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BOOKS & COURSES

TURNING CARING INTO ACTION

Participants in the 100% New Mexico initiative are supported by textbooks and courses that explain how lack of access to vital services drives family trauma, low school performance, and weak community cohesion. Each book can be used by educators in both K–12 and higher education settings. Courses emphasize understanding adverse childhood experiences and provide practical guidance on developing a Family Resource Center as a one-stop service hub.

TEXTS TO INSPIRE

Anna, Age Eight uses the fictional case of eight-year-old Anna, drawn from real child welfare cases, to show how systems can repeatedly fail vulnerable children. Through Anna’s story, co-authors Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello move from narrative to systems analysis, outlining a data-driven framework to prevent adverse childhood experiences by ensuring families can access ten vital services, from behavioral health care to safe housing. Written for policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders, the book became the catalyst for the Anna, Age Eight Institute and the 100% New Mexico initiative, which work with counties to implement its recommendations through local action and cross-sector collaboration.Print and ebook versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute.

Anna, Age Eight: The Data-Driven Prevention of Childhood Trauma and Maltreatment

Anna, Age Eight uses the fictional case of eight-year-old Anna, drawn from real child welfare cases, to show how systems can repeatedly fail vulnerable children. Through Anna’s story, co-authors Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello move from narrative to systems analysis, outlining a data-driven framework to prevent adverse childhood experiences by ensuring families can access ten vital services, from behavioral health care to safe housing. Written for policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders, the book became the catalyst for the Anna, Age Eight Institute and the 100% New Mexico initiative, which work with counties to implement its recommendations through local action and cross-sector collaboration.

Print and ebook versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute.
Ana, de 8 años
Una versión en español del libro, Ana, de 8 años, está disponible aquí.
100% Community by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello is the companion to Anna, Age Eight and outlines the 100% New Mexico model for guaranteeing that all families can access ten essential services. The book situates the initiative in the context of pandemics, economic shocks, and longstanding inequities, then offers a practical roadmap for building local systems of health, safety, education, and economic stability. Organized around “surviving” services (health care, behavioral health care, housing, food security, transportation) and “thriving” services (parent support, early childhood learning, community schools, mentoring, and job training), it guides stakeholders through step-by-step strategies to transform adverse social determinants of health into positive ones. Designed for public- and private-sector partners, 100% Community provides a tested framework for creating seamless local support systems that function in both calm and crisis.Print and ebook versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..

100% Community: Ensuring 10 Vital Services for Surviving and Thriving

100% Community by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello is the companion to Anna, Age Eight and outlines the 100% New Mexico model for guaranteeing that all families can access ten essential services. The book situates the initiative in the context of pandemics, economic shocks, and longstanding inequities, then offers a practical roadmap for building local systems of health, safety, education, and economic stability. Organized around “surviving” services (health care, behavioral health care, housing, food security, transportation) and “thriving” services (parent support, early childhood learning, community schools, mentoring, and job training), it guides stakeholders through step-by-step strategies to transform adverse social determinants of health into positive ones. Designed for public- and private-sector partners, 100% Community provides a tested framework for creating seamless local support systems that function in both calm and crisis.

Print and ebook versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..
Attack of the Three-Headed Hydras is a fully illustrated, satirical work by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello that blends graphic novel, manifesto, and social critique. Using the metaphor of “three-headed hydras” of Apathy, Envy, and Fear, the authors personify the powerful actors and mindsets driving trauma, inequality, and systemic failure. The book frames today’s overlapping crises—joblessness, lack of health care, social injustice—not as inevitable disasters but as human-made problems that can be confronted and changed. Written to provoke, it invites readers to see themselves as either heroes or hydras and offers a blueprint for rebuilding a caring, competent society. It also encourages readers to join champions and change agents in local 100% New Mexico initiatives to “fight the hydras” through concrete community action.Print and ebook versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..

Attack of the Three-Headed Hydras: Confronting Apathy, Envy, and Fear on the Road to Saving Humans and the Future

Attack of the Three-Headed Hydras is a fully illustrated, satirical work by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello that blends graphic novel, manifesto, and social critique. Using the metaphor of “three-headed hydras” of Apathy, Envy, and Fear, the authors personify the powerful actors and mindsets driving trauma, inequality, and systemic failure. The book frames today’s overlapping crises—joblessness, lack of health care, social injustice—not as inevitable disasters but as human-made problems that can be confronted and changed. Written to provoke, it invites readers to see themselves as either heroes or hydras and offers a blueprint for rebuilding a caring, competent society. It also encourages readers to join champions and change agents in local 100% New Mexico initiatives to “fight the hydras” through concrete community action.

