Blog

By Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma Psychology Today, September 30, 2022 Mental health can suffer after extreme climate events. KEY POINTS Mental health conditions exacerbated by natural disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. After a disaster, the number of people needing assistance from the mental health systems strains or exceeds community capacity. There are simple strategies helpers can use to help survivors restore...

The last 24 hours have reminded us of our individual vulnerability, as well as the vulnerability of our community and our state. Hurricane Ian is an example of a traumatic event in the third realm of ACEs that can bring about increased stress and strong emotional reactions. We acknowledge that this can be an incredibly challenging time for many and we encourage people to stay connected, reach out for help when needed, and support each other as you are able. This is how we can build...

Trauma-informed leadership is crucial if you want to accomplish trauma-informed change in your organization. Here’s some expert advice on how you can become a trauma-informed leader. 1. Acknowledge that cultural change is just as important as technical change Our problem-solving brains often focus on technical change when we talk about organizational change. We ask, “ What processes can we put in place to prevent this issue?” when we should ask, “What cultural norms are contributing to this...

By ChrisAnna Mink, Photo: Nenad Stojkovic/Flickr/Creative Commons, Center for Health Journalism, September 27, 2022 Nick, a 13-year-old Latino who lives in town of Turlock in California’s Central Valley, has been rushed to the emergency room twice in his life, at ages 4 and 6, because of an asthma attack. His lung muscles were having such severe spasms that air couldn’t get in. His lips were turning blue. His blood oxygen dropped to 87%, with normal being at least 94%. “He couldn’t stop...

By Sarah Holder, Photo: Andi Rice/Bloomberg, Bloomberg CityLab, September 28, 2022 In more than 20 US cities that launched basic income programs during the pandemic, the average person receiving monthly support was a woman making just enough money to put her over the federal poverty line. Most beneficiaries were single, most had kids, and most were people of color. They received up to $1,000 a month, usually for about a year, and overall spent the largest share of the money at superstores...

By Alan Rappeport, Photo: Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times, The New York Times, September 28, 2022 President Biden promised on Wednesday to end hunger in the United States by the end of the decade, unveiling an expansive government effort during the first White House conference on health and nutrition in 50 years. The meeting of hundreds of policymakers, health activists, farmers and business leaders came at a time of steep inflation in the United States. Lines at food banks are swelling.

Free Webinar: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Toxic Stress, and Chronic Disease Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood that can result in toxic stress. When the body’s stress response stays activated over a long period of time, the result is increased inflammation and hormone disruption. Research has found that an adult who has one or more ACEs that were not mitigated by protective factors has an increased risk for many chronic...

By Guest Author, 9/29/22, https://positiveexperience.org/category/blog/ This interview was conducted by our high school summer intern, Nabeli Peña . Can you introduce yourself and your work to our readers? My name is Elliott Hinkle, and I use they/them pronouns. I am the principal and founder of Unicorn Solutions which is my independent consulting firm where I do training, consultation, facilitation, and advising. It really focuses on helping young adults that are impacted by systems,...

By Ashley Southall, Photo: Elias Williams/The New York Times, The New York Times, September 26, 2022 Anytime the police approached the street in the Bronx where Hector Bonilla used to hang out, his friends would toss away their marijuana on the ground, he said. The police would pin the drugs on whomever was closest, Mr. Bonilla said. That is how he ended up with two convictions for marijuana possession in early 2000, he recalled, for weed he maintains was not his. Mr. Bonilla, 42, a taxicab...

By Hannah Devlin, Photo: Westend61/Getty Images, The Guardian, September 28, 2022 The impact of the Covid pandemic may have been so deep that it altered people’s personalities, according to research. Previously psychologists have failed to find a link between collective stressful events, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, and personality change. However, something about the losses experienced or simply the long grind of social isolation appears to have made an impact. “Younger adults became...

By Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat, Photo: MediaNews Group/Getty Images, September 27, 2022 Kelly King was able to do something this summer she’d never been able to before: pay students to help others. King, who works for the school district on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, used federal COVID aid to hire three rising high school seniors to staff a booth at a riverside park. There, as crowds flocked to a farmers market and free concerts, the students told residents how local schools could help families...

Peer Workers United is a support group for peer workers and for others who are interested in learning more about peer work. Together, we share the ups and downs of our daily lives and the trials, tribulations and achievements of peer support work. Phillip Fleming, Tishna Lopez, Meesha Dyson & Judith Berman are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.