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A new communication skills training program provides an evidence-based strategy for ensuring compassionate and respectful care for all.

The mental health of your employees is key to their productivity at work. Taking a mental health day to refocus and regroup may be more beneficial than companies realize, and it has prompted several organizations to begin offering it as an added benefit to workers. According to a report by the National Business Group on Health , mental illness and substance abuse disorders cost employers an estimated $17 billion each year, in addition to 217 million days of lost work. These numbers show the...

From what Briggette Dangler could tell, Devin Johnson was a great student who was loved by his classmates at Grandview Heights Middle School. But to someone else, the 12-year-old was little more than a convenient prop used to make a murderous point. Devin was fatally shot this past weekend, at his home. His sister’s boyfriend, Caterrious Williams, is accused of shooting the child after she refused to cook him something to eat. [For more on this story by Tonyaa Weathersbee, go to...

"Itsy Bitsy Spider” plays softly as parents step into the gleaming lobby at Educare, an early childhood education center that opened in 2013 in New Orleans. On this particular day, the spider might want to give up on the waterspout and find a leaf to huddle under. Rain from Hurricane Harvey’s outer reaches lashes at the floor-to-ceiling windows. But in an infant-toddler room just down the hall, dispositions are sunny. Three teachers and eight children are on the rug, engaged in the...

Whose fault is the crisis in Puerto Rico? A lot of people are inclined to blame President Donald Trump: Right after Hurricane Maria made landfall, instead of maximizing the federal resources directed to the island , Trump spent the weekend golfing and tweeting about the National Football League. He later launched a sexist and racist Twitter tirade against the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, and against the people of Puerto Rico more generally. Still, no matter how despicable Trump...

Alison is only 14 but she knows what she wants to be when she grows up: A surgeon. It’s not easy to study, however, when you’re so exhausted and hungry you can barely get through 9th-grade biology. An immigrant from Colombia, Alison is one of more than 200,000 K-12 students in California considered homeless because they lack stable housing. And like most of those students, she lives with her family in a home shared with other families—in her case, two other families. “I go to school every...

From September 18-21, more than 500 researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and activists gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the 5th Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum , to share quantitative and qualitative data about the characteristics of sexual and intimate partner violence across settings, and evidence of what works for the prevention and response to violence against women and girls. We were invited to present The Asia Foundation’s research from Timor-Leste and China , and...

A new study led by Australian researchers suggests that regular exercise of any intensity can prevent future depression — and just one hour a week can help. The landmark study by the Black Dog Institute reveals that even small amounts of exercise can protect against depression. Moreover, the mental health benefits are universal and extend to all ages and any gender. The study appears in the American Journal of Psychiatry. [For more on this story by Rick Nauert PhD, go to...

From: https://www.facebook.com/RobertWoodJohnsonFoundation/

First Lady Susan Hutchinson, who attended the recent First Spouses Trauma-Informed conference in Wisconsin , attended a photo op with Gov. Asa Hutchinson to commemorate the Adverse Childhood Experiences Awareness and Action Day proclamation for Oct. 13. (The proclamation is attached to this post.) First row (from left): Rev. Belinda Price, Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church; Dr. Alan Mease, Arkansas Department of Health; First Lady Susan Hutchinson; Gov. Asa Hutchinson; Janie Ginocchio,...

I am a huge fan of the Showtime series Ray Donovan . It’s a rather dark drama about a violent but charismatic Hollywood “fixer” with questionable morals and a deeply dysfunctional family. In a recent episode, Ray has been ordered by a judge to attend anger management therapy. His therapist asks Ray a series of questions about his experiences as a child: Was he ever physically hurt by an adult? Did adults in his family abuse alcohol or drugs? Did anyone in his family commit suicide? Did he...

I am a long-time advocate for how the power of neuroscience can transform the youth-serving profession. When combined with a commitment to putting the needs of youth first and a sizable dose of courageous leadership, the insights and practical guidance provided by brain research can have remarkable results. A prominent example of the transformational application of this “secret recipe” can be found at the Sacramento County (California) Youth Detention Facility (YDF). In 2010, Sacramento...