New and Noteworthy

San Francisco Chronicle Highlights Efforts in California to Break the Cycle of Childhood Trauma and Toxic Stress through ACE Screening and Response 

The San Francisco Chronicle recently published an article that featured Dr. Carey Watson and researcher Kelly Young-Wolff, who led small pilot studies in 2016 and 2019 that laid the groundwork for Kaiser Permanente Northern California in 2021 to become the first major health system to routinely screen all pregnant patients for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) during prenatal visits. The article highlighted that screenings for childhood trauma are gaining traction in many California medical practices as the consequences of toxic stress on adult health become more evident.  

The article referenced the ACEs Aware initiative’s work to train health care teams and the more than 1.6 million Medi-Cal members who have been screened for ACEs, stating that “California is moving more aggressively than any other state in addressing ACEs as a widespread public health problem...” 

Also mentioned was First 5 and its campaign (Stronger Starts) to raise awareness among parents and caregivers about ACEs so they can be better buffers, or protective factors, for their children against toxic stress. 

“The good things in life — a present attentive parent, supportive nurturing relationships, engagement in safe stable places to live, opportunities for social engagement — those are protective factors,” said Dr. Edward Machtinger, an adult primary care physician who is also co-principal investigator of the UCLA-UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network, which implements the ACEs Aware initiative on behalf of the California Department of Health Care Services.

To learn more, visit these ACEs Aware resources: 

• ACE Screening and Trauma-Informed Care in Reproductive Health webinar series 
• Dyadic Care Resource Collection 
• Stress Busters

Stress Busters Handouts Now Available in Spanish  

The ACEs Aware Stress Busters patient handouts are now available in Spanish. 

Stress Busters are seven ways to manage day-to-day stress as well as counter toxic stress from ACEs. All Stress Busters have been shown to improve brain health and immune function and balance stress hormones.  

The free patient handouts offer tips and strategies for managing stress for each Stress Buster. Download the resources in English or Spanish today, and find additional resources on the ACEs Aware “Manage Stress” website.  

New Stage 4 Module Added to the ACE Screening Implementation How-To Guide Course 

Stage 4 of the ACE Screening Implementation How-To Guide is now live on the ACEs Aware How-To Guide online course.  

The How-To Guide was developed to facilitate the adoption of ACE screening and trauma-informed care into practice at the organizational level. The self-paced course now includes the fourth module. The course provides guidance on: 

• Stage 1: What is needed clinically, operationally, administratively, and emotionally to begin screening.  
• Stage 2: Key decisions that must be made in selecting your clinic’s approach to implementing ACE screening and treating toxic stress.  
• Stage 3: Developing streamlined workflows and setting up data systems, monitoring progress, and implementing ongoing improvements using data from your electronic health record system. 
• Stage 4: Keeping clinicians and staff engaged with ACE screening by updating policies and procedures for human resources, billing, and payment; offering ongoing treatment; and addressing self and team care. 

This activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and other continuing education credit. 

Creating Safe Spaces in Tehama County 

Tehama County (located midway between Sacramento and the Oregon border) has experienced some of the highest rates of ACEs due to its unique adversities, such as natural disasters, rural isolation leading to a lack of access to health care providers, and an alarming increase in suicides.  

Earlier this year, California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos visited Bend Elementary in Red Bluff to talk about Safe Spaces – a free, online training designed to help individuals working with children and youth recognize and respond to signs of trauma and stress and to learn first-hand how Tehama early care providers and schools are supporting the mental health of children and youth. 

In a blog post, Heidi Mendenhall, Executive Director of First 5 Tehama, said that Safe Spaces provides Tehama with the unique opportunity to build relationships and reshape critical interactions with those who may be overwhelmed or struggling. 

News, Events, Resources, and Research

News

What Toxic Stress Can Do to Health

June 2024 | Medscape

Highlights the ACEs Aware initiative and the comprehensive ACE screening clinical workflow to help implement screenings, including the assessment of ACE-Associated Health Conditions and their appropriate clinical follow-up. References Stress Busters as a clinical intervention to mitigate the effects of toxic stress.  

Read→ 

EVENTS

Upcoming ACEs Aware Webinars

August 13, 12 – 1:15 pm

The Live Beyond Campaign:

Raising Awareness to Help Californians

Heal from ACEs 

Dr. Diana Ramos, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, MD, MPH, FAAP

Dr. Mikah Owen, MD, MPH, FAAP

Youth advisers to the Live Beyond campaign

Join current and former California Surgeon Generals Dr. Diana Ramos and Dr. Nadine Burke Harris for an ACEs Aware webinar about the Live Beyond ACEs and toxic stress campaign on Tuesday, August 13 at 12 pm. Learn from campaign youth advisors and ACEs experts about how health care teams can support youth to heal from ACEs and toxic stress. 

The Live Beyond campaign is the first of its kind to uniquely focus on reaching youth and young adults, followed by parents and caregivers of older youth, and equip them with the knowledge, resources, and strategies they need to understand what ACEs are and how ACEs may affect them, along with tools to help manage toxic stress and heal from adversity. The Live Beyond campaign is grounded in science, market research, and best practices, and was co-created with subject matter experts and youth from the ACEs Aware Youth and Young Adult Advisory Council. 

This activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and other continuing education credit. 

Register → 

September 12, 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Science and Innovation Speaker Series: Forgiveness as a Buffer to Intergenerational Transmission of ACEs

Loren L. Toussaint, PhD 

(Registration coming soon)

ACEs Aware Webinars on Demand 

We provide continuing education credit for our live webinars as well as for the on-demand versions that are posted a few weeks after the live sessions. Visit the ACEs Aware Learning Center to access past webinar trainings. 

RESOURCES

California Medical Association Virtual Grand Rounds: Adverse Childhood Experiences

California Medical Association

Presentations were given by Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Director Sohil Sud, UCAAN Co-Principal Investigators Mikah Owen and Shannon Thyne, and Nancy Martinez, a youth advisor for the Live Beyond campaign.

Watch the Presentation →



Recognizing and Treating Child Traumatic Stress

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Resources to help you learn about the signs of traumatic stress, its impact on children, treatment options, and how families and caregivers can help.

Access →

Why Do We Dismiss Non-Physical Trauma

Psychology Today

An examination of the effects of non-physical trauma. In our society, non-physical abuse tends to be dismissed as "not as bad.” Often those who have suffered emotional or psychological trauma struggle to have their experiences validated.   

Access →

Heat Risk Tool

National Weather Service

A color numeric index that provides a forecast risk of heat-related impacts to occur over a 24-hour period. Assess the risk in your community.    

Access →

RESEARCH

Patient Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation: Why Physicians Need to Be Trauma-Informed

April 2024 | MedEdPortal: The Journal of Teaching and Learning Resources 

An educational resource to teach residents how to identify and intervene with patients who experience trauma across the life span using a trauma-informed care perspective. 

Read→ 

2024 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People

July 2024 | The Trevor Project

This survey amplifies the experiences of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States, providing data-driven ways for every person to show support and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ young people in our lives as well as the potentially life-saving benefits of creating affirming spaces and communities.

Read→ 

Take the Becoming ACEs Aware in California Training Today  

Join more than 40,000 people who have become ACEs Aware by completing the free, two-hour online training. Completion of the Becoming ACEs Aware in California training is required for eligible Medi-Cal providers to be reimbursed for conducting ACE screenings.  

Visit the ACEs Aware Learning Center to take the training today.  

This activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and other continuing education credit. 

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Don't forget to add questions@acesaware.org to your safe sender list.