Tag: healthy outcomes from positive experiences

A Child’s Story Doesn’t Have to End the Way it Began

Cara Hansen Blog, Fighting ACEs PBC, Latest News, News Releases April 2, 2026ACEs, adverse childhood experiences, Center for Child Counseling, FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, fighting ACEs, healthy outcomes from positive experiences, HOPE, LaFrance Project, Lisa LaFrance, resilience

NEWS RELEASE
April 2, 2026
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

A special screening of ‘Resilience’ and community conversation with nonprofit, higher education, and medical leaders gives hope for all children.

“Children’s lives can be different…the story doesn’t have to end the way it began.” This was the hopeful and resounding message at the recent event Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) hosted at the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. Presented in partnership with the LaFrance Project, community members came together to reflect on their shared commitment to preventing and healing childhood adversity.

The evening featured a screening of the acclaimed documentary Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope and a thought-provoking panel discussion with community experts in the fields of neuroscience, medicine, education, the judicial system, and mental health.

The documentary uncovers one of the most important public health discoveries of our time: the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The film explores how toxic stress can alter brain architecture, increase the risk of chronic disease, and shape the trajectory of children’s lives. Just as importantly, it shines a light on proven solutions that communities are using to break cycles of adversity and build resilience.

Resilience reflects the science that has guided Center for Child Counseling’s Fighting ACEs Initiative for the past decade—revealing how early adversity affects health and development, and how informed, connected communities can create lasting change. The film reinforces a powerful message at the heart of our work: resilience grows when awareness, prevention, and supportive relationships come together.

Over the past decade, CFCC, along with its extraordinary partners, has embedded trauma-informed care into pediatric practices, school systems, judicial systems, and early childhood programs.

“We’ve helped build trauma-informed childcare and classrooms. We’ve piloted and scaled the HOPE (healthy outcomes from positive experiences) framework—because we learned that it’s not enough to count ACEs. We must build positive childhood experiences. We must give children something to run toward, not just something to run from,” stated Renée Layman, chief executive officer of CFCC.

The Center uses a data-to-action approach—one of the only integrated clinical dashboards of its kind in the nation—to identify trends, respond in real time, and measure what is actually working.

“Because behind every data point is a child. A face. A family. A story. The science has confirmed what we hoped: resilience is real. It’s biological. And it can be built,” added Layman.

Following the viewing of the film, Lisa LaFrance, investment professional turned philanthropist, moderated a discussion with the panelists, including: Dr. Randy Blakely, Ph.D., founding executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program at FAU; Dr. Eugenia Millender, co-founder and co-director of the Center of Population Sciences for Health Empowerment, assistant dean for research, and Marie Cowart endowed professor at Florida State University College of Nursing; Keith Oswald, chief of student health and wellness for the Palm Beach County School District; Mary Quinlan, chief deputy court administrator for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida; Dr. Shannon Fox- Levine, South Florida medical director at Bluebird Kids Health, medical director at Center for Child Counseling, and president of the Palm Beach County Pediatric Society.

“This panel represents something remarkable — five systems that rarely sit at the same table. The brain. The body. The classroom. The courtroom. The community. And yet, ACEs science has reached into all of them and asked the same question: how do we stop waiting for children to fall apart, and start building the conditions for them to thrive?”commented LaFrance.

Attendees gained insight into how early adversity impacts health and development; learned how local leaders are creating real change in our community; and connected with others committed to ensuring every child grows up safe, supported, and resilient. They left with the reinforced knowledge that a child’s story doesn’t have to end where it began, and every community member can play a role in writing that story of hope.

For more information on the Center for Child Counseling, how it is fighting ACEs and providing HOPE, or upcoming community events, visit centerforchildcounseling.org.

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 Named Crisis Intervention Team Community Partner of the Year by PBSO

Cara Hansen Latest News, News Releases November 6, 2025November 6, 2025ACEs, adverse childhood experiences, Center for Child Counseling, healthy outcomes from positive experiences, HOPE, PBSO, PCEs, positive childhood experiences, Renee Layman, risis Intervention Team, The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, trauma-informed care

NEWS RELEASE
November 6, 2025
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Center for Child Counseling Named Crisis Intervention Team Community Partner of the Year by PBSO

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) recently recognized Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) as its Crisis Intervention Team Community Partner of Year at the 2025 PBC Crisis Intervention Team Annual Luncheon.

For more than 10 years, CFCC has helped train PBSO’s law enforcement officers, corrections deputies, communications officers, sponsored recruits, and school resource officers. Each month, CFCC’s staff of mental health providers present on ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), PCEs (positive childhood experiences), and HOPE (healthy outcomes from positive experiences). The team also facilitates the brain architecture game. As a training partner, CFCC is one part of the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training.

