This article covers how perceived notions of skin tone influence levels of self-worth and self-efficacy. Proving that the over abundant portrayal of whiteness as the epitome of beauty and wealth has profound impacts on the psyche of people of color. Furthermore, research results indicate that interracial relationships are based on a foundational sense of financial security.
With special thanks to Ty Warren in the Walla Walla Valley (WA) ACEs Connection group who originally shared the Faciltiator's Guide for 'Resilience' produced by Prevent Child Abuse America and KPJR Films. This is a excellent tool to use as a discussion guide to accompany screenings of the documentary and is a rich resource for understanding ACEs science and resilience and their relationship to child maltreatment in general. GO HERE to download the guide. ...
One in five American adults will experience a mental health disorder in a given year. That makes it highly likely many of us know someone who is dealing with a psychological condition. But when it comes to understanding these disorders, we often fall flat. In honor of World Mental Health Day , we rounded up some of the most important mental health discoveries made this year. If anything, they’re proof that continued education and advocacy is critical when it comes to making life easier for...
Monkey ������ I was intrigued by these three monkeys as a small child but it has not been till recently that I understood why. It was while I was talking to someone about childhood experiences that the answer came to me. He told me that at the age of seven he bought those three monkeys at a zoo. His family asked why he bought them when there were so many other cute things to buy. Of course, at the age of seven we don't know why we do things. We just do it. It was during his reflection on his...
Here is a wonderful article that I read by Juli Fraga that shares how REACH Academy in Oakland, California turned to mindfulness and storytelling to help kids heal from trauma. Research has shown that traumatic experiences can affect brain development and impact a child’s ability to relax and concentrate. Therefore affecting their ability to learn. REACH Academy noticed that their students needed tools to help regulate emotion. It took time for the students to adopt this new life skill, but...
Excerpt from article: Amy Richards, a co-founder of the Third Wave Foundation, a group for young feminists, said that many sexual abuse victims who unburdened themselves after Mr. Trump’s video did not want his comments to be seen as anomalous. “Some of it was so that we automatically didn’t go to this place of having this one instance be an exception and therefore more excusable,” she said. “Yes, this is women speaking up, but it’s speaking up to all of the Donald Trumps in our lives.” Full...
Your husband might be depressed, and you might not know it. Or, maybe it’s your sister or your mother. Maybe it’s even you. Even though upwards of two million Americans age 65-plus experience depression, the majority of seniors—68 percent, according to a National Mental Health Association survey—know little about it. One big reason is that signs are easy to overlook , since they’re frequently confused with other ailments and changes that come naturally with aging. ”Often in older adults,...
It was James Routledge’s own battle with anxiety while winding down his first startup that led him to launch Sanctus . He was also experiencing stress, panic attacks and sleepless nights, but didn’t feel he could confide in his new colleagues. “I didn’t talk about it, I didn’t want to admit weakness or vulnerability,” he says. Through Sanctus, Routledge offers coaching sessions to businesses to help them improve their approach to mental health. In a small business environment, he says it’s...
Large-scale collection of patient data into disease-specific databases, or registries, is vital to research. These registries house standardized information on patients’ diagnoses, care, and outcomes, supporting large-scale comparison and analysis which can lead to better population health management and interventions. But can disease registries also help to move us closer to patient-centered care? We’re learning from examples overseas that, with the help of new interactive technologies,...
Chronic absenteeism is a critical national problem that puts more than 6.5 million schoolchildren at risk for falling behind academically, dropping out of school and serious long-term health, employment and financial consequences. There is a growing movement among schools, states and the federal government to address the underlying causes of chronic absenteeism. This policy brief takes a close look at the reasons behind chronic absenteeism, its adverse impact on health and life outcomes, and...
The Bitterroot Cares for Kids Network is starting support programming as a follow-up to their August conference on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) “ACEs in the Bitterroot.” The conference was on identifying, preventing and alleviating the consequences of childhood abuse and neglect. The first support programming is a book-club type of discussion group that meets from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays Oct. 12 – Nov. 16. The conference in August talked about a simple on-line test that helps...
Two years ago, Kansas City Police Captain Darren Ivey had never heard of secondary trauma. But he could see how the relentless stress of police work chewed away at the personal lives of officers. “What I started seeing was…how many department members had attempted suicide, how many domestic violence calls we responded to on our own people, how many DUI calls,” he said. “We’ve been told to suck it up, and it’s killing us.” That’s why Ivey was eager to work with members of his own department,...
“Indians Are Naturally Predisposed to Alcoholism.” Few images of Native peoples have been as intractable and damaging as the trope of the drunken Indian. It has been used to insidiously and overtly support the claims of Indian inferiority that, as we have seen, have been deployed in a host of ways that result in loss of culture, land, and sovereignty. The trope is deeply woven into American social narratives — perpetuated both in popular culture and in scholarly circles — and it plays out in...
This blog was created by a brother and sister who use it as a platform to reflect on their childhood trauma. The mission of their blog " is to be of service by igniting joy, exploration and freedom in the lives of people affected by childhood trauma " From their first post: "Aha moments. Epiphanies. Game changers. Mind blowers. Whatever you want to call them. These are some of the guiding principles that have helped us create some sanity and sanctuary in our lives. Many we return to again...
I make no bones about it, as a foster child, I don’t think I was an easy person to get along with and I certainly wasn’t trying to make bonds or connections with those around me. I went into foster care at the age of 13. My life prior to entering the system was one of immense dysfunction, and I had practically raised myself. My mom was rarely around, and when she was it was usually to tell me that we were moving. We moved over 50 times and I went to more than 35 schools in my life before the...