Resources

This infographic answers frequently asked questions about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their link with toxic stress.

This infographic explains how, after trauma, children are often left with many painful sensations and emotions including shame and guilt, and that’s especially true if they weren’t able to protect themselves or escape. It thus focuses on why it is useful to understand how their brain and body did work to protect them during the traumatic event.

This fact sheet offers information on how child and family service systems can becomre trauma-sensitive organizations.

This infographic offers further information on the importance of considering trauma, particularly by outlining the consequences of trauma.

This digital gaming app is designed to lower anxiety as well as depression, and to build emotional resilience in students.

This mobile application helps parents talk to their kids about the disasters they may face and know how best to support them throughout—whether sheltering-in-place at home, evacuating to a designated shelter, or helping your family heal after reuniting. It is also a great resource for teachers and other professionals involved in children's lives.

This app asks users to complete Mood Ratings each day. If the user rates their happiness as less than 50%, they are asked to rate how sad, angry, or “meh” they are feeling, so that they can identify what the negative emotion that they are feeling is, promoting emotional awareness. When the user rates their mood negatively, they are then directed to complete an activity to shift their mindset toward positive emotion. The user may use the Journal feature to journal their thoughts and feelings using words and emojis, or respond to a pre-populated question or quote. The App contains several activities designed to bolster resilience and positive emotionality.

The TF-CBT Triangle of Life, which is now freely available from the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores, aims to help therapists to implement TF-CBT cognitive processing with traumatized children. The app was created through a collaboration between the Allegheny Health Network and the Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center and Disruptive Technology Institute. It won an honorable mention in the United Nations Alliance of Civilization’s 2014 PEACE app awards.

In Cracked Up we witness the impact adverse childhood experiences can have across a lifetime through the incredible story of actor, comedian, master impressionist and Saturday Night Live veteran, Darrell Hammond. Cracked Up creates an inspiring balance between comedy and tragedy helping us understand the effects of childhood trauma in a new light, breaking down barriers of stigma and replacing shame with compassion and hope.

In an approximately 15-minute podcast, Susan Rodger explores school stress for teachers, distinguishing healthy from toxic stress and suggesting ways to boost mental health for both educators and students.