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"I think that all of us, regardless of our racial or ethnic background, feel relieved that we no longer have to deal with the racism and the sexism associated with the system of slavery. But we treat the history of enslavement like we treat the genocidal colonization of indigenous people in North America, as if it was not that important, or worse, as if it never happened." —Angela Davis, "The Meaning of Freedom" Please join us for the ongoing community discussion of A Better Normal, our...

Returning to my childhood hometown is always surreal. The memories flood my soul. Some good. Many sad. They all have meaning in the life I live.

Jenna Riemersma is the founder and clinical director of the Atlanta Center for Relational Healing, and teaching faculty for the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP). Jenna holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a Masters Degree in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University. She is a licensed professional counselor and a certified sex addiction therapist supervisor.

By Michael Burke, EdSource, June 24, 2020. The school police department in Los Angeles Unified, the largest school police force in the nation, will remain intact and fully funded — although reform remains possible in the near future. Despite mounting demands from students, activists and labor unions to diminish the role of school police in California’s largest school district, the L.A. Unified school board on Tuesday evening rejected two motions that would have reduced spending on the...

By Michael Rubino, Ph.D, MFT, Patch, June 21, 2020. We often expect children to be able to do things they are not emotionally ready for yet. One example one thing I observe on a regular basis are teachers and parents expecting little kids to be able to control their emotions like an adult. They expect the child to be able to rationally analyze a problem. This also occurs with teenagers. Teenagers physically look like adults so we expect them to act like adults. The problem while physically...

By Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc. CHDI launched a five year initiative to improve child trauma screening across child-serving systems in Connecticut and nationwide. The initiative, Trauma ScreenTIME (Screen, Triage, Inform, Mitigate, Engage), will develop online staff training for child-serving professionals to improve early identification and support of children suffering from traumatic stress and connection to evidence-based treatment. Trauma ScreenTIME is part...

The Peace and Justice Institute (PJI) at Valencia College is excited to offer 3 free, online workshops with Dr. Ken Ginsburg , as part of a Community Resilience Series. The first workshop in this FREE series will be specifically for parents: Parenting in an Age of Uncertainty , July 7th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm EST (zoom). REGISTER HERE “As parents, we want to protect our children from witnessing the fear and uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. We wish we could take away the disruption...

The Neurobiology of Trauma: Somatic Approaches to Resilience By Jennifer Walsh As we have all come to experience over the past several months, trauma is simply a component of the human condition. While it affects both individuals and communities in a variety of ways, we have all experienced difficult, stressful, or even traumatic events over the course of our lifetime. Although social workers have traditionally worked with these vulnerable populations, there are numerous professionals...

June is normally a time for celebration among the LGBTQ community. But in the age of COVID, there will be no Pride parades, parties, or other personal gatherings with our friends and loved ones. Instead we must consider other ways to celebrate our history and shared experiences. As our nation joins voices together in condemnation of the systemic racism that led to the death of George Floyd, it is also important to hearken back to the prejudices of 50 years ago that launched the gay pride...

My organization is hiring a Marketing and Communications Coordinator which will support the Office of the Surgeon General's ACEs Initiative. See the job description below.

Know about ACEs, but wondering how to apply that information? Join Cowart Trauma Informed Partnership for a live webinar that will help you implement trauma informed care throughout your organization: TRAUMA INFORMED CARE Wednesday, July 1st, at 2 p.m. EDT This introductory level course is essential for anyone who works with the public. Participants will learn what trauma is, understand its possible effects, recognize the signs, and learn how to respond appropriately. Designed to address the...

By Terry Gross, npr.org, June 24, 2020 The killing of George Floyd has ignited protests and inspired conversations — and changes — across the globe. But New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones says more needs to be done to address America's racial wealth gap. "Very few Americans have created all of their wealth on their own; it's passed down through generations and then built upon," Hannah-Jones says. "Black Americans never really had a chance to do that." Hannah-Jones traces the...