Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, this research article features a study examining how mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were associated with their children's developmental risk. The mothers' depressive symptoms and health were considered. The study concluded that mothers' ACEs are significantly related to their children's developmental risk, suggesting that addressing intergenerational trauma by focusing on childhood adversity in children's caregivers may be an important factor in promoting child development.

The National Criminal Justice Training Center hosted a three-part webinar series to provide support staff, administrators, and professionals with training on understanding trauma and successful ways to interact with traumatized clients: Part 1 presented an overview of trauma; Part 2 focused on intergenerational trauma, the people impacted by trauma, and how criminal behavior and trauma are connected; and Part 3 highlighted ways to interact with traumatized clients.

This issue brief identifies the correlation of racial trauma and trauma caused in family violence. The brief covers issues of structurally embedded inequalities, how individual actions cause racial trauma, and racial trauma’s impact on communities of color. Beyond the research, the brief features approaches taken in Virginia that individuals, communities, organizations, and service professionals could adopt to prevent and mitigate race-based traumatic stress.

This report by Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) provides a comprehensive analysis of various ways in which poverty can affect families, and discusses the intergenerational model developed by EMPath to combat these effects. The authors emphasize how poverty impacts families at three key levels: outcome level, inner-self level, and family level. EMPath’s intergenerational model incorporates assessment, goal setting, coaching, and incentives for each individual (adult/child) in the family, as well as the family as a whole to address all three levels and disrupt the cycle of poverty. The report also includes direct quotes from families participating in EMPath’s programs taken through interviews and focus groups to help develop understanding of poverty’s effects on families.

This CLASP webinar on May 20, 2020 focused on learning from lived experiences of young parents of color and their perspective on mental health. The two presentations by Dr. Nia West-Bey and Clelie Choute were comprised of qualitative reports based on conversations with young parents about the role of intergenerational trauma in shaping families’ relationships to mental health. They identified unique forms of trauma and chronic stress to which young parents are susceptible, such as infant mortality, environmental stress, deferring dreams, and stress linked to policy and program barriers. The webinar offered practice, program, and policy solutions to address their mental health needs.

This Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) webpage highlights ASPE’s Trauma-Informed Approaches project, which examined trauma-informed approaches and their impacts in community settings, and the need for further information. Links are provided to an overview of research and profiles of trauma-informed programs, a research summary of trauma-informed initiatives, and select trauma-informed program profiles.

The National Indian Child Welfare Association has produced a toolkit designed for family advocates, child welfare workers, and agencies engaging American Indian and Alaska Native children and families in Systems of Care (SOC). Developed and designed by Indian people, the toolkit is a comprehensive collection of best practices, tribal protective factors, strategies for overcoming trauma and mistrust, outreach techniques, and culturally-based practical examples of how to support and enhance family engagement at all levels of the SOC structure. The toolkit also includes information on trainings and a listing of useful online resources.

Children living in poverty are less likely to participate in structured learning activities during the summer months; Boston After School & Beyond, a citywide program based in Boston, Massachusetts, seeks to address the achievement gap between low-income students and their peers by offering a menu of online learning services and resources to support student enrichment and learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A network of partners provides these enrichment supports, including learning and skills-building, meals delivery, and meeting emergency needs. The partners include: CitySprouts, Breakthrough Greater Boston, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, 3Point Foundation, African Community Economic Development of New England, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and others.

This Indian Health Service grant announcement provides 501(c)(3) organizations an opportunity to apply for funding to support a variety of services to improve the healthcare of the American Indian/Alaska Native community through outreach and education efforts. Eligible organizations include those with expertise in representing Tribal governments and administering national health policy and health programs, including work in substance abuse and suicide prevention, domestic violence prevention, HIV/AIDS outreach and education, and diabetes work. The application closing date is June 29, 2020.

In this Aspen Ideas to Go podcast, a panel of child and adolescent experts define anxiety and stress and offer coping strategies to parents to help support them in their interactions with their children at various stages of their development. In the wake of COVID-19, children and teenagers have experienced disruptions in their normal activities and routines, including attending school and play time with friends and family. Many adolescents and teens are experiencing emotional distress, worry, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Taking a whole family approach, the panel addresses these behaviors and stressors and provides guidance to parents on being honest and clear with their communications, speaking in age appropriate language, filtering out misinformation, and monitoring the news. In addition, the experts also offer parents guidance on managing their own self-care and mental health during this time of uncertainty.