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Here's another in a little series we're posting over on the Lancaster County (PA) ACES & Resilience Connection site to promote a regular practice to "take five" (minutes) for self-care. Sharing with the wider ACES Connection community in case it's helpful. Peace. Be well, everyone. In an article last week in Harvard Business Review, titled “That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief”, grief expert David Kessler names the multiple types of losses we’re experiencing in the midst of the...

We have been so encouraged to hear how HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) is a natural fit for ACES Connection. Children who grow up in safe, stable and equitable environments are less likely to experience poor mental and physical health as adults. It is crucial to ask caregivers about the types of environments their children are experiencing. Celebrate the positive and work with families to help ensure their child has the opportunity to live, learn and play in safe and...

I am excited to share this children's book that explains the coronavirus to children! Thank you to Donna Gaffney for sending this my way! Retrieved from: https://nosycrow.com/blog/released-today-free-information-book-explaining-coronavirus-children-illustrated-gruffalo-illustrator-axel-scheffler/ The book answers key questions in simple language appropriate for 5 to 9-year-olds: • What is the coronavirus? • How do you catch the coronavirus? • What happens if you catch the coronavirus? • Why...

By Denise Royal, CNN, April 5, 2020 Anthony B. used to get to his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings early enough to set up the folding chairs synonymous with the gatherings. For Anthony it was a small way to contribute and also spend extra time with those like himself in recovery. "After we set up the chairs, we grab a bite to eat and catch up," he said. "The meeting before the meeting is another way that we support each other." [ Please click here to read more .]

By Kerry Benson, Brown University, April 9, 2020 As novel coronavirus cases continue to increase across the nation, health professionals on the front lines face frightening realities, rising anxiety and the very real potential for burnout. “Health care providers are under tremendous pressure right now,” said Dr. Jud Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. “Physician burnout was already reaching ‘epidemic’ proportions before this pandemic...

By John Kelly, The Chronicle of Social Change, April 1, 2020 Congress passed, and President Trump has signed, the CARES Act, a massive piece of stimulus legislation aimed at shoring up the American economy and protecting workers and businesses in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. One of the nation’s largest employment sectors – human services, a field dominated by nonprofits delivering contracted help to children and families – secured some relief as Americans prepare for a recession...

By James McGinnis, April 8, 2020, Burlington County Times. The national disaster distress helpline is available for anyone. Call 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 for a counselor. Editor’s note : This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to the Bucks County Courier Times at buckscountycouriertimes.com/subscribenow or at The Intelligencer at theintell.com/subscribenow You...

Wishing everyone peace and love during these difficult times . Take care, Michael. “Don't stress the could haves, if it should have, it would have.” - Unknown “How we perceive a situation and how we react to it is the basis of our stress. If you focus on the negative in any situation, you can expect high stress levels. However, if you try and see the good in the situation, your stress levels will greatly diminish.” – Catherine Pulsifer “Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but...

By Bert Pepper MD., March 18, 2020, Psychology Today How a men's group helped survivors deal with secrets of the past. When I was a young psychiatrist, I worked with Vietnam veterans traumatized by what happened to them, what they had seen, and what they had done. As I treated these veterans and studied PTSD , I realized that what I was learning could apply to help women. The first rape crisis units and shelters for battered women opened in the 1970s, at which time we also began learning...

Dave Granlund This week, we're hosting two more 'A Better Normal' discussions: on Thursday, April 9; and Friday, April 10, 2020....12 pm PT/ 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT/ 3 pm ET. Thursday, April 9, 2020 Ingrid Cockhren, ACEs Connection community facilitator and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) expert, and Joshunda Sanders , freelance journalist and author ( The Beautiful Darkness: A Handbook for Orphans ) , lead a conversation focused on the inequities in our healthcare system and how those...

In a conversation this morning, like I know many are having, the question of staying hopeful amidst the pain and suffering so many are experiencing in this pandemic came up. It made me think of author Pauline Boss and her book Loss, Trauma and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss. When first introduced to this book many years ago, I was intrigued with the term "ambiguous loss" and found that several events in my life fit Boss' statement that those who suffer losses without...