Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Learn about the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences

 

trauma

Project Self-Sufficiency will offer three workshops during May and June regarding adverse childhood experiences with the goal of educating the public, supporting trauma survivors, and offering tips for prevention and healing within the community.  A virtual “Understanding ACEs: Building Self-Healing Communities” presentation on Wednesday, May 28th, 2:00 p.m., will address the neurological and biological effects of adversity on development and its corresponding impact on the health of the overall population. The workshop and discussion series, “Connections Matter”, which facilitates the conversation about issues surrounding childhood trauma, will be offered virtually in English, Tuesday, June 17th, 2:00 p.m., and in Spanish, Wednesday, June 18th, 2:00 p.m.  Tips for protection, prevention, and promoting resilience within the community will also be discussed.  All workshops are free and open to the public; interested participants are invited to call 973-940-3500 to receive log-in details. 

 

During the Understanding ACEs workshop, parents, caregivers, and other community providers will learn how childhood trauma impacts physical and neurological development and discuss methods for improving health and well-being across the lifespan.

 

The Connections Matter curriculum invites providers, parents, and community members to build caring connections to improve resiliency.  Discussion during the workshops will focus on understanding adverse childhood experiences and demonstrating how caring connections can serve as a primary buffer in the negative effects of trauma.  The training is appropriate for parents and providers raising and teaching school aged children.  All three workshops are funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and led by Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey. 

 

Speakers will address the impact of adverse childhood experiences on social, emotional, and cognitive development, and offer tips and strategies for building resilience.  Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are widely recognized as falling into three distinct categories, abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.  Examples of negative behavior said to result from ACEs include smoking, alcoholism, drug use, absenteeism, and lack of physical activity.  These behaviors can cause a cascade of physical and mental health problems, from diabetes to cancer to suicidal thoughts.  It is estimated that approximately 67% of the population has experienced at least one adverse childhood experience.

 

Project Self-Sufficiency is bringing together professionals, providers, and parents who are committed to increasing awareness of the impact of childhood trauma on juvenile development, future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity.  “Our goal is to help make our community a place in which every child can thrive by providing education and training on adverse childhood experiences and assuring safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments,” explains Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon. “Protection, prevention, and resilience promotion can profoundly improve health according to recent discoveries in neuroscience, epigenetics, and epidemiology. The tools identified in these workshops can positively impact public health, safety, and productivity, and reduce public and private costs now and for future generations.”

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Free Job Skills Training Program for Women

 

job training for women

Project Self-Sufficiency will offer a free, 8-week training program for women, including lessons in computer skills, job search methods, and interview techniques, along with on-the-job training at community work sites on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., from July 8th – August 28th.  All classes will take place at the agency’s campus which is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.  Worksites will be located throughout the county and hours will be dependent upon the employer’s needs. Interested participants are encouraged to attend an Open House to learn more about the program and complete an application.  Open Houses will be held at Project Self-Sufficiency Mondays at 10:00 a.m., June 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th, and Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m., June 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th.

 

The comprehensive Summer Office Skills program prepares participants to seek entry-level office administrative positions.  In addition to computer skills training, participants will receive classroom instruction and obtain work experience at a community employment site, which will further prepare participants for success in the job market.  The time in the classroom is devoted to career instruction, life skills training, and interviewing strategies.  Over the years, Project Self Sufficiency has partnered with a variety of local businesses, non-profit organizations, and government entities to provide participants with externship opportunities.  Participants gain real-life work experience while honing the computer skills they have received as part of the agency’s training programs. 

 

The Summer Office Skills program is free and open to Project Self-Sufficiency participants.  Interested women must apply and be accepted into the program.  To become a participant, or to apply for the free Summer Office Skills program, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org or call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Pregnant Women Can Get Help from a Personal Nurse

 

pregnancy help

Women who are pregnant with their first child can receive regular visits from a nurse in the privacy of their own home through the Nurse Family Partnership program offered by Project Self-Sufficiency.  Eligible, first-time mothers of all ages are paired with a nurse who visits them throughout the pregnancy and up until the child’s second birthday.  The visiting nurses provide support, education and counseling on health, behavioral and self-sufficiency issues.  Access to food, diapers, clothing, and additional resources for children are provided during each visit.

 

Nurse-Family Partnership is founded on the pioneering work of David Olds, professor of pediatrics, psychiatry, and preventive medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver.  Olds' determination to help young children and families get a better start in life led to the development of a nurse home visitation program for first-time, low-income moms and their children.  The voluntary program was tested extensively prior to its launch in 1996; since then, it has served more than 409,800 families in 40 states, Washington, D.C., the United States Virgin Islands, and some tribal communities.  The initiative is one of three different home visitation programs for young mothers which is provided by Project Self-Sufficiency to families in northwestern New Jersey.

 

 “Our goal is to improve pregnancy outcomes, and to assist parents with improving early childhood development, while helping the family to move towards economic self-sufficiency,” explains Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  “All of the home visitation programs offered by Project Self-Sufficiency are designed to empower mothers to be the best parents they can be.”

 

Nurse Family Partnership is one the most rigorously tested programs of its kind.  Mothers and children who have participated in the program have consistently demonstrated significantly improved prenatal health, fewer subsequent pregnancies, increased maternal employment, improved child school readiness, reduced involvement in crime, and less child abuse, neglect, and injuries.

 

Those who are interested in learning more about the Nurse-Family Partnership, or any of the other programs offered at Project Self-Sufficiency, are encouraged to call 973-940-3500, or enroll online at www.projectselfsufficiency.org.