Blog

You may remember a book teaser post back in October of last year ( https://www.acesconnection.com/blog/506853843165391754 ). Or maybe you don't! Either way, the post was a preview of The Whole Child School: Practical Applications for the Non-Academic Needs of All K-12 Students. It is now available in both eBook and paperback, with an audiobook in the works! If you don't want to check out the October blog post, here is a summary from the author: Whole Child Initiative, Whole Community, Whole...

By Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times, May 12, 2021 Our exercise habits may influence our sense of purpose in life and our sense of purpose may affect how much we exercise, according to an interesting new study of the reciprocal effects of feeling your life has meaning and being often in motion. The study, which involved more than 18,000 middle-aged and older men and women, found that those with the most stalwart sense of purpose at the start were the most likely to become active over...

By Healio Primary Care, Healio News, May 13, 2021 National Women’s Health Week is observed each year, starting on Mother’s Day, to encourage women and girls to take care of their physical and mental health. The observance, which runs from May 9 through May 15 this year, is led by the HHS’ Office on Women’s Health. The CDC and HHS shared steps that women and girls can take to improve their health, including: attending regular health screenings and exams; exercising and maintaining a balanced...

By Amanda Nguyen, Forbes, May 13, 2021 “I was born in prison, rented to the foster care system, then leased back to prison.” After she was born to an incarcerated mother and faced an unstable childhood, Shawanna Vaughn found herself back behind bars by the age of 17. “Walking into prison at 17 was the most traumatic experience of my life,” she remembers. She shared a cell with convicted murderers, mothers and young women. [ Please click here to read more .]

By Jill Suttie, Greater Good Magazine, May 12, 2021 When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he assured Americans of their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This idea seems to lead many Americans to chase after new gadgets and hedonistic pleasures. But what if that approach is wrong? What if happiness comes from aiming to make others happy, instead of doing nice things for yourself? That is exactly what a recent study found. In the experiment, college...

The nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act has several buckets of funding that can be used to promote trauma-informed and healing-centered projects. PACEs Connection communities can apply for this funding, according to leaders of the Campaign for Trauma-informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP), the National Trauma Campaign, and PACEs Connection. The “Better Normal” webinar on Friday, May 14 at 3 p.m. EST; Noon PST, Dan Press, Jesse Kohler and Marlo Nash of CTIPP will begin by describing...

In addition to the launch of our State of CAre provider engagement campaign today , ACEs Aware and California Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, are partnering with the national ACE Resource Network on a consumer education campaign designed to raise awareness and understanding of ACEs and toxic stress. The campaign’s theme, “The Story of Your Number,” is a reference to understanding the story behind one’s ACE score, and how this can support and empower people and families to heal.

SACRAMENTO – May 13, 2021 – The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) today launched the “ State of CAre ” health care provider engagement campaign to expand the reach and impact of the ACEs Aware initiative . The campaign slogan is, “Our State of CAre is ACEs Aware.” The campaign uses digital and print media to raise awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the long-term health effects they can have on children and...

I learned an important concept about how to feel emotions again safely – especially after trauma– over 26 years ago from my favorite graduate school professor, the late Terry Taylor Smith, LMFT: “And” is a powerful word. As a concept for healing, it’s life-changing. Once you start to employ this concept in your life, the possibilities are pretty incredible. I can’t think of a better time to write about how to feel and hold emotions. When so many are feeling numb and overwhelmed, “and” is...

I'm reposting (below) what Mathew Portell has been sharing on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn about his live podcast tonight. I'm excited to be his guest talking about Parenting with ACEs, as well as about grief, loss, healing, and living with cancer. We will be live on Facebook at 4p.m. PST (6p.m. CST, 7p.m. EST). Please join us. Paradigm Shift Education Trauma Informed Educators Network Trauma Informed Educators Network Podcast Mathew Portell Cissy White supports individuals and...

There is no doubt that the coronavirus has taken the world’s collective breath away. People are getting sick by the thousands, with many not surviving. The governments around the globe have mostly shut down their countries to help prevent Covid19 as it kills even more people. As a result of these government measures, people are being either encouraged or forced to remain at home. For some, this means isolating alone. How should a person, especially if they live alone, handle the inevitable...

By Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, MIT Sloan Management Review, June 17, 2020 Research shows us that even in normal times, constant exposure to negative news can have a heavy impact on our mental health . In the midst of an unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, people are not only faced with new challenges in their work and personal lives but also subjected to a constant barrage of troubling headlines. Among other things, negative news increases the level of...