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In 2015, Dr. Beth Pletcher, a pediatrician and associate professor specializing in genetics, was at the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Washington D.C. when she heard two speakers that forever changed her work with medical students. Dr. Beth Pletcher “I went to two talks on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that were so mind-boggling to me that I decided on my drive back to New Jersey that I had to do something about it,”says Pletcher, director of the Division...

Elementary school staff are seeing more students than ever enter kindergarten without the academic, social and emotional skills they need to be successful. The impact is seen in disruptive behaviors day-to-day, as well as the long-term effects of not all students meeting kindergarten assessment standards , reading on grade level or graduating from high school . Catholic Community Services wants to change that, beginning before the children even start school. With the help of multiple...

Eight states are participating in a project from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) that aims to break down the silos and the barriers that exist among different agencies and better connect Medicaid to early childhood programs. An infant is born into poverty, and then later, as a young child, may interact with multiple different government agencies and systems—not only Medicaid, but also perinatal health care, early intervention, child care, preschool education, and more.

'Two converging crises': Low supply, rising rents PORTLAND, Ore. - Affordable housing and homelessness together represents a statewide crisis that must be tackled by all levels of government, philanthropy, non-profits and businesses working together on collaborative solutions, says a new report by economic research firm ECONorthwest and commissioned by Oregon Community Foundation. The report announced Wednesday shows that Oregon has a disproportionately large population of homeless people,...

Please join us on Thursday, March 21st for a special virtual screening of Broken Places , the latest U.S. documentary on early childhood trauma and resilience. The film will be offered via a private Vimeo link with passcode to all registered members of ACEs Connection, for free, accessible in the United States and internationally. REGISTER TODAY: To register, please visit : https://goo.gl/forms/apdoINwgtQmydEXK2 The viewing portal for the film will open on Vimeo at 6am EST and close at 11pm...

From racism to childhood trauma, living-wage jobs SALEM, Ore. - Oregon's next State Health Improvement Plan will take on social factors that can affect people’s health, including exposure to racism, childhood trauma, living-wage jobs, food security and access to health care, the Oregon Health Authority said Friday. The PartnerSHIP, a steering committee responsible for developing the 2020-2024 SHIP, determined the priorities during a meeting on Feb. 12. They include: Institutional bias : This...

Lawmakers considered two more bills this week designed to prevent the death of younger Oregonians -- a major problem in the state. Senate Bill 707 would establish an advisory committee of community members, state experts and nonprofit professionals to recommend regulatory changes to prevent the suicide of young people. A group currently exists that propelled many of the bills this session aimed at preventing suicide. But it could be disbanded with a change in leadership. The bill would...

MEDFORD, Ore. – Today high school students around the Rogue Valley got the opportunity of a lifetime. Derek Deboer and his wife Brooke are a part of a program called Pictures of Hope. 12 high school students ranging from sophomore to senior met at Larks in Medford. Each student will get a digital camera to help document their hopes and dreams. Derek DeBoer owner of TC Chevrolet said "usually one of the kid’s hopes and wildest dreams is to have a college education and one of the things that...

Please join ACEs Connection and the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) for a free webinar to learn how to drive public-policy change without violating the restrictions on non-profit organizations or the requirements of funders. It will beheld on Thursday, March 14 (9:00-10:30 am PT/noon-1:30 pm ET). The featured speaker of the webinar, “Strategic Advocacy: Winning Policy Change without Crossing the Lobbying Line,” is attorney Allen Mattison, an expert at helping...

A recent initiative from America’s Promise Alliance —an organization best known for its efforts to boost high school graduation rates—supports work with communities to improve health in schools. Addressing trauma will be a major focus of that work, which is backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and reflects growing interest among funders and nonprofits in this area. The organization is working on six community-led projects to make schools more healthy. Communities identified their own...

The Tribune is looking for nominees for this year's Amazing Kids award, honoring young people who make a difference in their communities. Do you know a young person who puts the needs of others before themselves? Or has overcome hardship but still perseveres to make a difference in their community? If so, they would be a great candidate to be honored as a 2019 Pamplin Media Group Amazing Kid. Each year, newspapers across the Pamplin Media Group, including the Forest Grove News-Times, the...

Trauma-informed care in Tillamook School District highlighted in state visit Tillamook schools gave the Oregon State Board of Education a glimpse of local success during a traveling meeting of the agency. The Board met at the Tillamook School District Office on Thursday, Jan. 17. The state education board plans a board meeting every year in a community outside of its Salem headquarters. They choose a school district that has demonstrated progressive, innovative and effective work. Tillamook...