TAKE 5 Event

​The Mower Refreshed Mental Fitness Goal Group sponsored the second annual TAKE 5 Event on June 3th at the Hormel Nature Center. Approximately seventy community members representing, among others, teachers, counselors, social workers, clergy, health care, high school students and law enforcement, and parents from throughout the county, gathered to learn more about Adverse Childhood Experiences from Glenace Edwall, Director of the Children’s Mental Health Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The participant’s began the work of considering responses to the research shared by Dr. Edwall that made sense for Mower County communities.

​Dr. Edwall is responsible for oversight of the state’s county-administered children’s mental health service system, for technical assistance and support to the state’s 95 children’s mental health and family service collaboratives and for the policy component of the state’s children’s mental health benefits provided through Medicaid. She has been particularly concerned with meeting the mental health and chemical health needs of adolescents – both those in the juvenile justice system and those who can be diverted from it – and with increasing identification and service capacity of the state to meet the mental health needs of young children and their families.

ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) corresponds to emotional health in the same way smoking corresponds to cancer. Research now shows negative experiences that produce chronic, toxic stress in children’s lives have life-long negative physical and mental health impacts.

​ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) corresponds to emotional health in the same way smoking corresponds to cancer. Research now shows negative experiences that produce chronic, toxic stress in children’s lives have life-long negative physical and mental health impacts.

When children live in families experiencing substance abuse, parental separation/divorce, mental illness, the battering of a parent, criminal behavior, psychological, physical or sexual abuse or emotional or physical neglect, enormous amounts of cortisol flood the brain; it is like being on a roller coaster all the time.

​Stress hormone levels elevate and stay elevated as children become hyper-vigilant, waiting for the next difficult event. The earlier in life the stress starts and the longer it goes on, the harder it is to self-regulate and develop healthy responses to dealing with stress in life.

​Maryanne Law
Parenting Resource Center

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A Refreshed Response 

​We won’t stay focused on the brokenness but respond with wellness. The Mower Refreshed Mental Fitness Goal Group is developing responses and tools that promote healthy resilience. There are many theories and approaches to dealing with difficult life experiences, we want to put the strawberries on the bottom shelf… tap into the simple everyday interactions at work, school, home and throughout our communities that can create stronger and more healthy individuals. Consider exploring with us as we move toward wellness-focused responses that create  stronger, more resilient kids, parents and communities.

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