Blog

By Xenia Shih Bion, Illustration by Ard Su, California Health Care Foundation, May 13, 2021 At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff of Asian Health Services (AHS) in Oakland noticed something worrisome. The city’s Chinatown district, where the community health center operates a few clinics, had lost its routine hustle and bustle. “The streets were empty,” said Thu Quach, PhD, chief deputy at AHS. “We were still open, so we saw it — all of our staff members were still going into...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we want those who need support to know that You Are Not Alone . The last year has seen a 93% increase in the number of people taking anxiety screeners and a 62% increase in the number of people taking depression screeners. [1] Many of us could use a little more support right now. Fortunately, there are many practical resources available. And we've put together a curated set for you.. Drawn from the library of resources we've gathered for the Ready4K...

The Conference is Back, & We are So Excited!! July 28-30, 2021 {Virtual} 11 AM - 4 PM EST While our first choice would always be to see you in person, there are benefits to providing this conference experience in a virtual format: We've gathered some of the most respected leaders in the field for SEL, trauma-informed practices, resilience, student voice, equity, & more. We've handpicked our team to provide you with a meaningful experience. All sessions will be recorded, so you can...

Adverse babyhood experiences (ABEs) are a new construct derived from large bodies of evidence that identify a different group of risk factors from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ABEs occur before a child’s 3rd birthday to influence infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. ABEs are also risk factors for chronic illnesses and other chronic conditions in the child as well as symptoms in parents.

Our brains do a lot of things without our conscious control. For example, we breathe without thinking about it. We make split-second decisions without thinking. And we often pick up ideas from around us without even knowing it. Sometimes these unconsciously learned ideas, whether positive or negative, can spill over into hot topic areas such as race, gender, education, medicine, and religion. In other words, we have implicit biases.

April 20, 2021 - A study conducted by The University of Alabama College of Human Environmental Sciences and The University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research in collaboration with the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/The Children’s Trust Fund provides insight for the critical public policy issue of child maltreatment in our State. These entities released, “The Cost of Child Maltreatment to the Alabama Economy” during a press conference held Tuesday, April...

There’s one kind of romantic relationship that I wouldn’t wish on anyone — and that’s the kind that’s been made intense by a trauma bond. This another name for dynamic also known as “intermittent reinforcement, where one person gives intense affection and approval to the other person, and then alternates it with neglect, disapproval, abandonment or even abuse. You would think this kind of emotional on/off torture — blowing hot and then cold to the point of cruelty — would it drive away...

By Neima Abdulahi, 11 Alive, May 13, 2021 The Derek Chauvin trial sparked conversations about justice for Black lives, the trend of killings of unarmed African Americans, and what healing looks like for Black communities. As Atlanta nears the one year since the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks, 11Alive takes a broader look at racial trauma and its multi-generational factors. From the families of Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery , Jimmy Atchison, and Jamarion Robinson , their shared pain...

By Donald E. Miller, University of Southern California, May 14, 2021 The pandemic has been a period of acute trauma at many levels. More than 3 million people have died globally from COVID-19, including over 600,000 in the United States. Doctors and nurses have experienced a moral crisis, feeling that perhaps they could have done more in spite of the tremendous demands on their time and resources. Families separated from loved ones , even those in their dying moments, are dealing with their...

By Richard Morgan, The Washington Post, May 15, 2021 Even with a pandemic raging, Nadine Burke Harris , a pediatrician who is serving as the first state surgeon general of California, set a goal that had nothing to do with the coronavirus : training 20,000 medical professionals in her state in a kind of health assessment known as the ACEs score. ACEs stands for adverse childhood experiences. A person’s score is typically a tally of how many of 10 such traumas — specific kinds of abuse,...

By Gabrielle Canon, The Guardian, May 11, 2021 Tucked under a highway overpass in West Oakland , just beyond a graveyard of charred cars and dumped debris, lies an unexpected refuge. There’s a collection of beautiful, small structures built from foraged materials. There’s a hot shower, a fully stocked kitchen and health clinic. There’s a free “store” offering donated items including clothes and books, and a composting toilet. There are stone and gravel paths lined with flowers and vegetable...

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month and World Day of the Boy Child (WDBC) at 2:00 p.m. EST on Sunday May 16, 2021, ACEs Caribbean Community will be hosting its first "Live" online chat on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Caribbean. In a virtual discussion titled "ACEs & The Boy Child", we will speak with the founder of World Day of the Boy Child, Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, and explore Mental Health and the damaging effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on...