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My work as a mediator allows me to peer into all kinds of conflict. Now working to strengthen families and create safe, nurturing environments for children, I am struck by the need to challenge my gender to be “real men.” The reality is that we men are the primary perpetrators of abuse and violence, and related disruption in families. So it is up to us to take responsibility for our own actions and to encourage those of our gender who – having been taught, or raised without guidance, or out...

Although Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) used Christian social ethics and the New Testament concept of “love” heavily in his writings and speeches, he was as influenced by Eastern spiritual traditions, Gandhi’s political writings, Buddhism’s notion of the interconnectedness of all beings, and Ancient Greek philosophy. His enduring ethos, at its core, is nonreligious — rather, it champions a set of moral, spiritual, and civic responsibilities that fortify our...

Below are the questions taken directly from the ACE questionaire. Sentences in italics are my own. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often…Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you? or Act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt? If yes enter 1 ________ This is a kind of harmful parenting. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often…Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? or Ever hit you so hard that...

Victor Frankl: "Man can suffer any what, when he knows why." Frankl will be with us in spirit at New Wine, New Wineskins ' conference " Trauma & Resilience " on March 18th at Multnomah University / Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon. One of many leaders participating in this multi-disciplinary conference is ACEs Connection contributor, Chris Haughee, of Intermountain Residential Services in Helena, Montana. He will be sharing about his work with children and families who...

Join us as we continue to build upon trauma informed practices and learn how the power of a relationship can ultimately prevent many of the challenges facing our community today. Learn radical solutions to everyday problems and how thinking differently can bring sustainable change. Featured Speakers: James Redford is the co founder and current chair of The Redford Center. His most recent film "Resilience" focuses on the science behind toxic stress and innovative ways to buffer the effects of...

Any elementary school principal has hundreds of stories featuring the actions and activities — both amusing and alarming — of their young students. These educators will be the first to tell you that kids can do crazy, outlandish and sometimes surprising things — all part of being a typical child. But Peninsula School District elementary principals noticed a growing trend of extreme behaviors in the last few years among their youngest students, behaviors that are not normal or considered part...

For a long time humans have wondered if chemicals causing drug and alcohol addiction could be active in the genes and potentially passed on to the next generation. Although this was not scientifically proven until recent years, the fear of suffering from addictive diseases led children of addicts and former addicts to avoid alcohol and drugs completely. One of the scientific studies that give weight to this family history hypothesis on addiction was conducted at the Indiana University School...

Integrated health care is the coordination of physical and behavioral health care. In 2012, Harris County Protective Services (HCPS) received funding from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to plan and implement an integrated health care program for children ages birth through 17 in state care. Stakeholders in protective services reported that the existing system of care was a “broken” system. The HCPS program provided care to 194 unique clients between June 2014 and September 2015.

Emil Girardi moved to San Francisco on New Year’s Eve in 1960. He loved everything about the city: the energy, the people, the hills. And of course, the bars, where he mixed drinks for most of his adult life. About 10 years ago, the 83-year-old New York native had a stroke and collapsed on the sidewalk near his Nob Hill home. Everything changed. “I didn’t want to go out of the house,” Girardi said, adding he only felt comfortable “going from the bedroom to the dining room.” He started to...

For a revolutionary, Deepali Vishwakarma is more quiet and reflective than you might expect. She's in her 30s, small, with a round face that holds intense brown eyes and a shy grin. Vishwakarma is a lay counselor in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India — a well-trained community member who goes out daily to fight what novelist William Styron once called a "howling tempest in the brain." She's part of an effort by the Indian nonprofit group Sangath to provide mental health treatment to poor...

The United States has historically struggled with how to treat all its citizens equitably and fairly while wealth and power are concentrated in a very small segment of our society. Now, in the face of growing public awareness and outcry about the centuries-long injustices experienced by African Americans, Native Americans, new immigrants, and other marginalized groups, we believe that our nation urgently needs collaborative multisector approaches toward equity and justice. For maximum...

When Noel Anaya was just 1 year old, he and his five brothers and sisters were placed in the California foster care system. He has spent nearly all of his life in that system and has just turned 21. In California, that’s the age when people in foster care “age out” of the system and lose the benefits the system provides. That process becomes official at a final court hearing. Anaya, along with Youth Radio, got rare permission to record the proceeding, where he read a letter he wrote about...