The purpose of this website is to provide monthly research summaries of the most pertinent articles related to abuse, as a support for those whose goal is to create a future of violence-free families. From Stanford University and the National Library of Medicine.

This document addresses ways that providers can implement ACE screenings in practice.

The purpose of this Resource Guide is to provide strategies and information to help you learn more about how your health plan can be an active part of Trauma-Informed Networks of Care in your service areas.

ACEs Aware policy guidance for clinicians, Medi-Cal managed care health plans, and other stakeholders.

Policy statement on addressing ACEs in clinical practice.

A number of AAP policy statements and clinical reports that can help guide pediatricians and the medical home in identifying and treating children exposed to violence.

4CA is a cross-sector advocacy organization that includes child welfare, early childhood, education, health, and youth justice collaboration in joint advocacy towards resolving ACEs.

Webinars on state-level policy approaches to addressing childhood adversity.

This joint letter from the California Department of Social Services, the California Department of Health Care Services, and the Office of the California Surgeon General provides clarifying guidance on the responsibilities of health care clinical teams who conduct screenings for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the context of the state’s mandated reporting requirements.

This case study describes the experience of Marin Community Clinics in obtaining buy-in for piloting and designing the implementation process for organization-wide ACE screening. It reinforces the importance ACEs Aware places on developing a robust implementation team, training staff on trauma-informed care and ACE screening, and expanding internal and external resources to respond to ACEs and toxic stress.

A first look at the impact of ACEs in California through four years of data collected by the annual California Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance

A handout developed by the Center for Youth Wellness that explains how ACEs impact children and adults.

The Science Behind the Skills Adults Need to Succeed in Parenting and in the Workplace. This document details the science behind prolonged stress impacts and rebuilding skills to succeed in adulthood, oriented towards any service provider.

This document details the science behind prolonged stress impacts and rebuilding skills to succeed in adulthood, oriented towards any service provider.

This brief is part of a series that summarizes essential scientific findings from Center publications.

The Center strives to present information, especially scientific information, in a way that is accessible to a wide range of readers.

Applying scientific research to practice and policy.

This interactive feature shows how the choices we make can help children and the community as a whole become more resilient in the face of serious challenges.

Infographic about toxic stress.

This document describes a framework to guide communities’ (“community” refers to any group with shared interests such as neighborhoods, counties, states, and professional groups) activities that will support the types of relationships and environments that help children grow up to be healthy and productive members of their communities so that they, in turn, can build stronger and safer families and communities for their children.

Summary on the Kaiser ACEs study conducted from 1995 to 1997.

Press release regarding ACEs having been linked to at least 5 of the top 10 leading causes of death.

A Guide for preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences.

The Public Health Leadership (PHL) Initiative believes public health agencies can make great strides in preventing child maltreatment. From 2010-2013, the PHL Initiative worked with national and state public health leaders to better understand successes and challenges of public health efforts to address child maltreatment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed technical packages to help states and communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent violence.

Vital Signs report on the prevalence and consequences of ACEs, and the potential for reducing these consequences by preventing ACEs.

The removal of children by the child welfare system is both a result and cause of ACEs. This paper outlines data which reveal inequities in the current child welfare system of California, reviews the evidence suggesting harms of over-surveillance and separation, and highlights policy actions and community-based solutions that have the potential to shift agency and resources to families who have been marginalized.

With 12 natural touch points in the first 3 years of life, pediatric well baby visits make up the most frequent point of contact with the healthcare system for families with young children , providing an opportune space to address the caregiver and family context and provide behavioral health early intervention, connect families to resources, support early child development, and mitigate intergenerational trauma and the harmful effects of toxic stress.

Families Thrive is a Contra Costa, CA-based cross-sectoral partnership to address needs of children and families impacted by trauma, including intimate partner violence.

This paper expands on existing best practices around ACE screening, with a focus on family and local CBO experiences, to inform large-scale systems change of incorporating ACE screening into systems of care for children and families in L.A. County and other similar jurisdictions.

MARC is a learning collaborative of 14 communities across the US engaged in building a movement for a just, healthy, and resilient world, in which they share best practices and receive financial and technical assistance in advancing ACEs-informed work across sectors, including early childhood education, aging, healthcare, and juvenile justice.

A consensus study report published in 2019 that reviews the social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors significantly affect a child’s health ecosystem and ability to thrive throughout adulthood.

The report identifies and assesses current and emerging approaches and recommends ways to expand and optimize social care in the health care setting.

This brief presents research on adverse childhood experiences and highlights state strategies to prevent and reduce their occurrence and negative effects. Such policies include strategies to build resilience in children and families, help parents reduce stress, and increase screening and treatment for ACEs.

Report written by Shannon Mace, JD, MPH, and Reba Smith, MS and published in 2018.

Article about ACEs as a public health issue nationwide published on November 5, 2019.

This website provides an overview of ACEs, child and family well-being, and early childhood development.

• The Truth about ACEs Infographic
• Access RWJF ACEs articles

This practice paper examines ACEs and ACE screening with immigrant youth, including qualitative research conducted with adolescent health providers and adolescents to understand their perspectives on this topic, and offers recommendations for adolescent health providers to effectively implement ACE screening with immigrant youth in primary care settings. This paper is a companion document to the authors’ practice paper entitled Screening Adolescents for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Incorporating Resilience and Youth Development.

This practice paper examines ACEs and ACE screening with adolescents, including qualitative research conducted with adolescent health providers and adolescents to understand their perspectives on this topic, and offers recommendations for adolescent health providers to effectively implement ACE screening with adolescents.

This 2019 report describes New Jersey’s statewide effort to address ACEs.

This practice paper aims to describe some emerging practices and barriers and facilitators to implementing trauma-informed care, ACE screening, and care coordination for the prevention and treatment of toxic stress in school-based health centers. Practice and research recommendations are also provided.

This practice paper identifies the needs and experiences of trauma and resilience specific to Native communities in California. This paper explores how screening tools and trauma-informed care responses could be more responsive to Indigenous experiences and communities.