Greetings, I hope that you, your family, and your colleagues are well during this tumultuous time. On behalf of the Coastal Tri-Counties Child Abuse Prevention Coalition (CTC-CAPC) I'm delighted to share some exciting updates about our shared initiatives in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Tri-Counties Parent Leader Activities

A Parent Voice Committee is forming in Ventura County to support child abuse prevention planning team efforts. This cross-sector group of parents will meet monthly and make a critical contribution to the ongoing work of strengthening families, developing parent leaders and preventing child maltreatment.

Santa Barbara County's team of 10 parent leaders are trained as Family Strengthening Educators. During these challenging times they've been increasing their understanding of psychological first aid and self-care practices in order to better support their communities. Six of the parent leaders participated in a three-day virtual training with Be Strong Families to learn strategies for conducting virtual cafés.   San Luis Obispo County parent leaders conducted a virtual Cafecitos on September 24th to educate community members about the Five Protective Factors and provide positive social connection. The gathering was a great success with 10 parents participating and engaging in meaningful dialogue with the group. The next SLO County Cafecitos is scheduled for February 2021.

ACEs Aware invests in Santa Barbara County

The ACEs Aware initiative, led by the California Department of Health Care Services and the Office of the California Surgeon General, offers Medi-Cal providers training, screening tools, clinical protocols, and payment for screening children and adults for ACEs.

KIDS Network was recently awarded a $150,000 Provider Engagement grant from ACEs Aware. KIDS Network serves as the hub for Santa Barbara County’s cross-sector ACEs initiative, Resilient Santa Barbara County (RSBC), and as a network partner for the Santa Barbara County Child Abuse Prevention Council. Learn more about the award here. Through the ACEs Aware Provider Engagement Grant, KIDS Network will build on RSBC successes to strengthen care networks in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties. Medi-Cal providers from all three counties will be invited to participate in virtual events with renowned speakers and local experts, designed to strengthen cross-sector relationships and increase awareness about ACEs, resilience, and trauma-informed care. Care networks from each county have been engaged to enhance presentations with information about local resources and intervention strategies. To get involved in the Tri-Counties provider engagement efforts contact: Barbara Finch, Children and Adult Network Director Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services b.finch@sbcsocialserv.org

Five Protective Factor videos & more!

In our next emails we'll share outreach success stories during the Coronavirus crisis, and how our Coalition is promoting the Five Protective Factors through social media and with our Promotores Collaborative partners.

Be well, Erica Ruvalcaba-Heredia Coastal Tri-Counties Child Abuse Prevention Coalition Innovative Partnerships Project Coordinator Center for Family Strengthening Director of Programs (805) 305-4574 Erica@cfsslo.org