December 2022 Newsletter

As the holidays begin and 2022 comes to an end, we thank you for joining us on the journey to screen, treat, and heal the impacts of toxic stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Over the course of this year, so much has been accomplished by health care providers and teams across California, including:

More than 7,000 individuals completed the Becoming ACEs Aware in California training, bringing the total number of ACEs Aware-certified individuals to 26,900.
California surpassed 1 million ACE screenings of Medi-Cal patients since 2019.
With ACEs Aware grant funding, 25 teams of Medi-Cal clinics, community-based organizations, and Medi-Cal managed care plans began work on building sustainable networks of care in 15 counties across California.
Previous ACEs Aware grantees completed their work, including publishing practice papers and trainings, as well as strengthening protocols, workflows, and referral systems designed to effectively prevent and respond to ACEs, toxic stress, and ACE-Associated Health Conditions.
Governor Newsom appointed a new California Surgeon General, Dr. Diana Ramos, who announced that she will focus on three key priorities—ACEs and Toxic Stress, Mental Health, and Reproductive Health.

We are excited for what’s to come in 2023, and are grateful for the work that everyone in the ACEs Aware community does every day to improve the health and well-being of all Californians.

From all of us at the UCLA-UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN) and ACEs Aware, Happy Holidays!

New and Noteworthy

Announcing the ACEs Aware Implementation with Intention Webinar Series

We are excited to announce that in January we will launch a new ACEs Aware webinar series designed to help California clinics implement ACE screening and response. Through five live webinar sessions, experts will provide practical step-by-step guidance, as well as resources and tools to help clinics move further along their ACE screening implementation journey.

Sessions will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month, January through May 2023, and will offer Continuing Medical Education credit. Recordings will be posted on the ACEs Aware website.

Details and schedules are available on the ACEs Aware website.

Registration is now open for Webinar #1:

Getting Your Practice Ready

Thursday, January 26, 12-1 p.m.

Becoming ACEs Aware in California Has a New Look!

We are excited to announce the launch of the new ACEs Aware Learning Center with an improved user experience for the Becoming ACEs Aware in California online training. It’s easier than ever for trainees to complete the training, track their progress, and download Continuing Medical Education and other certificates. As always, Medi-Cal providers who complete the training can self-attest to become eligible for reimbursement for ACE screenings.

Start Training

Apply to Serve on the ACEs Aware Community Councils

Apply to Serve on the ACEs Aware Partners Community Council

ACEs Aware is seeking individuals from community-based organizations focused on improving the health and well-being of patients and communities who receive care in a Medi-Cal setting to serve on a community council and provide their experiences, expertise, and perspectives on health care services. We are especially interested in organizations that serve populations disproportionately impacted by health inequities.

Commitment and Compensation: One 90-minute online meeting per month compensated at $100 per meeting. Details and information about applying are posted here.

Apply Now

Apply to Serve on the ACEs Aware Youth and Young Adult Council

ACEs Aware is seeking individuals ages 16-26 with experience as patients in a Medi-Cal setting to apply to serve on a Youth and Young Adult Council and provide their experiences, expertise, and perspectives on health care services. We are seeking participants who represent a diversity of geographic, educational, racial/ethnic, cultural, and gender identities.

Commitment and Compensation: One 90-minute online meeting per month compensated at $100 per meeting. Details and information about applying are posted here.

Apply Now

Thank you, Dr. Richard Pan

Along with the Office of the California Surgeon General, we would like to thank Dr. Richard Pan for his 12 years of service to the California Legislature (he terms out in January 2023), his role on the ACEs Aware Trauma-Informed Primary Care (TIPC) Implementation Advisory Committee, and his dedication to the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in California.

Looking to Jump Start ACE Screening and Response in Your Practice?

Join us on January 26, 2023, for the first in a series of Implementation with Intention webinars. In the meantime, check out past ACEs Aware webinars, including Implementing ACE Screenings: How-To Guide and Lessons From the Field.

