Christine Mason, CEI Executive Director What a ride we have been on! My hope is that teachers, administrators, students, other staff, and families have all had a chance to catch our breath. So many things did not go as planned this Fall, for so many schools, for so many communities. So, what is next? What is on your wish list for 2022? At CEI, to look forward, we must begin by looking back. We worked with another amazing group of interns this past year, and I have ventured

By Dana Asby, Education Coordinator, New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center During the second holiday season of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us approach this time carrying immense burdens. Educators, families, and young people are exhausted from balancing heavy workloads and personal stressors, grieving lost loved ones or routines, and feeling a sense of uncertainty about the future. As we reach the height of the holiday season, we can increase our resiliency

By Dana Asby, Education Coordinator, New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center The holidays are full of excitement, joy, and togetherness. The rushing to and from holiday events, shopping for last minute gifts, and preparing the house for guests can be a source of fun and stress. When we’re in a heightened state of stress, especially for a long period of time, we may find ourselves getting into conflicts more frequently. If we use positive communication and emotion

By Martha Staeheli, Director, School Mental Health Initiative, New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center In the early 1980s, my mother, who comes from a long line of Quakers, became an expert on having a more joyful Christmas. Though she has long since retired from offering advice on the Christmas Machine, I thought it would be fun to ask her how the ideas of joy and connection might apply in our challenging, modern era, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. Why

School Social Workers in Providence School District, Support Students, Teachers, and Families Through a Trauma-Informed Lens By Hailey Jordan, Research Assistant, New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Elisy Blanco-Mercado and Ashley Tavarez are social workers at elementary schools in Providence, RI and members of the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative (C-TLC) Fellowship program. Both women share the same profession and the same family tree. Elisy (mother)