New and Noteworthy

ACEs Aware is excited to announce several new resources this month, including a Stress Busters website, an ACE screening implementation e-learning course, and a Science and Innovation Speaker series.

New Website: Learn about Stress Management Strategies on the New Stress Busters website

In the U.S., we are seeing an epidemic of mental health issues and chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and suicide. A growing body of research is demonstrating the ways in which toxic stress is a contributing factor. That’s why it’s critical to understand the impact of toxic stress on the well-being of our patients and clients and provide them with effective tools to manage it.

ACEs Aware launched a new website to share tools and resources for toxic stress mitigation strategies – known as Stress Busters – that you can start using today to help support your patients and clients in managing stress and promoting overall health.

Visit www.acesaware.org/managestress for: 

• Downloadable handouts that provide useful tips about all 7 Stress Buster strategies 
• Animated videos  
• Links to resources and services 

New Course: ACE Screening Implementation How-To Guide

The new ACE Screening Implementation How-To Guide e-learning course provides clinical teams with step-by-step guidance on how to introduce Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) screening and trauma-informed care into practice at the organizational level. The training is free, self-paced, and interactive and is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and other continuing education credit. 

August 2023 Data Report: More than 1.2 Million Medi-Cal Members Screened for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

The ACEs Aware initiative released the August 2023 quarterly data report detailing the number of Adverse Childhood Experience (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 September 30, 2022, Medi-Cal clinicians conducted more than 1,803,100 ACE screenings of 1,257,490 unique Medi-Cal members. 

Between December 4, 2019, and June 30, 2023, more than 32,840 individuals completed the training, including approximately 14,310 Medi-Cal clinicians who are ACEs Aware-certified and are eligible to receive Medi-Cal payment for conducting ACE screenings. 

New ACEs Aware Webinar Series: Science and Innovation Speaker Series

This new webinar series provides a forum for discussing the emerging science of toxic stress, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and other early life adversities, as well as resilience and strength-based factors within a foundation of equity. The series highlights cutting-edge researchers and innovators in the field who have published evidence-based, community-engaged, and data-driven studies.

In the first webinar, Dr. Pat Levitt will present on his paper, “Leveraging the Biology of Adversity and Resilience to Transform Pediatric Practice”, and a companion article, “Genes, Environments, and Time: The Biology of Adversity and Resilience”. He will discuss an interactive gene-environment-time framework, which underscores the extent to which health and development are shaped throughout life. He will also discuss challenges and opportunities for clinical practice and advocacy in the early childhood ecosystem.

Children's Institute Annual Trauma-Informed Care Conference

September 26, 2023

9 am - 3:30 pm 

Children's Institute (CII), in partnership with the UCLA Pritzker Center, will host the 2023 Trauma-Informed Care Conference that will focus on “Creating a Culture of Wellness and Prevention for Children, Families, and Community”. The event will be held virtually and in person. The morning session will feature a keynote from Dr. Bessel van de Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, and feature Dr. Diana Ramos, California Surgeon General, and Dr. Eraka Bath, Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry. Breakout sessions will be held in the afternoon on such topics as “Cells to solutions: Exploring multidisciplinary, physiology-based healing strategies for toxic stress as part of routine clinical care” and “How trauma-informed is your practice?” 

CII offers a variety of programs focused on supporting children and families facing adversity in Los Angeles and trains thousands of professionals and caregivers every year. The conference brings together professionals from the front lines, including those working with at-risk children and families: child welfare and mental health professionals; and school and juvenile justice workers.  

New ACEs Explainer Video Now Available

The Office of the California Surgeon General has debuted a new animated “explainer” video about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Available in English and Spanish, the video is designed for health care teams and community organizations to use in presentations, events, social media, and more. 

The video explains in easy-to-understand terms how ACEs can lead to a toxic stress response and impact health across a lifetime. A companion toolkit provides resources for sharing and promoting the video.

Putting Implementation Into Action

Events, Resources, and Research

EVENTS

ACEs Aware Webinars in September:

Tomorrow! September 7, 12 – 1 pm: Safe Spaces: Supporting Schools and Care Settings to Be Trauma-Informed

Registration is now live →



September 14, 12:30 – 1:30 pm: Science and Innovation Speaker Series: Leveraging the Biology of Adversity and Resilience to Transform Pediatric Practice

Registration is now live →

September 20, 12 – 1 pm: ACEs and Trauma-Informed Care in Reproductive Health: Creating Healing Spaces and Conversations​

Registration is now live →

September 28, 12 – 1 pm: ACEs Aware Implementation with Intention series: ACE Screening and Response: Questions from the Field and Discussion with ACEs Aware

Registration is now live →



Visit the ACEs Aware Learning Center for more information and to access recordings of past webinars. 

