ACEs Aware Community: We Want to Tell Your Stories
about ACE Screening and Response
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Since ACEs Aware launched in December 2019, the initiative has raised public awareness about the importance of preventing, identifying, and responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress. ACEs Aware has also supported California health care teams and communities to do this work.
After nearly five years, more than 40,000 people have been trained to mitigate the toxic stress response, and nearly 1.9 million Medi-Cal members have been screened for ACEs. We’d like to showcase your stories about the positive impact ACE screening and response is having on health care delivery and patient and family health and well-being.
If you have completed the Becoming ACEs Aware in California training and have implemented an ACE screening and response initiative in a clinical or community-based setting that serves Medi-Cal members, we want to hear from you.
Please fill out this form to provide a brief description of your experiences helping Californians heal from ACEs and toxic stress. Thank you.
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ACEs Aware Partners with School-Based Health Centers to Prevent, Identify, and Respond to ACEs | | |
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ACEs Aware and the California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA) have teamed up to support school-based health centers interested in implementing Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) screening and response initiatives.
In addition to offering an in-person Becoming ACEs Aware in California training at CSHA’s annual conference in April 2024, ACEs Aware co-hosted a webinar earlier this month to discuss how to address ACEs in school-based health centers (SBHC) and to launch a community of practice for health centers interested in ACE screening and response.
The CSHA is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to improving the health and academic success of children and youth by advancing health services in schools. As schools have become central to student lives, they now serve as vital hubs for identifying and addressing mental and physical health needs. Given their unique position within schools, SBHCs are an ideal setting for ACE screening.
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- 70% to 80% of children and adolescents who receive mental health services access the services in school.
- Youth are six times more likely to complete evidence-based treatment in a school setting versus a community-based setting.
- School staff are often the first to notice signs of mental health challenges and connect students to appropriate services, especially for students who might otherwise struggle to access care in their communities.
To learn more, watch a recording of the October 1 webinar.
Learn more about CHSA.
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CYBHI Resources to Support Students and Staff | | |
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The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) launched a new CYBHI for Schools website that offers health and wellness resources for administrators and school health personnel, teachers and school staff, and students and families.
Check it out.
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Addressing Maternal Mortality and ACEs in Reproductive Health | | |
Improving reproductive and maternal health outcomes can have a positive impact on families and can mitigate ACEs and toxic stress later in life. California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos recently launched Strong Start & Beyond, a movement to reduce California’s maternal mortality rate 50% by December 2026. Strong Start & Beyond is focused on fostering awareness, encouraging active participation in health, and building access to resources for mothers, pregnant people, and their families. | |
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Last year, ACEs Aware worked in partnership with Dr. Ramos to host a webinar series called ACEs and Trauma-Informed Care in Reproductive Health. All sessions in the series are available to view on demand and offer continuing education credit.
ACEs Aware continues to present on the topic of ACEs and reproductive health. In September, Sara Johnson, MD, FACOG, an adviser to ACEs Aware, presented at the UCSF Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences Grand Rounds on addressing ACEs during prenatal care and how providers can build trust and improve health.
Watch the UCSF Grand Rounds Presentation.
Learn more about Strong Start & Beyond.
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Partner Spotlight: Never a Bother Suicide Prevention Campaign | | |
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In 2024, the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Suicide Prevention launched the Never a Bother campaign. The goal of the campaign is to prevent suicide among teens and young adults in California, as well as reduce self-harm, while encouraging friends to recognize the power they have to support someone in crisis.
Explore the campaign website for ways to get support and give support to a friend or youth in your care. Also, hear real stories from young people about moments when their lives were overwhelming and they felt anxious or alone.
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Train New Trainers (TNT) Primary Care Psychiatry (PCP) Fellowship Applications Open until October 31 | |
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The California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is partnering with UC Irvine on the TNT PCP Fellowship, a year-long clinical education program for primary care-oriented trainees and providers who wish to receive advanced training in primary care psychiatry.
The program is designed for primary care providers working in internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, or neurology. Past fellows include MDs, DOs, PAs, and NPs. Learn more about the fellowship.
Primary care physicians who have been accepted into the fellowship are eligible for the TNT PCP Fellowship Scholarship.
