Category: ChildWise Blog

Poverty effects a child’s brain, which effects her ability to learn in school.

New research shows the mere fact of being poor can affect kids’ brains, making it difficult for them to succeed in school. Untreated, researchers have found these events compound, affecting many parts of the body. Studies show chronic stress can change the chemical and physical structures of the brain. As important as early childhood education is, …

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If she were your child, would you want her tummy full?

She’s only nine years old. Summer should be a great time of playing with her friends, swimming, going to the lake, and picnics with her family. But that’s not the case. Her mommy and daddy both work very hard trying to make ends meet. They’re good parents, but life is tough… for their daughter, too. …

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More than 10,000 2 or 3 year-old children medicated for ADHD

Thousands of Toddlers Are Medicated for A.D.H.D., Report Finds, Raising Worries ATLANTA — More than 10,000 American toddlers 2 or 3 years old are being medicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder outside established pediatric guidelines, according to data presented on Friday by an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, which found that toddlers …

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‘Elevate Montana Summit’ aimed at improving children’s well-being

BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff A billboard at Sixth Avenue North and Main Street raises awareness of the need to elevate the well-being of Montana’s children. May 10, 2014 12:00 am  •  By Cindy Uken An aggressive billboard campaign has taken root throughout Montana aimed at raising awareness of the need to improve the well-being of the state’s children. The …

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Four ACEs is not a winning hand – Billings Gazette

Billings Gazette May 18, 2014 12:00 am  •  By TODD GARRISON Sure, you can sit at a poker table and get pretty excited if you’re holding four aces. You’d probably bet a lot of money on what you think is a winning hand. If you did win, you’d be telling everyone you know how great it was …

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Effects of childhood events often overlooked by doctors

Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, M.D., is s a pretty smart guy. He earned a B.S. (1990) from Vassar College and an M.D. (1995) from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and he completed his residency in family medicine at the Swedish Health Center in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Jeffrey …

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Elevate Montana

Elevate Montana is the product of years of creativity at Intermountain and the new and innovative efforts of ChildWise.  I’ve had the privilege to visit Montana to see the efforts and potential that Montana now has to address the issue of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).  This meeting will provide perspectives on the origins of public …

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Adversity and Childhood Trauma

As a near neighbor of people in Montana, I am excited to talk about how the science of adversity is creating real opportunities for change. I have the privilege of working with leaders in Montana already acting in your communities to address ACEs and childhood trauma. Montana is at an exciting point to use the …

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Hot Topic — Are we really achieving the American Dream?

In a recent report called Achieving The American Dream, released by The Burghard Group (strengtheningbrandamerica.com), Montana ranks as the #1 state in which to live the “American Dream’. You can get a copy of the report here. To this, I say, Really? Maybe we are the #1 state in which to live the American Dream… in the …

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How are you managing co-occurring disorders?

Coming to Helena, MT David Mee-Lee, M.D. 4/21/13 It will be twelve years since I first visited Helena to provide training on the Patient Placement Criteria of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) in June 2001.  A lot has happened in 12 years.  Since the current edition published that year, there will be a …

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