Hopeful Message Delivered to Pediatric Professionals at Lead the Fight Event

December 9, 2024
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Hopeful Message Delivered to Pediatric Professionals at Lead the Fight Event
Part III of the 2024 Lead the Fight series emphasized how to promote healthy outcomes from positive experiences for children–giving hope to vulnerable families for a brighter future. 

Center for Child Counseling continued its 2024 Lead the Fight series to move forward its efforts addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and childhood trauma with the healthcare providers who are on the frontlines of seeing children and families. In partnership with the Palm Beach Pediatric Society, the Center hosted the third and final part of the series, Positivity Will Give HOPE for Our Future, on December 4.

Led by Dr. Shannon Fox-Levine, president of the Palm Beach Pediatric Society and medical director of Center for Child Counseling, the event focused on HOPE (healthy outcomes from positive experiences) and understanding the effect of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) on countering the long-term effect of ACEs and trauma, including the role of epigenetics. 

Featured guest speakers included Renée Layman, CEO of Center for Child Counseling, and Eugenia Flores Millender, Ph.D., RN, PMH-APRN, FAAN. The goal of the evening was to help pediatric medical professionals better understand PCEs and how environmental influences–children’s experiences–actually affect the expression of their genes. 

Layman presented an overview of PCEs and the HOPE framework–stressing the idea that positive experiences are the antidote to adverse experiences in a child’s life. 

According to Layman, “As a society we tend to continue to focus on the negative…While addressing problems and deficits in a child’s life is vital, it would be a mistake to overlook the positive experiences that prevent, mitigate, and support healing from childhood trauma. HOPE shifts the narrative.”

She emphasized the necessity of love, connection, and intentional care for fostering a child’s ability to thrive, both in the moment and over their lifetime.

“A child thrives in the context of strong, nurturing connections with adults who care for them unconditionally. This connection creates a sense of safety, belonging, and worth essential for healthy development,” Layman added.

Positive experiences promote children’s health and well-being, allow children to form strong relationships and connections, cultivate positive self-image and self-worth, provide a sense of belonging, and build skills that promote resilience. The national data shows that PCEs protect adult mental health–the more positive experiences that a child has, the better their long-term health outcomes. 

Following Layman, Dr. Millender discussed how environmental stressors impact child development and health–diving into the research of epigenetics.

Millender is board chair at Center for Child Counseling and the co-founder and co-director of the Center of Population Sciences for Health Equity, assistant dean of research, and a tenured professor at Florida State University College of Nursing. She is an Afro-Indigenous Latina scientist, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and a bilingual first-generation immigrant. These diverse experiences shape and guide her research, focusing on reducing mental health disparities. 

Millender’s work explores how socio-cultural stressors and trauma contribute to transgenerational psychological and co-occurring physical illnesses through gene-environment interactions. She has dedicated her career to increasing access to integrated mental health services and community-engaged research.

“It is not easy but it’s worth doing for our children, for their futures,” said Millender.  

In 2015, Center for Child Counseling launched Fighting ACEs to build awareness and action to mitigate the impact of ACEs and build well-being through Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). In conjunction with Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2017, the Center developed ‘Lead the Fight’ in 2016 to bring awareness to system leaders around fighting childhood adversity with advocacy and action. Since that time, the agency has educated tens of thousands of parents, professionals, and systems leaders. 

Partnership sponsors who are leading the fight in making these important and necessary conversations possible include: BeWellPBC, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Florida Association for Infant Mental Health, Hanley Foundation, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Palm Beach Pediatrics, Palm Beach Pediatric Society, and Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley

CFCC’s Fighting ACEs initiative to build trauma-informed communities is made possible with the generous support of Quantum Foundation, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and private donors.

CFCC’s pediatric integration program is made possible thanks to the support of Quantum Foundation, The Frederick DeLuca Foundation, and Palm Beach County Community Services Department

The Lead the Fight 2025 series will kickoff with an event featuring Dr. Nadine Burke Harris on February 28 at the Kravis Center. Burke Harris is the former attorney general of California and an internationally renowned pediatrician, public health advocate, and author.

For more information on the upcoming event and joining the fight against ACEs, visit: centerforchildcounseling.org/leadthefight

About Center for Child Counseling
Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. www.centerforchildcounseling.org Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

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CFCC Opens New Location in West Palm Beach

NEWS RELEASE
May 13, 2024
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com
561-632-6747

Local Nonprofit Opens New Location to Serve Kids and Families on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

Center for Child Counseling holds a ribbon cutting for its newest location in West Palm Beach.

Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) has expanded its prevention, education, and mental health services in the heart of West Palm Beach. A ribbon cutting and open house took place on National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the newest space located at the U.B. Kinsey Educational and Community Center in West Palm Beach.