Fellowship applications are due by October 31, 2024.
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ACEs Aware at the Visión y Compromiso Conference | | |
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On October 3, the ACEs Aware team hosted a booth at the “Promotoras Paving the Way and Leaving a Legacy of Transformation” conference in Los Angeles.
The conference was hosted by Visión y Compromiso (VyC), an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underrepresented communities. VyC is the only organization in California providing comprehensive and ongoing leadership development, capacity building, advocacy training, and support to more than 4,000 promotores and community health workers.
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Events, Resources, and Research | | |
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Upcoming Webinars
October 10, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Science and Innovation Speaker Series: The Association of ACEs with Accelerated Epigenetic Aging in Midlife
Brian Joyce, PhD
Register Now →
October 17, 12 – 1 p.m.
ACEs Aware Clinical Pilot Series: Mitigating Intergenerational ACEs: Family Wellness Navigation in Adult Primary Care
Sarah Hay, B.A.
Katy Davis, PhD, LCSW
Nipher Malika, PhD, MPH
Register Now →
October 24, 12 – 1 p.m.
Implementation with Intention: Dyadic Care in Pediatrics: Preventive Care for Whole Family Wellness
Kathryn Hallinan, LMFT
Shay-Lee Perez, PsyD
Kate Margolis, PhD
Register Now →
November 7, 12 – 1 p.m.
Community Spotlight: ACE Screening in a Bilingual Community Mental Health Program
Jose Cardenas, PsyD
(Registration coming soon)
November 14, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Science and Innovation Speaker Series: When ACEs Present to a Statewide Child Psychiatry Access Program
Rebecca Ferro, MA
Register Now →
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.
Other Learning Opportunities
Screening for ACEs in Pediatric Primary Care: Results from the TASIE Project
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Session 1: October 9, 10 a.m. PDT
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Session 2: October 23, 10 a.m. PDT
The Trauma-Informed ACEs Screening and Intervention Evaluation (TASIE) Project ECHO was a three-year research project designed to yield a scalable model for integrating ACE screening and trauma-informed, strengths-based patient care in pediatric practices across the country. This webinar series will review the results and findings from this program, which involved more than 60 participating providers from 46 diverse pediatric practices across the country.
Read the Report →
Register Now →
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Trauma-Informed Care is Emergency Care
Emergency Medicine News
A case for trauma-informed care in the emergency department, a setting that may be triggering for patients with a history of trauma.
Access →
Stressed about Politics? Here are 5 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health
KPBS
In a poll by the American Psychiatric Association, nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents said they are feeling anxious about the election. Here are strategies for those seeking to reduce their stress and anxiety.
Access →
ACEs Resource Hub
ACEs Aware
Discover statewide initiatives and campaigns about ACEs and toxic stress on the ACEs Aware website.
Access →
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Improving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Assessment in Young Children: Comparing Measures and Identifying Clinically Relevant Symptoms in Children Ages Six and Under
August 2024 | Scientific Reports
An examination of young children exposed to PTSD. Increased clinginess post-trauma was the most reported symptom and was associated with functional impairment. Arousal symptoms (startle, hypervigilance) and re-experiencing symptoms (nightmares) also emerged as relevant for young children.
Read→
School Violence Exposure as an Adverse Childhood Experience: Protocol for a Nationwide Study of Secondary Public Schools
August 2024 | JMIR Publications
Investigates the association between exposure to existing school safety interventions and early adolescent student mental health outcomes, while accounting for one's history of ACEs.
Read→
The Role of Primary Care in Improving Health Outcomes in Young Foster Children
July 2024 | JAAPA
This article provides guidance for physician associates/assistants who provide care to children in foster care, including identifying urgent concerns and developing a rapport with children removed from their biological families because of abuse, neglect, and/or violence.
Read→
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Trauma-informed care is just a few clicks away.
Take Becoming ACEs Aware in California, the flagship training program for the ACEs Aware initiative based on the foundational principle that toxic stress is amenable to treatment. This free, two-hour online course covers ACEs, toxic stress, ACE screening, toxic stress risk assessment, and trauma-informed care, and provides health care teams with evidence-based strategies to mitigate the toxic stress response.
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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