4th Annual Gathering of Collaboratives Addressing ACEs - Minnesota Communities Caring for Children

WELCOME to Growing Resilient Communities

4th Annual Gathering of Collaboratives Addressing ACEs

Recording links and Handouts

Welcome! On this website you will find links to the keynote and breakout sessions, along with handouts from the Growing Resilient Communities: The 4th Annual Gathering of Collaboratives Addressing ACEs

This event is offered in hopes of developing and implementing community-wide approaches for Building Self-Healing Communities. Communities all over Minnesota are engaging their members and local creativity to heal, build resilience, and reduce the impact of ACEs – both Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adverse Community Environments. These efforts are needed now more than ever in the face of pandemics and uprisings. This event provides an opportunity for partners across MN communities to share their collective wisdom to address the questions and challenges we are facing today, from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the pre-existing inequities that cannot be ignored, and more!

This event and resources are brought to you by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and FamilyWise Services, with additional support from the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Not very familiar with NEAR (Neurobiology, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resiliency) science? Click HERE to access the Conference Pre-reads.

General Handouts and Flyers

Handouts for specific breakout sessions can be found in the breakout session descriptions.

Gathering Schedule

Wednesday, June 2nd

9:15 AM– 9:45 AM

Gathering Welcome
Gathering Orientation

10:00 AM- 12:00 PM

7 Collaborative Regions - Regional Discussions

Facilitated by Collaborative Coordinators and FamilyWise Regional Staff, these discussions will focus on expanding partnerships, sharing resources, and learning about promising practices that support children and families.

12:15 PM- 1:00 PM

Special Session for Children's Mental Health and Family Services Collaboratives

Thursday, June 3rd

9:15 AM– 10:30 AM

Breakout Session 1

10:45 AM- 12:00 PM

Breakout Session 2

12:15 PM- 12:45 PM

Break
15-minute Mindfulness Practice

1:00 PM- 2:30 PM

KEYNOTE Understanding and Breaking Legacies of Stress facilitated by Dr. Brian Dias - national scholar and lead author of the “Cherry Blossom Study”.

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021

Session Information and Handouts

Links for Recording Access

9:15 AM – 9:45 AM. Gathering Welcome

Click Here for Session

Link: Gathering Welcome

Time: 30 Minutes

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Minnesota Collaborative Regional Discussions by 7 Collaborative Regions

Seven simultaneous regional discussions by Collaborative regions will be facilitated by Collaborative partners and FamilyWise Services Regional Staff and will focus on expanding partnerships and sharing resources. These will include breakout discussions that delve into issues impacting children, youth, and families in each region.

Handouts:

Click on this link to find your regional session: Map of Minnesota counties for Gathering

12:15 PM – 1:00 PM. Working Lunch for CMHC and FSC Coordinators

This special session offered to Children’s Mental Health and Family Services Collaborative Coordinators will provide:

Collaborative Coordinator networking and introductions
A summary of key themes from the regional discussions
An introduction to the new virtual SLACK channel, which will be dedicated as a space for Collaborative Coordinators to connect, ask each other questions, and share resources
An overview of More Resilient Minnesota phases with time for questions and answers about the initiative

Click Here for Recording

Link: Working Lunch

Time: 45 Minutes

Thursday, June 3rd, 2021

Session Information and Handouts

Links for Recording Access

9:15 AM - 10:30 AM. Equity Centered Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Adults and Youth with Stacy Bender-Fayette and Linsey McMurrin

Session Description:

"SEL can be used to intentionally drive systemic change, uplift marginalized voices, and promote belonging and equity.” CASEL (Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning) In this workshop, we will explore how social and emotional learning (SEL) can be a key strategy in promoting the understanding of equity in schools and communities.

Objectives:

Defining equity-centered SEL
Explore SEL’s role in uniting sectors and building self-healing communities
Discuss how to elevate a strengths-based and culturally affirming understanding of SEL

Handouts:

Linsey McMurrin

FamilyWise Services

Director of Prevention Initiatives & Tribal Projects

Linsey, a citizen of the Leech Lake Nation of Ojibwe, strives to serve our communities in a culturally affirming way to promote truth-seeking, healing, and change. She is the Director of Prevention Initiatives and Tribal Projects at FamilyWise Services. She joined the MCCC/FamilyWise team in July 2017 and coordinates the organization’s ACE Interface training and Self-Healing Communities efforts in the North Central region of MN.

She also directs the Tribal NEAR Science and Community Wisdom Project. Linsey's work focuses on understanding how we are impacted by our experiences and the experiences of those that have come before us, allowing us to build more authentic relationships and connections through healing-centered engagement. Linsey advocates for equity-centered and community-driven work, believing that cultural humility, social-emotional skill development, and a commitment to lifelong learning, unlearning, and growth are central components in supporting thriving individuals, families, and communities.

