New Video: Helping Patients Cope with the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

In recognition of Children’s Mental Health Week (May 1-7, 2022), we are launching the first video in a new ACEs Aware storytelling series. We will publish unique videos capturing the broad impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) across California and the work of the ACEs Aware initiative to train health care providers to screen, recognize, and respond to ACEs and toxic stress.

The first video features pediatrician Dr. Eric Ball from Children’s Health Orange County. Dr. Ball’s experience highlights the importance of applying ACEs Aware training to support patients, families, and clinical staff to cope with the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other life stressors.

Updates and Opportunities

New Data Report: 781,400 ACE Screenings Completed

According to a newly released report, Medi-Cal providers conducted approximately 781,400 ACE screenings of nearly 651,200 unique Medi-Cal beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. In addition, since the launch of the ACEs Aware initiative in December 2019, more than 22,300 individuals have completed the ACEs Aware core training and are now ACEs Aware-certified.

New ACEs Aware Grant Funding Opportunity

The UCLA-UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN), in collaboration with the Office of the California Surgeon General (OSG), California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and Population Health Innovation Lab (PHIL), a program of Public Health Institute (PHI), have issued a Request for Proposal for a third round of ACEs Aware grant funding called PRACTICE: Preventing and Responding to ACE-Associated Health Conditions and Toxic Stress in Clinics through Community Engagement.

The PRACTICE statewide learning collaborative will provide $19.5 million to support the efforts of clinical teams to address toxic stress in local communities. See the Events section below for details on an upcoming informational webinar on May 11, 2022, from 12 – 1 p.m. PDT.

We All Have a Number Story: Your Child’s First Chapters – Toolkit for Caregivers

The ACE Resource Network and the American Society for the Positive Care of Children have partnered to release a comprehensive ACE-informed Caregiver Toolkit. We All Have a Number Story: Your Child’s First Chapters provides information on ACEs, positive parenting of children ages 0 to 5, and the lasting impacts childhood experiences may have on parents and caregivers.

Events, News, and Research

EVENTS

PRACTICE Request for Proposal Informational Webinar

May 11, 12-1 p.m. | Virtual

Prospective applicants and interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend this webinar. Attendance is non-binding and not required. Register on the PHIL Eventbrite page. A recording of the webinar and slides will be available following the event on the Events page.

ACEs Aware in Action Conference: Innovations & Lessons Learned

May 16-17 | Long Beach, CA

For the first time, ACEs Aware grantees will gather in person for the ACEs Aware in Action conference. Highlights include the opening keynote by Roy Wade Jr. on Addressing Racism and Discrimination as Sources of Trauma and Toxic Stress, and a closing plenary featuring Acting California Surgeon General Devika Bhushan and leadership from the UCLA/UCSF ACES Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN).

NEWS

Research shows only a tiny percentage of physicians integrate PACEs science

March 2022 | PACEs Connection

Three studies in Minnesota, Texas, and Illinois show that very few physicians, medical school faculty, and other health care providers are integrating practices and policies based on the science of positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Read →

RESEARCH

Adverse Childhood Experiences and sleep difficulties among young adult college students

April 2022 | Journal of Sleep Research

This study assessed risk for sleep difficulties among college students in California and Texas with varying degrees of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACE exposure was found to be associated with negative sleep health outcomes.

Read →

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even when your brain tells you there isn't.”

– John Green 

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