Blog

In this installment of A Better Normal community discussion, ACEs Connection's Race & Equity workgroup reconvenes and discusses ACEs Connection’s internal processes to address racism, racial trauma and civil unrest. In this discussion, we will highlight the five ways ACEs initiatives, including our own, get DEI wrong. Discussions will include racial trauma, historical trauma, healing centered practices and effective DEI strategies. In addition to our internal processes, ACEs Connection...

By Richard A. Bryant, Clinical Psychology Review, January 24, 2021 Abstract Although many attempts have been made to limit development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by early intervention after trauma exposure, these attempts have achieved only modest success. This review critiques the biological and cognitive strategies used for early intervention and outlines the extent to which they have prevented PTSD. The major predictors of PTSD are reviewed, with an emphasis on potential...

The New River Valley (NRV) Resiliency Network is a fantastic example of the importance of a trauma-informed response to your network itself. When the pandemic hit in March, many of us were forced to halt business-as-usual and imagine different approaches to our work and our daily lives. Andi Golusky, executive director of NRV CARES, is the NRV Resiliency Network Co-Coordinator with James Pritchett, Executive Director of New River Valley Community Services (NRVCS). Andi describes the time the...

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By Sarah McDermott, British Broadcasting Corporation, January 24, 2021 Jesse Thistle spent more than a decade on the streets and in jail. But despite this he has managed to become an expert on the culture of his Indigenous Canadian ancestors - with the help of his mother, from whom he was separated as a young child. Sometimes, at night, feeling humiliated after a day of begging, Jesse Thistle would walk up to the fountain on Ottawa's Parliament Hill. Sitting on the edge of the monument, he...

By Cailin O'Connor, Center for the Study of Social Policy, December 2020 This report summarizes survey findings from organizational partners and members of the Strengthening Families National Network interested in using the Protective Factors Framework in their community-level approach and their viewpoints on community conditions that support child and family outcomes. Find the executive summary for the report here. [ Please click here to access the repor t.]

By Riverbender, January 27, 2021 Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, will host a free, virtual Trauma 101 training on February 24 from 10-11:30 a.m. Children who have experienced complex trauma often have difficulty identifying, expressing, and managing emotions, which can lead to their behavior being unpredictable and explosive. Traumatic experiences in childhood have been linked to increased physical and mental health issues that can last into adulthood. This training...

Dear ACES Connection partners, I hope you are well. I’m writing to ask for your consideration to sign on to a budget request led by Assemblywoman Rubio, Alliance for Children’s Rights, Children’s Law Center, John Burton Advocates for Youth, National Center for Youth Law and Black Women for Wellness. We are prioritizing this budget ask and the companion bill AB 366 since it would expand a direct cash payment to our expectant youth and nonminor dependents in foster care. Let me know if you...

T ransforming Trauma Episode 034: Trauma Healing, Hope and Bringing NARM into Residential Treatment with Deirdre Stewart In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Sarah Buino interviews guest Deirdre Stewart, the Vice President of Trauma Resolution Services for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare in Wickenburg, Arizona. The Meadows is a well-known, cutting-edge treatment facility providing a full continuum of care, specializing in trauma and addiction. In addition to being a NARM Therapist,...

February 1, 2021 This article will focus on the final six symptoms: Feeling different from other people Feeling ashamed Feeling guilty Difficulty maintaining relationships Seeking out or becoming a rescuer Feeling constantly afraid Let’s examine together each symptom and what it means to those who experience them. The Final Six Symptoms of CPTSD Let’s take a closer look at the symptoms listed above. Feeling Different from Other People Due to the causes of CPTSD, many who are living under its...

As we are all living under the mandate of social distancing we find almost everyone struggling with the ethos of our current stressful environment. As human beings, we were created to connect with one another. Our brains have mirror neurons that help us socialize and communicate by reading the expressions of others. The famous evolutionist Charles Darwin concluded that it would be those who were most ‘sympathetic’ to each other, in other words generous, altruistic, and compassionate, that...

Hello everyone! I wanted to introduce our new interest-based community, 16 Strong Project. 16 Strong works directly with adolescents to empower resilience to ACEs through educational workshops, school partnerships, and community outreach. We strive to continue conversations that help young people navigate the challenges they are facing as a result of ACEs. Through our new ACEs Connection community, we hope to engage individuals who work directly with youth ages 12-25, as well as young...