RESOURCES

Materials Available: June 15 Trauma-Informed Primary Care (TIPC) Advisory Committee Meeting

A meeting summary and slides from the quarterly Trauma-Informed Primary Care (TIPC) Implementation Advisory Committee meeting held on June 15, 2023, are now available. Members of the committee heard updates from the Office of the California Surgeon General, Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and UCLA/UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN).

View Materials →

The next TIPC meeting will be held on October 10, 2023. Stay tuned for details.

HCAI Grant Opportunities 

The California Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) mission is to expand equitable access to quality, affordable health care for all Californians through resilient facilities, actionable information, and the health workforce each community needs. HCAI has two grant opportunities to share with the ACEs Aware community: 

Health Professions Pathway Program 

Health Professions Pathway Program is a HCAI grant opportunity for organizations to develop and implement health professions pathway programs that can include pipeline programs, summer internships, post-undergraduate fellowships, and post-baccalaureate scholarships that support and encourage underrepresented and disadvantaged individuals to pursue health careers to develop a more culturally and linguistically competent health care workforce. The application cycle opened on August 15, 2023, and closes on October 16, 2023. For more information, visit Health Professions Pathways Program. 

Justice System-Involved Youth: Behavioral Health Pipeline (JSIY BH Pipeline)

JSIY BH Pipeline is a HCAI grant opportunity for organizations to develop and implement a program that will provide comprehensive wraparound supports to encourage students to pursue and enter the behavioral health workforce. Supports include income and rent support, academic enrichment, career development, mentorship, and advising to support currently or recently system-involved students in attaining behavioral health careers. The JSIY BH Pipeline application cycle opened on August 15, 2023, and closes on October 16, 2023. For more information, visit Health Professions Pathways Program. 



Tips for Staying Healthy in Extreme Heat  

Heat is deadlier than any other weather hazard. Be prepared for extreme heat events, and find resources to help you stay safe at California’s Heat Ready website.

Resource Guide on State Actions to Prevent and Mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma 

In 2021, the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) published a report highlighting best practices for state and territorial leaders seeking to prevent and mitigate the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma. Since then, states have been actively working to implement strategies and best practices to address ACEs and trauma and promote resilience. 

Access the Resource Guide→  

RESEARCH

Exploring Pathways Linking Early Childhood Adverse Experiences to Reduced Preadolescent School Engagement 

August 2023 | Child Abuse and Neglect 

Read→ 

The Importance of Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences in All Medical Encounters 

June 2023 | AJPM Focus 

Read→ 



Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Accelerated Epigenetic Aging in Midlife 

June 2023 | JAMA Network Open 

Read→ 

Inclusion of Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences in Research About Racial/Ethnic Substance Use Disparities 

June 2023 | American Journal of Public Health 

Read→ 



Evaluation of Midlife Educational Attainment Among Attendees of a Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Program in the Context of Early Adverse Childhood Experiences 

June 2023 | JAMA Network Open 

Read→

The Consequences of Child Abuse 

June 2023 | Healthcare 

Read→ 

Introducing the Neuroplastic Narrative: A Non-pathologizing Biological Foundation for Trauma-Informed and Adverse Childhood Experience Aware Approaches 

May 2023 | Front Psychiatry 

Read→ 

Is Parental Unemployment Associated with Increased Risk of Adverse Childhood Experiences? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 

May 2023 | Journal of Public Health 

Read→ 

Trends and Forecasted Rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences among Adults in the United States: An Analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 

March 2023 | Journal of Osteopathic Medicine 

Read→ 

Searching for Secrets, Searching for Self: Childhood Adversity, Self-Concept Clarity, and the Motivation to Uncover Family Secrets through Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing 

February 2023 | Journal of Genetic Counseling 

Read→ 

All health care teams, community workers, and educators in settings where children, adults, and families receive health care or supportive community services can benefit from taking the Becoming ACEs Aware in California 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.

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