Print and ebook versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..
Why is 14-year-old David struggling to survive in one of the wealthiest countries on earth? In a traumatized and traumatizing society, our children and families face a bleak reality devoid of essential services for surviving, let alone thriving. Through the story of fourteen-year-old David, we explore how many of our vulnerable young people and parents are falling through the cracks in rural and urban America. Change agents and authors Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Cappello give you the insights and resources to prevent adverse childhood experiences and trauma. The team’s 100% Community model, described in the book, is a tested framework for ensuring the vital service for surviving and thriving. David, Age 14 serves as a beacon for youth advocates seeking to revitalize their communities, fostering environments where every child and student can thrive. This book is for caring and courageous people wondering, “How do we fix a society that’s failing its families?”Print versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..

David, Age 14: Who and what determine our children's health, education and future

Why is 14-year-old David struggling to survive in one of the wealthiest countries on earth? In a traumatized and traumatizing society, our children and families face a bleak reality devoid of essential services for surviving, let alone thriving. Through the story of fourteen-year-old David, we explore how many of our vulnerable young people and parents are falling through the cracks in rural and urban America. Change agents and authors Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dominic Cappello give you the insights and resources to prevent adverse childhood experiences and trauma. The team’s 100% Community model, described in the book, is a tested framework for ensuring the vital service for surviving and thriving. David, Age 14 serves as a beacon for youth advocates seeking to revitalize their communities, fostering environments where every child and student can thrive. This book is for caring and courageous people wondering, “How do we fix a society that’s failing its families?”

Print versions are available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..
A book by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello offering practical guidance for turning SDOH theory into policy and practice. It examines adverse versus positive social determinants, institutionalizing vital services, and confronting structural oppression that limits access. Key topics include: The financial and human costs of adverse social determinants when services are inaccessible. How service barriers intersect with adverse childhood experiences and other health risks. A call to coordinated action by local and state governments and health equity advocates. A data-driven, collaborative model for community engagement and measurable change. Chapter-based questions for engaging AI tools to deepen analysis and application of SDOH concepts. Positioned within the 100% New Mexico initiative, the book translates complex socio-economic dynamics into a framework for government leaders, NGOs, faculty, and systems-change consultants working to advance public health, safety, education, and social justice goals. A printed copy is available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..

Operationalizing the Social Determinants of Health: Ensuring Ten Vital Services for Surviving and Thriving in the AI Age

A book by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello offering practical guidance for turning SDOH theory into policy and practice. It examines adverse versus positive social determinants, institutionalizing vital services, and confronting structural oppression that limits access. Key topics include:

The financial and human costs of adverse social determinants when services are inaccessible. How service barriers intersect with adverse childhood experiences and other health risks. A call to coordinated action by local and state governments and health equity advocates. A data-driven, collaborative model for community engagement and measurable change. Chapter-based questions for engaging AI tools to deepen analysis and application of SDOH concepts.

Positioned within the 100% New Mexico initiative, the book translates complex socio-economic dynamics into a framework for government leaders, NGOs, faculty, and systems-change consultants working to advance public health, safety, education, and social justice goals.

A printed copy is available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute..
Ana, de 8 años
Una versión en español está disponible aquí.
This groundbreaking strategic guide by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello emphasizes health, safety, and education as the top priorities for thriving. The book features a fully illustrated design and is built for interaction, with activities for both individuals and teams. It addresses the cycle of adversity perpetuated by various negative experiences throughout life, such as trauma, substance abuse, and unsafe environments, leading to a range of issues like abuse, neglect, and illness. This model offers a comprehensive framework to engage local stakeholders in building stable and secure communities that support health, education, and overall well-being. Key Components of The 100% Community Model: Framework: Provides a step-by-step approach to mobilize stakeholders towards creating safe communities with essential services. Support: Encourages community-building, leadership development, policy work, and partnerships for societal improvement. Transformation: Aims to convert adverse social determinants into positive factors like healthcare, food security, and education for all individuals. The 100% Community Model chooses empowerment over adversity by transforming social determinants of health. Through collaborative efforts and a shared vision for change, this initiative sets the stage for a more equitable future where all families can thrive.A printed copy is available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute.

The 100% Community Model

This groundbreaking strategic guide by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello emphasizes health, safety, and education as the top priorities for thriving. The book features a fully illustrated design and is built for interaction, with activities for both individuals and teams. It addresses the cycle of adversity perpetuated by various negative experiences throughout life, such as trauma, substance abuse, and unsafe environments, leading to a range of issues like abuse, neglect, and illness. This model offers a comprehensive framework to engage local stakeholders in building stable and secure communities that support health, education, and overall well-being.

