On January 12, 2022, more than 130 grantees and their partners gathered for the ACEs Aware: Provider Engagement, Training, and Communications Grantee Closeout & Celebration.

The ACEs Aware initiative funds community-based approaches to identify, treat, and heal the effects of ACEs and stress. Last month, we asked grantees Tri-City Mental Health Authority, Kings County Department of Public Health, and the Hanna Institute to share their strategies for engaging with local communities.

When two ACEs Aware communications grants were awarded to Merced County, a strategic alliance between the Merced County Office of Education’s Family Resource Center and ACE Overcomers was developed to achieve greater impact through collaboration. Read reflections on their efforts in this month’s joint interview.

ACEs Aware grantees are hard at work advancing trauma-informed care and mitigating toxic stress across California. This month, we asked grantees Western Youth Services and California Black Health Network to share their experiences engaging with local communities, overcoming challenges, and advancing the mission of ACEs Aware across the state.

This month, we asked grantees La Maida Project, Sutter County Children & Families Commission, and the UCSF Center for Nature and Health to share new learning opportunities and local connections that have emerged as a result of their ACEs Aware grants.

Three ACEs Aware grantees met with Dr. Burke Harris to share their successes promoting ACE screenings, trauma-informed systems, and self-care and resilience through their grant activities.

We sat down with ACEs Aware grantees Santa Cruz County Public Health, Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County, and First 5 San Bernardino to discuss their progress, their upcoming activities for the year, and how they practice self-care within their organizations.

San Diego Health Care Quality Collaborative, Lincoln Families, and Latinx Physicians of California are in the Grantee Spotlight for January, and each organization is leading an exciting body of work though provider engagement and communications.

Since receiving their grant awards in June 2020, ACEs Aware grantees have been hard at work executing a range of activities to inform and educate Medi-Cal providers about the importance of screening for ACEs and responding with trauma-informed care. Cardea Services, The Raise Foundation, Lake Family Resource Center, and First 5 Contra Costa are included in the Grantee Spotlight for December, and each organization is leading an exciting body of work though provider training, provider engagement, and communications.