New and Noteworthy

There's More to Explore on the ACEs Aware Learning Center

ACEs Aware launched a new and improved Learning Center to support the learning of health care teams working to prevent, identify, and respond to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress.   

The ACEs Aware Learning Center now features:  

• A calendar of upcoming live events.  
• Improved navigation for, and subscription to, ACEs Aware webinar series.  
• Catalog of all available trainings.  
• My Learning feature that allows users to collect in-progress and past learning items in one place.  
• Easy access to certificates and continuing education credits.  

In addition to the Becoming ACEs Aware in California online training, which is required for eligible Medi-Cal providers to be reimbursed for ACE screenings, the ACEs Aware Learning Center includes self-paced e-courses about evidence-based toxic stress mitigation strategies (Stress Busters) and how to implement an ACE screening initiative in clinical settings. It also includes dozens of ACEs Aware webinars, including series on Implementation with Intention, ACE Screening and Trauma-Informed Care in Reproductive Health, and Science and Innovation. As always, most trainings provide continuing education credit. 

Visit the ACEs Aware Learning Center for more information. 

February 2024 Quarterly Data Report: More than 1.5 Million Medi-Cal Members Have Been Screened for ACEs

The ACEs Aware initiative released the February 2024 quarterly data report detailing the number of ACE screenings conducted for Medi-Cal members (children and adults) and the number of individuals who completed the Becoming ACEs Aware in California online training.   

Between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2023, Medi-Cal clinicians conducted more than 2,326,360 ACE screenings of 1,529,390 unique Medi-Cal members. Between December 4, 2019, and October 31, 2023, more than 35,360 individuals completed the Becoming ACEs Aware in California training, including approximately 17,100 Medi-Cal clinicians who are ACEs Aware-certified and eligible to receive Medi-Cal payment for conducting ACE screenings. 

New and Improved Data Reports Webpage

In addition to the February 2024 quarterly data report, we have published an improved ACEs Aware Data Reports webpage. It provides easy access to Medi-Cal screening data and all past ACEs Aware data reports, newly launched interactive data visualizations of screening data by age and county, and county-level data for completions of the Becoming ACEs Aware in California core training. 

Communications Survey: There's still time to take the survey

We’d like to hear from you about how we’re doing communicating to the ACEs Aware community. 

Please take a five-minute survey to share your feedback about our website, email newsletters, and social media. Your input will help improve our work. Thanks for helping to improve ACEs Aware communications. 

News, Events, Resources, and Research

NEWS

Childhood Trauma Linked to 45% Greater Risk of Chronic Pain in Adulthood

A new meta-analysis of 57 studies including over half a million people found that childhood trauma is associated with a 45% higher risk of developing chronic pain and pain-related disability in adulthood.

Access →

EVENTS

Upcoming ACEs Aware Webinars

February 8, 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Science and Innovation Speaker Series: Intergenerational Effects of Maternal Adversity and Interventions that Improve Child Health Outcomes

Nicole Bush, PhD

Registration is now live →

February 22, 12 – 1 pm

Implementation with Intention: Set Up Your Electronic Health Record (EHR) for ACE Screening and Response

Registration is now live →

March 14, 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Science and Innovation Speaker Series: Standardized Patient Cases on Trauma and Resilience for Pediatric Residents

M. Cooper Lloyd, MD, MPH

Jaime La Charite, MD, MPH

(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

Undoing Racism's Negative Effect on Your Psychological Fortitude: 5 Steps

December 2023 | New Harbinger

Access →

Use of Metaphor as an Explanation Tool in Adverse Childhood Experiences Simulation Training

October 2023 | The Permanente Journal

Access →

RESEARCH

Economic Burden of Health Conditions Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences Among US Adults

December 2023 | JAMA Network Open

In this economic evaluation of the US adult population, 63% of adults had ACEs. The national economic burden of ACE-related adult health conditions was $14.1 trillion annually ($183 billion in direct medical spending and $13.9 trillion in lost healthy life-years), or $88 000 per affected adult annually and $2.4 million over their lifetimes.

Read→ 

Pathways to Emotion Regulation in Young Black Children

December 2023 | ScienceDirect

This paper brings attachment theory into conversation with the field of positive Black youth development to explore pathways to emotion regulation in African American children during early childhood.

Read→ 

Black Moms Matter: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Barriers to Service Utilization at a Children’s Advocacy Center Following Childhood Abuse

November 2023 | PubMed

Black families are significantly less likely to receive evidence-based trauma treatment services; however, little is known about factors impacting engagement, particularly at Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs). The goal of this study is to better understand barriers and facilitators of service utilization for Black caregivers of CAC referred youth.

Read→ 

Becoming ACEs Aware in California is the flagship training program for the ACEs Aware initiative and is 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 evidence-based strategies to mitigate the toxic stress response. 

After completing this training, qualified Medi-Cal clinicians are certified to receive $29 for each eligible ACE screening they conduct. Continuing Education credit is also available. 

Visit the ACEs Aware Learning Center to take the training.

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