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If you're ever going to heal from childhood trauma, to become happy, connected, and doing work you love, you'll need to get out of brain fog. Brain fog is common for people who grew up with abuse and neglect. It's a feeling of fuzzy-headedness where you can't hold a thought or focus. It's almost as if your memory isn't working properly, or you’re sleepy and out of it. It can feel like there's a membrane between you and the world. It may not seem like it, but brain fog is one of the worst...

By Carolina Villamil Grest, Megan Finno-Velasquez, Julie A. Cederbaum, and Jennifer B. Unger, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, January 1, 2021 Introduction The U.S. immigrant paradox shows worsening health across generations, with U.S.-born Latinx having poorer health outcomes than immigrants. Adverse childhood experiences are associated with increased health risk over the life course, warranting further investigation. This study examines adverse childhood experience distribution...

By Kayla Johnson Brie Zeltner, The Philadelphia Tribune, January 2, 2021 Before he was out of his teens, Waltkeem Jenkins had been jumped and shot at and was diagnosed with depression. At the age of 19, Jenkins, now 23, missed a bus he usually took to get home after performing music at an open mic night at a theater in Germantown. While walking home, alone and in the dark, he noticed a group of men following him. After turning and confronting them, one of the men pulled a gun and pointed it...

By Sarah Duran, Spectrum News 1, December 21, 2020 There's no place like home for the holidays and that is exactly where Ellie, Daisy and J.P. Seastrunk will be spending Christmas this year with their newly adoptive family. The 6-year-old twin sisters and their 10-year-old brother were adopted in October after spending three years in the foster care system. "I pretty much fell in love from the moment the idea was put in front of me and we made a commitment to go ahead and say yes. We became...

By Rosemary Tisch, Psychology Today, January 1, 2021 We should be very worried”, states Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Director of Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child : · Risk for child abuse increases during economic crises. · Parental job loss due to the pandemic can have negative consequences on young children, including increased risk for psychological and physical abuse at the hands of their parents. · Emergency Room doctors are reporting more severe abuse cases, although child...

I hear the stories of trauma that my adult patients experienced when they were young and always wonder what the next generation must be going through. I firmly believe that healing the parent will contribute to a future generation of children who will not need to experience the recurring trauma their parents and grandparents endured. I am fortunate to be able to help my patients deal with their memories quickly and effectively so that they can live their lives without their continuing...

Happy 2021, ACEs Connection members and visitors! Many of us are eager to move forward this year, leaving the chaos of 2020 behind us. While 2020 challenged us with a global pandemic, nearly 2 million Covid-related deaths worldwide, coping with a staying inside, the loss of normal routines and daily life, and the loss and fear of loss of loved ones, we at ACEs Connection were honored to be able to offer some relief through this online platform and community that openly discusses solutions to...

Youth Villages opened in 1986, and now provides children’s mental health services across 24 states in over 100 locations. They take pride in increasing positive outcomes for the children and families who participate in their services. In 2018, they reported 88% of the children they previously served are living successfully at home with their families 12 months after completing their programs! Youth Villages offers various programs for children and families involved with foster care. They...

While Vision Maker Media empowers and engages Native peoples to share stories, we also view a great deal of importance in education on how to be an ally for Native Americans. As we look ahead to 2021 we hope to cultivate conversation. Check out our list of ways you can be an ally brought to you by Native American allies in our organization. 1. STOP TALKING AND LISTEN One of the most vital steps in becoming an ally to Native Americans is simply listening. There’s a lot to learn as an ally,...

Ernest Skelton, an appliance technician, was answering a routine call to Caroline Brock’s home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when they shared a conversation about racial inequality that would resonate across the U.S. and around the world. During his visit, Brock ventured to ask Skelton how he was doing. At first, he thought she was talking about the coronavirus, but she specified that she was curious about his experience as a Black man in the U.S. She posted about their interaction on...

RFQ ANNOUCEMENT: Celebrating Families! California Expansion Project – Cohort 2 Invitation to Expand Celebrating Families! Statewide The California State Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) recognizing the effectiveness of Celebrating Families! (CF!), has awarded Prevention Partnership International (PPI) a $158,333, 3- year challenge grant to (1) Identify, train and support agencies in California to provide CF! to children and families at high risk for abuse and neglect and (2) Establish...

Becoming ACEs Aware in a Challenging Year Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress represent a public health crisis that has been, until recently, largely unrecognized by our health care systems and society, but there is hope. On January 1, 2020, eligible Medi-Cal providers began to receive a $29 payment for conducting qualifying ACEs screenings for children and adults up to age 65 with full-scope Medi-Cal. As many of you know, this is part of the ACEs Aware initiative , a...