Stacy Bender-Fayette

Peacemaker Resources

Social-Emotional Learning Specialist

Stacy has been in the field of education for 24 years. Most of her teaching experience has been focused on teacher professional development. For Peacemaker Resources, Stacy helps to facilitate the STAR (Students Teaching Attitudes of Respect) program, teaches social-emotional learning skills to children, and provides teacher professional development in the areas of resiliency, positive psychology, and mindfulness. Stacy is a certified ACE Interface Trainer, a graduate of the Mindful Schools Teacher Certification Program, a YogaCalm Certified Youth Instructor, and a LINK to Equity Cultural Humility Facilitator. She has a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and has taught in Grand Forks, Cass Lake, and Bemidji. Stacy believes that the strongest educational models foster both academic success and compassionate character development.

Click Here for Recording

Equity Centered Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Adults and Youth with Stacy Bender-Fayette and Linsey McMurrin

Link: Equity Centered SEL

Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

9:15 AM - 10:30 AM. Bootstrap Storytelling: How to Amplify Community Voices to Create Change with Cary Walski, Nausheena Hussain, and Laura Matanah

Session Description:

A single story can change the world. In this session, we'll talk about how grassroots community organizers and professionals committed to creating change can learn to identify stories and communicate more effectively. You will hear first-hand from experienced organizers how they've advocated for their work with low to no resources.

Moderator: Cary Walski

Owner & CEO
Copilot & Tiny Tiger Creative
she/her/hers

Cary has founded two woman-owned web agencies, one that focuses on the needs of nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, and the other created to empower women to own their ambition, and pursue their world-changing ideas. An award-winning web developer, she has spoken locally and nationally about technology and communications for a variety of organizations including MCN, MCF, Idealware, and NTEN.

Panelist: Nausheena Hussain

Executive Director
Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE

she/her/hers

Nausheena Hussain is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE), a nonprofit whose mission is to amplify the voices and power of Muslim women by building networks, storytelling, leadership development and civic engagement.

Nausheena graduated from the University of Minnesota cum laude in 2003 with her MBA in Marketing and Healthcare Administration. She holds certificates in Executive Leadership from Stanford and Harvard Universities. She is a fellow graduate from the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, Studio/E entrepreneurial program, Rockwood Institute Fellow, and is a 2016 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow. Because of her hard work and dedication, Nausheena has been recognized for her achievements. She was named the 2012 Catalytic Leader by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. In 2016, the Minnesota Women’s Press named her “Changemaker of the Year.”

Panalist: Laura Matanah

Executive Director
Compassionate Care for Animals, Founder of Rainbow Rumpus
she/her/hers

Laura Matanah has spent much of her life working with others to craft stories. As a teacher, she helped elementary students begin to find their voice in writing. As Executive Director of Rainbow Rumpus, she worked with others to publish children's literature centering the experiences of children from LGBT-headed homes. Now, as the Executive Director of Compassionate Action for Animals, she spends time with cows and shares stories about the transformative power of plant-based eating.

Click Here for Recording

Bootstrap Storytelling: How to Amplify Community voices to Create Change with Cary Walski

Link: Bootstrap Storytelling

Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

9:15 AM - 10:30 AM. 2019 Minnesota Student Survey: Adversity and Protective Factors Data – Broadening the Understanding of the Student Experience with Jacquelyn Freund

Session Description:

We know that the core adverse childhood experiences (including parental incarceration, abuse, and household dysfunction) are associated with mental and physical health problems for children and adults. However, there are many other factors that contribute to the health and well-being of Minnesotans—both positive and negative. We’ll explore Minnesota Student Survey items and community data that are outside the standard ACEs scale but are also associated with health outcomes. These additional items can help your community assess local conditions and prioritize strategies to address trauma and build resilience.

Handouts:

MSS PowerPoint

The Gathering 2021 Beyond the Core 10 ACEs

Jacquelyn Freund

EpiCog, LLC

Senior Research Scientist

Jacquelyn helps communities analyze and make sense of their data to further their prevention goals. She works with FamilyWise to use local data to inform ACEs prevention programs in Minnesota; she also works with the Department of Human Services State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, where she maintains the website, Substance Use in Minnesota (sumn.org), and helps communities acquire, analyze, and interpret data relevant to their substance use prevention and mental health goals. She loves working with the Minnesota Student Survey and enjoys helping communities implement data-driven strategies to improve the lives of children in her home state.

Jacquelyn lives with her wife in the vibrant Payne-Phalen neighborhood of Saint Paul. She loves her dogs, her gardens, and her neighbors.

Click Here for Recording

2019 Minnesota Student Survey: Adversity & Protective Factors Data - Broadening the Understanding of the Student Experience with Jacquelyn Freund

Link: 2019 MN Student Survey

Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM. From Prediction to Awareness to Mindfulness: Shifting into the Power of the Present Moment with Susan Beaulieu

Session Description:

In this experiential workshop, participants will learn about the brain as a prediction machine and practice tools for bringing awareness to our lives, including the thought-emotion loop we experience. A variety of mindfulness activities will be shared that can help tap into our inner wisdom and cultivate a different future by changing our experience of the present moment.

