Seeking Social Justice and Advocacy for Children and Their Caregivers: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Healing Trauma, and Building Resilience*

A Colloquium Presented by Trinity Washington University’s School of Education

April 25, 2019, 1:00 pm to 8:45 pm, Main Hall: Social Hall and O’Connor Auditorium

Participate in this important Colloquium at Trinity and be informed about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and its effect on our children and community. Together, participants will begin to identify how to prevent, heal and build supports in our schools, healthcare, and community.

This Colloquium is dedicated to Relisha Rudd and all children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. The Colloquium is supported by a generous grant from the Kaiser Permanente. The ACEs term is used with permission from ACE’s Connection.

Trinity’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Initiative

Trinity’s School of Education is among the first collegiate programs to develop a holistic, structured program of study that focuses on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed and -responsive approaches across the curriculum. The School of Education faculty have dedicated themselves to preparing educators, school administrators, mental health professionals and other professionals to better serve children and caregivers who have been impacted by childhood trauma. The initiative on adverse childhood experiences and trauma is a multi-disciplinary team spearheaded by Trinity’s School of Education.

Colloquium: Thursday, April 25, 2019

The Trinity faculty will present a colloquium on Adverse Childhood Experiences on Thursday, April 25, 2019, that is open to the public. This colloquium is one step toward addressing the frustration and feelings of helplessness about the disappearance of Relisha Rudd from a D.C. homeless shelter in March 2014. She has still not been found. Relisha Rudd’s disappearance is an example of the many Washington, D.C., children who have been affected by adverse childhood experiences such as violence, poverty, homelessness and abuse.

The major purpose of the colloquium is to bring representatives of education, health, mental health and other systems together who are working with those affected by ACEs/trauma to collaborate, educate, inform, and advocate for the improvement of trauma·informed and responsive practices across systems.

This colloquium will:

  • Educate and inform the current research in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and trauma, and the long-term Impact in overall physical and mental health, including Its effects on children’s readiness to learn, and social and emotional development.
  • Illustrate the Issues of social Justice related to how ACEs/trauma creates a negative feedback cycle with poverty, disparity In education, and how structural and institutional racism contributes to adversity such as the school to prison pipeline.
  • Explore how educational systems (Pre-K to higher education) and community (public health, judicial systems. and mental health systems) can work together towards the prevention and the healing of trauma and build resilient communities.
  • Discuss advocacy and action planning to develop collaborative steps – working together Instead of working in “silos.”

Who should attend and participate:

  • Trinity students, prospective students, faculty and staff
  • Community partners and community agencies
  • Local schools counselors, administrators, educators, psychologists and related service providers
  • Local child care providers
  • Parents and family members
  • Local policy makers
  • Public health workers
  • Social workers
  • Mental health organizations

Sessions and Speakers:

  • Dr. John King, former Secretary of Education under the Obama administration and current Executive Director/President of the Education Trust will deliver a keynote address.
    Panel of interdisciplinary experts, physicians, researchers and mental health, wellness and naturopathic professionals, as well as a representative from Kaiser Permanente.
  • Trinity faculty, staff and students will present research and data on their work with ACES/trauma through poster sessions and short talks. These presentations will include demonstrations of healing strategies and Interventions, trauma-responsive practices in schools, and models on how to build resilient communities.
  • Dr. Deborah G. Haskins, Associate Professor of Counseling at Trinity, will share her personal and professional experiences in her presentation “This is Too Hard! Learning to Breathe through Homicidal Trauma and Losses: A Counselor Educator/Professional Counselor’s Journey and Call to Action for our Profession.”
  • A live case study will be presented.
  • The Colloquium will conclude with a session designed to outline an action and advocacy plan to Implement the colloquium outcomes.

Schedule of Events:

Social Hall

1:00 – 1:10 PM                    Trinity Opening Remarks by Dr. Cynthia Greer

1:10 – 1:30 PM                    Welcome by Kaiser Permanente Representative

 1:30 – 1:40 PM                    Introduction of John King by Dr. Deborah Taub

Remarks by John King – President and CEO of The Education Trust

 1:45 – 2:55 PM                    Moderated Panel with Community Partners

Luane Oprea – Moderator
Kaiser Permanente Representative
John King – President and CEO of The Education Trust
Aiyi’nah Ford – Executive Director of The Future Foundation
Jamila Larson – Executive Director of The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project
Katherine Deye – Board-Certified Child Abuse Pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center
Launiece Allen – Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker at Children’s National Medical Center

2:55 – 3:05 PM                    Break

3:05 – 3:25 PM                    Student Group Mommy and Me Kits Presentation

 3:25 – 3:40 PM                    Remarks by Jamila Larson – Executive Director of The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project

 3:40 – 4:10 PM                    Graduate Student ACEs Presentation
                                              Wesley Hawkins, “My Life and Adverse Childhood Experiences”

 4:10 – 4:45 PM                    Undergraduate Student ACEs Presentations
                                              Cindu-Chinoy Vummadi, “The Long Term Health Implication of Adverse Childhood                                                              Experiences”
                                               Olivia Robinson, Bridget Strom, and Arlin Tellez “Living with ACEs: Three Stories of                                                             Resilience”

 5:00 – 5:30 PM                    Graduate and Undergraduate Student ACEs and Trauma Poster Presentations

                                              Partner Information Displays

Graduate Student Appreciation Reception
Graduate Counseling Association (GCA) presentation to Dr. Deborah G. Haskins

5:35 – 6:00 PM                    Jeff Hild, Policy Director, Redstone Center
                                             The Building Community Resilience Presentation

 6:00 – 7:00 PM                     Live ACEs Case Study

 7:00 – 7:15 PM                    Observers Respond to Live ACEs Case Study

O’Connor Auditorium

7:20 – 7:35 PM                    Graduate Student Panel: How does an ACEs informed focus make a difference in                                                       graduate school?
                                             Bridgette Comanda, Malcolm Johnson, Elizabeth Bostick

7:40 – 8:10 PM                    Graduate Student, Alumni, and Faculty Power Point Presentations

 8:15 – 8:45 PM                    Dr. Deborah G. Haskins’ Last Lecture
                                             “This is too Hard!:  Breathing Through Homicidal Losses/Multiple Losses:
My Journey and a Call to Action!!!”

 8:15 – 8:45 PM                    Student Presenter Certificate Pickup

For more information please contact: Dr. Cynthia Greer greerc@trinitydc.edu or Dr. Deborah Taub taubd@trinitydc.edu.