For our last episode in this eight-part miniseries we invited Dave Ellis, Executive Director, Office of Resilience, NJ Department of Children and Families; Amanda Adams, co-chair of the NJEA ACEs Taskforce; and Liz Warner, President, SEL4NJ to discuss how the pandemic has led to an increase of adverse conditions for children and families. Programs addressing social and emotional learning (SEL) and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) help ensure that children and families live in good conditions with the supportive services they need.
Liz talked about the social-emotional skills of students and staff to create the foundation for a positive school climate. U.S. public-school teachers surveyed in January and February 2021 reported they are almost twice as likely to experience frequent job-related stress as the general employed and teachers are three times more likely to experience depression symptoms than the general adult population. SEL programs in schools can benefit students and staff. View Liz’s presentation here for more information including resources.
Amanda spoke about Actions 4 ACEs, a statewide initiative to build awareness about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the role adults can play in reducing the impact of trauma and helping children heal. Two out of three children, nationally, have had at least one ACE.
Dave spoke about the NJ Resilience Coalition Community, an online community where people living and working in NJ can come together to help prevent ACEs and create a healthier, happier state. Here is a list of resources from their website. More than 20 people attended this webinar.
Additional Resources:
NJEA Learning for adult population: https://www.njea.