Handouts: Power Point Handout

Susan Beaulieu

University of Minnesota Extension

Tribal Community Facilitator

Susan is Anishinaabe from the Red Lake Nation and has been working with tribal communities for the past 14 years in a variety of capacities including project development, program education, development coaching, and facilitation. She served as the Director of Tribal Projects at Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC) for 3 years where she developed and implemented the Tribal N.E.A.R. Sciences and Community Wisdom Project. Susan is currently working for the University of Minnesota Extension as a Tribal Community Facilitator, providing resources and support to tribal communities to reduce opioid use issues and mitigate the impacts of the opioid epidemic. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Social and Administrative Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota-College of Pharmacy and received her Master’s in Public Policy degree with a focus on Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey Institute in 2007. Susan was a 2016 Bush Leadership Fellow focused on learning about generating healing and wellbeing at the individual and collective levels. She is a mother of 4 and resides with her family in the Brainerd lakes area.

Click Here for Recording

From Prediction to Awareness to Mindfulness: Shifting into the Power of the Present Moment with Susan Beaulieu

Link: From Prediction to Awareness to Mindfulness

Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Adaptations and Reintegration in Schools During the Dual Pandemic of Racism and COVID-19 with Sue Benolken

Session Description:

The dual pandemics of racism and COVID have called into question many services, supports, and resources. Minnesota schools are experiencing many adaptations and transitions right now. As the COVID pandemic stabilizes and more normal-type activities return, equity, creativity, collaboration, and flexibility remain critical in meeting the needs of students. This breakout will explore a variety of services, supports, and resources available to education personnel, students, and families that support reintegration and resiliency before, during, and after these pandemics.

Handouts:

Adapting to hybrid learning environments & reintegration considerations

Sue Benolken

Sue currently works at the Minnesota Department of Education, in the Special Education division as an Interagency Coordination Specialist. She has provided leadership to local communities as they work on developing successful implementation of the Coordinated Interagency System, ages birth to twenty-one. She has over 40 years of experience working for children with disabilities and their families. She has worked in the area of education and social services, focusing on interagency work at local, regional, and state levels. She is a system change agent skilled in the areas of policy analysis, state and community planning, and communication.

Click Here for Recording

Adaptations and Reintegration in Schools During the Dual Pandemic of Racism and COVID-19 with Sue Benolken

Link: Adaptations and Reintegrations in Schools

Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Using Local Data to Drive Community Resilience Planning with Melissa Adolfson

Session Description:

What does a more resilient community look like, and how will you measure community change? Minnesota Collaboratives moving into Phase 4 of the More Resilient Minnesota initiative are using local data to develop Community Resilience Plans. Identifying anticipated outcomes for each activity, and determining how those outcomes will be measured, are key components of the plans. This session will cover:

Concrete ideas for how to use data from ACEs fact sheets, community wisdom gathered through Community Conversations and/or 100 Cups of Coffee, and other local data to determine which activities to implement.
Tips for determining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely outcomes.
Community-friendly approaches to the collection of outcome evaluation data.

Handouts:

Phase 4 _Clarification Document

100-Cups-of-Coffee-Community-Resilience-Interview-Guide-Final

Community-Resilience-Plan-Guidance-Document-Sample-Template-Final-January-2020-1-1 (14)

More Resilient Minnesota Phase 3 - Community Resilience Conversations (May 2021)

More Resilient Minnesota Phase 4 - Community Resilience Plans & Initiatives (May 2021)

Phase 3 _Clarification Document

Melissa AdolfsonWilder Research

Research Scientist

Melissa has over a decade of research and evaluation experience. She has worked on projects addressing substance use, mental health, suicide, juvenile justice, maternal and child health, and adverse childhood experiences. Prior to joining Wilder in 2019, Melissa worked as an independent consultant and also worked for both the Education Development Center and the Minnesota Institute of Public Health. In addition to evaluation, she has extensive experience providing epidemiological training and technical assistance to communities, states, and tribal nations addressing substance misuse. She holds a master's degree in population health sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor's degree in women’s studies from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Click Here for Recording

Using Local Data to Drive Community Resilience Planning with Melissa Adolfson

Link: Using Local Data to Drive Community Resilience Planning

Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM. Mindful Grounding, Centering, and Connecting with Becky Dale

Session Description:

We'll take a little time to tune in to and connect with ourselves, our experience, one another, and the world around us. Since the 12:15-12:45 Mindful Grounding session is during the lunch hour, it will include a mindful eating exercise! Please plan to have some food near at hand -- could be just a bite of something or your whole lunch. We will do the mindful eating exercise toward the end of the session so you can continue to complete your meal mindfully in the break from 12:45-1:00 if you wish to do so.

Becky Dale

Becky Dale is an independent co-creative coach, consultant, and composer working toward healing, well-being, and connection for all. From 2001-2020, she worked as the Chief Program Officer at Minnesota Communities Caring for Children where she co-created community education and engagement work toward Understanding NEAR (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resilience) and building self-healing communities. She is a theater composer and member of the Wonderlust Productions company. She is passionate about working for racial justice and experimenting with new economic and system models that build equity.

Click Here for Recording

Mindful Grounding, Centering, and Connecting with Becky Dale

Link: Mindfulness Activity

Time: 30 Minutes