been working with the Resilient Beginnings Collaborative (RBC), a group of...
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How do these pediatricians do ACEs screening? Early adopters tell all.
Last week, three pediatricians — with a combined experience of 15 years integrating ACEs science into their practices — reflected on the urgency they felt several years ago that prompted them to begin screening patients for childhood adversity and resilience when there was practically no guidance at all. Along their journey , they accumulated a list of lessons learned for other pediatricians and family clinics to use. The three pediatricians participated in the ACEs Connection webinar,...
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Request for Proposal Announcement - Trauma Informed Care Consultant
Valley of the Moon Childrens Home is looking for a consultant to helpstaff transition to a 10-day stay shelter by 2017. Valley of the Moon wants to incorporate the latest research on trauma informed care intotheir program design and staff training. See attached documents for further details or contact: Briana Downey Program Planning & Evaluation Analyst Valley of the Moon Children's Center 112 Children's Circle Santa Rosa, CA 95409 (707) 565-4348 bdowney@schsd.org...
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Request For Proposal Resource Family Training Services
You are invited to participate in a County of Sonoma solicitation. Review this information and use the URL below to login and bid on this solicitation. RFP Resource Family Training Services Description: The County of Sonoma is pleased to invite you to respond to a Request for Proposals for Resource Family Training Services. The Family, Youth & Children’s Services (FY&C) Division within the County of Sonoma Human Services Department is seeking a single qualified entity to provide a...
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Resilient Berkeley rolls up its sleeves and gets to work
Angela Jernigan (left), Donielle Prince (center), Nicole Powell (right) Photo by Laurie Udesky Angela Jernigan and Nicole Powell of Resilient Berkeley met with ACEs Connection’s Donielle Prince on Monday, April 23 to discuss an event that they’re organizing, which incorporates ACEs science into parenting education. They plan to hold a gathering at one of Berkeley’s public libraries. (Stay tuned for details as they emerge!) Jernigan and Powell bring to their work an appreciation for ACEs...
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Right Start Town Hall: Preventing Toxic Stress in Early Childhood for Health, Social-Emotional Wellness and Resilience
Parents and community members are encouraged to come together for this important community conversation around our children: Right Start Town Hall: Preventing Toxic Stress in Early Childhood for Health, Social-Emotional Wellness and Resilience When and Where: Thursday, Oct 5, 6-8 pm at The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Refreshments and childcare available (please register ahead for childcare.) Translation to Spanish provided on headsets. Link to Register: ...
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Right Start Town Hall - See You There?
So...who joins me in wanting to give our children the best start possible in life? It turns out, there is a long list of passionate supporters in our County. We urge you to come to the upcoming Town Hall and connect with folks like you who are committed to preventing childhood adversity and supporting resilience. Thursday, October 5, 2017 ∙ 6 - 8 PM The Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Information fair, refreshments, onsite free childcare (limited by appt.) available at the event...
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Safe & Sound: Integrating protective factors and ACEs science to end child abuse in San Francisco in 50 years
It was almost a ritual, but one that regularly disrupted the parenting class at a San Francisco-based child abuse prevention organization. Every time a siren blared in the streets below, a female participant bolted out of the room to seek safety in the windowless interior rooms of the multilevel labyrinthine white Victorian that houses Safe & Sound . Molly Jardiniano And it didn’t just happen in the parenting class. “When she heard the fire trucks, she said she would become paralyzed,...
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San Francisco Dept of Public Health Trauma-Informed Systems Initiative
I thought you might be interested in taking a look at the 2014 year in review from the SF Dept of Public Health's Trauma-Informed Systems Initiative. It's attached, below. The Department made the commitment to train all of its 9,000 staff...
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SCAC meeting notes for 8.28.19 community meeting
*BOLD BLUE text = hyperlink to more information *pdf attached ACEs Enthusiasts Community Meeting *4th Wed of each month August 28, 2019, from 3:30 to 5:00 Location: Child Parent Institute / Sonoma County ACEs Connection About us: We bring the community together to prevent, heal, and treat ACEs while promoting resiliency. Sonoma County ACEs Connection has a fresh focus in 2019 with an emphasis on community, while seeking opportunities to leverage and coordinate with others. Please join us!
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Self-Healing Communities Model
“The Self-Healing Communities Model (SHCM) builds the capacity of communities to intentionally generate new cultural norms and thereby improve health, safety and productivity for current and future generations.” This model was implemented in Washington State and was successful in improving rates of many interrelated and intergenerational health and social problems by investing in the people at risk. They worked to reduce and prevent the root of the issue being Adverse Childhood Experiences...
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Sharing two ACEs-related references
Karen Clemmer sent the following as an email yesterday: Dear Sonoma County ACES Connection members, Since our last meeting, a couple items that might be of interest have come across my desk and both frame ACES around a Life Course perspective! ...