“At Center for Child Counseling, we are building trauma-informed communities. When we create trauma-aware adults who understand how trauma versus positive experiences affect a person, we are promoting a culture that provides optimal support for staff. In turn, that promotes the resilience and well-being of children that comes from healthy child-caregiver relationships. We are committed to our partnership with PBSO and training the adults in all organizations on trauma-informed care and the HOPE framework, because we want to give them meaningful tools to build healthier families, schools, and communities,” said Renée Layman, CEO of CFCC.

CIT is an effective law enforcement response program designed for first responders who handle crisis calls involving people with mental illness including those with co-occurring substance use disorders. CIT training emphasizes a partnership between law enforcement, the mental health and substance abuse treatment system, mental health advocacy groups, and consumers of mental health services and their families. CIT is both a training program, and a collaborative effort that builds community partnerships with mental health service providers. This training ensures that deputies are able to safely assess and interact with persons with mental illness in a crisis situation.

Since the start of 2025, CFCC has trained more than 500 PBSO officers.

CFCC provides an array of live and online trauma-informed training options for schools and organizations. For more information, visit: centerforchildcounseling.org/traumainformedcare.

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New Grant Gives HOPE to Parents and Children in Palm Beach County

Cara Hansen Latest News, News Releases October 18, 2024October 29, 2024A Way of Being with Children, ACEs, adverse childhood experiences, Center for Child Counseling, healthy outcomes from positive experiences, Palm Beach County Youth Services Departmen, PCEs, positive childhood experiences, Promoting Family HOPE, Renee Layman

NEWS RELEASE
October 18, 2024
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

New Grant Gives HOPE to Parents and Children in Palm Beach County
Center for Child Counseling promotes healthy outcomes and positive experiences within families with a $130,000/year grant from the Youth Services Department.

Local nonprofit Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) recently secured funding from Palm Beach County Youth Services Department to promote HOPE–healthy outcomes from positive experiences–within families. The $130,000 award per year over the next three years for Project Promoting Family HOPE will be used to offer parent/caregiver education and support to address the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma, and toxic stress. By integrating prevention and early intervention at the family level, parents and caregivers can create safe, supportive environments that promote resilience, healthy relationships, and well-being.

According to CFCC CEO Renée Layman, “HOPE is a strategy. Without it, we give in, give up, and believe this world is good enough for our kids.”

Positive connection is at the core of CFCC’s work and mission to build the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children, families, and communities. Through prevention and early intervention, the agency strives to address the root causes of mental health struggles early on, to mitigate crises before they escalate. The Center is fighting ACEs and the youth mental health crisis with the best weapon possible: positive childhood experiences (PCEs) grounded in trauma-informed positive relationships and support.

Project Promoting Family HOPE provides two-generation interventions aimed at promoting positive parenting, nurturing relationships, safe environments, and opportunities for social and emotional development. Adults who report higher numbers of PCEs are less likely to experience depression or poor mental health, and adolescents who have positive experiences during childhood are less likely to develop mental health problems later in life.

This project focuses on enhancing the capacities of people who live and work with children to mitigate the impact of ACEs and promote HOPE. Evidenced-based strategies and education will focus on youth and families exposed to a variety of stressors, including: harsh parenting strategies, including abuse; domestic and/or community violence; caregiver arrest, incarceration, or absence from the home; caregiver or family history of addiction, substance misuse, mental illness; homelessness or lack of housing stability; family member’s chronic illness or sudden death; separation from parents or placement in the foster care system.

“No family should shoulder the burden of parenthood alone, especially in a world that feels increasingly disconnected, with mounting economic and political stress. Our data reflects high levels of parent/caregiver dysregulation. But there is hope. All parents can benefit from a listening ear, a guiding hand, or simply a respite from the daily grind of parenthood. Our goal is to give parents this hope so that they can be the positive force in their children’s growth. So their kids can grow and develop into healthy, resilient adults,” stated Layman.

Through the PBC Youth Services Department grant, the Center is able to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate parent/caregiver and professional education through various curricular materials and workshops. For instance, A Way of Being with Children: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Building Safety and Resilience, is a new research-based curriculum developed for adults who work or live with elementary-aged children and includes a 140-page manual with access to tip sheets, videos, and workshops. This curriculum is being delivered live, in-person or via Zoom, and has content available on CFCC’s learning management system at bekidsafe.org. Educational materials and workshops are offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.

For more information, visit centerforchildcounseling.org.

About Center for Child Counseling
Since 1999, Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County. 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. For more information visit, centerforchildcounseling.org/.

Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

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