Blog

By Carrie Dennett, The Seattle Times, September 23, 2019 I remember when I first heard about “epigenetics,” the study of the biological mechanisms that turn genes on and off. I was just starting the two years of science classes I had to complete before applying to graduate school for nutrition — classes I had avoided during my undergrad years studying journalism. When it came time to select a topic for a biology-class group project, I chose the intersection of diet, environment and genetics.

By Peter Nickeas, MedicalXpress, September 23, 2019 In and around Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, long-standing causes of friction like gun violence and poverty have for some families combined with newer fears of immigration crackdowns and deportation of loved ones—and mental health professionals hope to address toxic stress that can have long-term effects on the lives of very young children. Aiming to rectify the shortage of mental health care available to infants and children...

CYW has also expanded its model for healing families and communities facing childhood trauma.

The United States Department of Health & Human Services’ Children’s Bureau has developed the 2019 Prevention Resource Guide to help individuals and organizations in every community strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. The Resource Guide focuses on protective factors that build on family strengths to foster healthy child and youth development. Download a free copy of the 2019 Prevention Resource Guide by utilizing the link below! ...

By Greg Miller, The Atlantic, September 23, 2019 Suicide hotlines are based on the simple idea that a conversation with a sympathetic stranger can save a life. Historically, most suicide hotlines have been run by volunteers without advanced degrees in counseling or related fields, and there’s research to suggest that nonexperts are at least as effective, if not more so, than professionals at helping suicidal callers. Today, volunteers are an integral part of the National Suicide Prevention...

By Bloomberg American Health Initiative, September 23, 2019 ERPO laws are helping to prevent gun deaths and protect communities. Their implementation — in 17 states and the District of Columbia — is part of a national effort to reduce the daily loss of life due to firearm violence, including gun suicide. This evolving resource will be frequently updated to help implementers take action — and save lives. [ Please click here to visit .]

By Courtney E. Martin, The New York Times, September 24, 2019 When you hear the word “caregiver,” what image comes to mind? Most likely it is a woman in her 40s — someone tucking her children in with a phone call to her aging mother before bed. And in fact, this isn’t inaccurate. But did you know that of the 40 million family caregivers in America, nearly half of them are men? According to Jean Accius of AARP, these once invisible men are starting to “come out” publicly. Dr. Accius has...

You were not born in the wrong body.

Thank you, Matt, for teaching me even more about ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), trauma recovery, your books "Connecting Paradigms: A Trauma-Informed & Neurobiological Framework for Motivational Interviewing Implementation" and "Connecting Paradigms, Talking about Trauma & Change: A Connecting Paradigms’ Supplement".

Trauma is never an easy thing to deal with. Sometimes, it can be so painful that we try to avoid it or numb ourselves to the whole situation completely. Personally, I was lacking the emotional intelligence needed to deal with my trauma. My inability to deal with my issues led me down a path of denial, self-destruction, and increasingly difficult pain. Denial and Oblivion When I was 12 years old, I was raped at a 4th of July party. I entered that party with my innocence intact, but when I...

Benchmark’s 4 th annual Partnering For Excellence (PFE) conference, “Envisioning Resilient Communities” was held September 11 th and 12 th in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. To open the second day of the conference, Andrew Schrag, Regional Director of Community Operations for Partners Behavioral Health Management (Partners BHM) inspired the audience to reflect on “Why PFE” as a model to help children and their families impacted by trauma. To express this, he shared with the audience why...

By Peter Nickeas, Chicago Tribune, September 20, 2019 In and around Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, long-standing causes of friction like gun violence and poverty have for some families combined with newer fears of immigration crackdowns and deportation of loved ones — and mental health professionals hope to address toxic stress that can have long-term effects on the lives of very young children. Aiming to rectify the shortage of mental health care available to infants and children...