This additional location will be a hub for child and family health in West Palm Beach, along with the other community organizations housed at the U.B. Kinsey facility–Children’s Home Society’s Bridges and FAU Community Health. CFCC’s placement at U.B. Kinsey is a result of FAU Community Health’s community survey which listed mental health services as the number one priority.

Dr. Eugenia Millender, current chair of CFCC’s board of directors and former head of FAU Community Health in Westgate, was part of the initial vision of the new space and shared a few words about the need for this facility in the community.

“One of the things we want to make sure we do is embed mental health services in every community, in every child center, in every community center, in every school,” stated Millender.

She discussed the importance of mental fitness as a way to deal with the hardships of life and the necessity to prepare individuals for what the world will bring–preparing “the mother, the father, the aunt, the grandparent to be able to provide better care for their child, grandchild to become wonderful, beautiful citizens.” 

This new location has allowed CFCC to create two safe spaces–a training room and a family room. The family room is designed as two-dimensional to serve both the child and caregivers. The agency will offer family support groups, infant mental health, circles of security.

“Parents can see live, right here, how to play with their child. They’ll practice together. They will build bonds and connections…we need to bring them together and create safety and connection that’s really going to promote their mental health and wellbeing,” explained CEO and President Renée Layman. 

Layman emphasized the importance of having spaces like these in schools, child care centers, and community centers for children and families as a means for creating positive childhood experiences (PCEs)–the antidote to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). 

According to Dr. Millender, “It was a beautiful vision that we started a long time ago…bringing different organizations under one roof to provide better care for the whole community.”

Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. 

CFCC’s office locations include: Child and Family First Center, 5205 Greenwood Avenue, West Palm Beach; Admin and Child First Office, 8895 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens; Child First Office South, 2328 10th Avenue North, Lake Worth; and U.B. Kinsey Educational and Community Center, 720 8th Street, West Palm Beach. CFCC’s services and therapists are also integrated within schools, childcare centers, and pediatric offices throughout Palm Beach County.

For more information, visit: centerforchildcounseling.org.

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Announcing Dr. Eugenia Millender and Eddie Stephens as Chair and Vice Chair of Center for Child Counseling’s Board of Directors

NEWS RELEASE

May 6, 2022
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Announcing Dr. Eugenia Millender and Eddie Stephens as Chair and Vice Chair of Center for Child Counseling’s Board of Directors

The Center for Child Counseling Board of Directors recently voted in Eugenia Millender, Ph.D., RN as chair and Eddie Stephens, Esq. as vice chair to continue moving the mission of the non-profit agency forward.

Renée Layman, chief executive officer of Center for Child Counseling, stated, “I am incredibly grateful to have Eugenia and Eddie at the helm of the board to help our agency continue to heal the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and keep us pushing, innovating, and taking the right risks to bring prevention to the forefront of the fight against ACEs.”  

Prior to her induction as Chair of the Board of Directors, Dr. Millender served as the vice-chair since 2013. She brings a wealth of expertise and passion to the Center for Child Counseling Board of Directors, including clinical experience as a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner. As a nurse scientist, Dr. Millender researches stress, trauma, and mental health disparities among underserved populations using principals of community-engaged and community-led research. She is co-founder and co-director for the Florida State University Center for Population Sciences for Health Equity and an associate professor at the FSU College of Nursing. 

According to Dr. Millender, “There is no whole health or well-being without mental health.  Serving on the CFCC board connects my passion and mission to increase mental health equity for all with trauma-informed care that is playful,​ healthful, and hopeful.”

Stephens has served as a board member since 2016. As a survivor of multiple ACEs, he identifies with CFCC’s mission and brings a passion to inspiring children and families to overcome adversity. Stephens is a Board-Certified Family Law Attorney at Stephens & Stevens, PLLC, an author, lecturer, and community leader. One of his significant contributions to CFCC has been his role as director of legal education where he created a monthly Continuing Legal Education (CLE) series in which all of the money supports the non-profit organization. The series started in 2020 and is on its 21st monthly episode. 

I survived a traumatic childhood; so, I believe in putting resources in fixing these problems much younger. We will have a healthier community and society. It’s important to create a trauma-informed community in order to accomplish that goal,” commented Stephens on why he serves on the board.

The other members of Center for Child Counseling’s Board of Directors include: Jeffrey Petrone, treasurer and secretary; Bill Lynch, past chair; Madeline Morris, director and audit committee chairwoman; Jennifer Hume Rodriguez, director; Patsy Mintmire, director; Jennifer Ferriol, director; Bailey Hughes, director; Renée Layman, president and chief executive officer; Shannon Fox-Levine, medical consultant.  

About Center for Child Counseling:
Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. www.centerforchildcounseling.org
Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

Photo IDs:

001: Eugenia Millender, Ph.D., RN
002: Eddie Stephens, Esq.

Click here to view news release.

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