See all past ACEs Aware webinars at https://www.acesaware.org/educational-events/.

News, Resources, and Research

NEWS

The American Pediatric Society (APS) selects Dr. Nadine Burke Harris as the recipient of the 2023 David G. Nichols Health Equity Award

The David G. Nichols Health Equity Award, administered by the APS and endowed by the American Board of Pediatrics (APB) Foundation, was created to recognize demonstrated excellence in advancing child and adolescent health, well-being, and equity through quality improvement, advocacy, practice, or research.

Access →

EVENTS

ACEs Aware Implementation with Intention Webinar: Getting Your Practice Ready

Thursday, January 26, 2022 | 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. PST | UCAAN

Join us for the new ACEs Aware “Implementation with Intention” webinar series dedicated to helping California clinics implement Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) screening and response.

Sessions will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month, January through May 2023, and will offer Continuing Medical Education credit.

National Committee on ACEs and Toxic Stress (NCATS) Trauma-Informed Asthma Clinical Care Considerations and Pilot Study Webinar

Monday, December 12, 2022 | 12 p.m. | NCATS

Asthma is the most common chronic childhood lung disease (2016 CDC National Health Interview Survey) and disproportionately affects children living in poverty and African American children (American Lung Association). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) exacerbate the risk and severity of asthma.

RESOURCES

What Doctors Wish Patients Knew about Trauma-Informed Care

The American Medical Association’s What Doctors Wish Patients Knew™ series asks physicians to share what they want patients to understand. In the most recent installment, two physicians discuss what patients need to know about trauma-informed care.

Access →

How Early Childhood Experiences Affect Lifelong Health and Learning (Video)

Harvard University’s “Center on the Developing Child” created an animated video explaining how high stress and adversity impact child development and chronic diseases in adults.

Access →

Stress, Depression and the Holidays: Tips for Coping

The Mayo Clinic delivers guidance for coping during what is inevitably a stressful season, giving guidance for adults struggling to manage their mental health in the hustle and bustle.

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Children and Grief During the Holidays

Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy Center offers insight into how children cope during the holidays from a counselor’s perspective, helping adults recognize symptoms of grief and the best ways to support them.

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At-Risk Kids Weather the Holidays Better with Caring Adults

Healthnet December 2020 – Featuring Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris' TED Talk, this article outlines the ways that buffering support can give children with ACEs the tools they need to be protected from the physiological impacts of toxic stress.

Access →

Holiday Trauma Triggers

Lakeside is a therapy school dedicated to trauma-informed care, and they have a comprehensive article on how people can be triggered during the holidays, inviting reflection on how to empathize with and manage those who need support.

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Helping Students Affected by Trauma for the Holidays

The National Association of Secondary School Principals presents ways to help students navigate what can be a stressful season, helping teachers and other caretakers of children recognize signs of trauma and ways to help.

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Avoiding Holiday Stressors: Tips for a Stress-Free Season

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a comprehensive post outlining the risk your mental health faces during the season, giving tactics to avoid pitfalls for those who may be more likely to struggle.

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Navigating the Holidays for Students with ACEs

Noticing an uptick in behavioral issues around this time of year, Dr. Joshua MacNeill posted an important article to the PACES Connection blog sharing his best advice for helping students and children as the season nears.

Access →

RESEARCH

Previous Trauma Can Impact Expectant Mothers during Pregnancy and Beyond

December 2021 | University of Michigan Lab

Read →

American Psychiatric Association Holiday Stress Poll

November 2021 | American Psychiatric Association

Read →

Now is a great time to take the Becoming ACEs Aware in California online training!

We’ve improved the user experience, making it easier to complete the training and access Continuing Medical Education credit.

Take the free, two-hour training to learn how to provide trauma-informed care, screen for ACEs and assess risk of toxic stress, and use clinical protocols to develop a treatment plan to prevent and mitigate toxic stress.

Take the Training

Already completed the training?

Providers with National Provider Identifiers should attest on the DHCS website

so they can become eligible for Medi-Cal reimbursement for screening.