Key Components of The 100% Community Model:
  • Framework: Provides a step-by-step approach to mobilize stakeholders towards creating safe communities with essential services.
  • Support: Encourages community-building, leadership development, policy work, and partnerships for societal improvement.
  • Transformation: Aims to convert adverse social determinants into positive factors like healthcare, food security, and education for all individuals.
The 100% Community Model chooses empowerment over adversity by transforming social determinants of health. Through collaborative efforts and a shared vision for change, this initiative sets the stage for a more equitable future where all families can thrive.

A printed copy is available through Amazon. For digital copies for initiatives hosting book clubs, courses, and public awareness events, please contact the institute.

COURSES TO EMPOWER CHANGE AGENTS

Our transformational 100% New Mexico initiative is guided by web-based, self-paced courses provided free to all New Mexicans. If you are outside of New Mexico and are interested in learning more about the initiative or taking our courses, please contact us for more information. Whatever your familiarity with the 100% New Mexico initiative or your interest in participating, we have a course that is the perfect fit for you. Explore our courses while connecting with other local champions.

Your guides through A Child’s Right to Survive and Thrive are course developers Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello, co-directors of the Anna, Age Eight Institute and co-authors of Anna, Age Eight and 100% Community. Why enroll? Children and students are growing up in a traumatized society marked by adverse childhood experiences, family trauma, social inequities, and barriers to ten vital services. This course promotes positive social determinants of health by rethinking how local and state institutions shape home, school, and community environments. The lessons in A Child’s Right to Survive and Thrive offer an urgently needed course correction, shifting systems from apathy and anger toward problem-solving and altruism. Participation equips you with the perspectives, skills, and tools to engage meaningfully with the 100% New Mexico initiative and support fully resourced, caring communities where all infants, children, and youth can thrive.

A Child's Right To Survive and Thrive

Your guides through A Child’s Right to Survive and Thrive are course developers Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello, co-directors of the Anna, Age Eight Institute and co-authors of Anna, Age Eight and 100% Community.

Why enroll? Children and students are growing up in a traumatized society marked by adverse childhood experiences, family trauma, social inequities, and barriers to ten vital services. This course promotes positive social determinants of health by rethinking how local and state institutions shape home, school, and community environments.

The lessons in A Child’s Right to Survive and Thrive offer an urgently needed course correction, shifting systems from apathy and anger toward problem-solving and altruism. Participation equips you with the perspectives, skills, and tools to engage meaningfully with the 100% New Mexico initiative and support fully resourced, caring communities where all infants, children, and youth can thrive.

Join the Course
This companion training course to "A Child’s Right to Survive and Thrive," created by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello, equips initiative members and community partners with the concepts and tools to design a one-stop service hub that connects families to ten vital services onsite, online, or through staff navigators. The course presents the 100% Family Center as a community and school-based resource that provides a reliable base of support for all parents and caregivers. Lessons focus on building and sustaining centers that ensure access to services for surviving and thriving, including guidance on working in alignment with local government and nongovernmental organizations. A sample proposal helps participants develop funding requests for local centers. By the end, participants gain practical skills to advance the 100% New Mexico initiative and help create fully resourced, caring communities for infants, children, and youth.

Developing a 100% Family Center: One-Stop Service Hub

This companion training course to “A Child’s Right to Survive and Thrive,” created by Dr. Katherine Ortega Courtney and Dr. Dominic Cappello, equips initiative members and community partners with the concepts and tools to design a one-stop service hub that connects families to ten vital services onsite, online, or through staff navigators.

The course presents the 100% Family Center as a community and school-based resource that provides a reliable base of support for all parents and caregivers. Lessons focus on building and sustaining centers that ensure access to services for surviving and thriving, including guidance on working in alignment with local government and nongovernmental organizations. A sample proposal helps participants develop funding requests for local centers. By the end, participants gain practical skills to advance the 100% New Mexico initiative and help create fully resourced, caring communities for infants, children, and youth.

Take the Training

Educators at all levels are invited to contact the institute to discuss course development that empowers students, teachers, and community leaders to co-create learning experiences focused on identifying problems, fostering dialogue and reflection, and building critical awareness that leads to action.

Go the extra mile…

For quick reads and practical insights, visit our 100% Blog, featuring timely articles on topics ranging from tech innovation to fundraising.

100% Blog

For quick reads and practical insights, visit our 100% Blog, featuring timely articles on topics ranging from tech innovation to fundraising.
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100% Newsletters

Never miss an announcement and hear more from us about the 100% New Mexico Initiative and related topics. Register now to receive our free newsletter.