July 27, 2021
Area(s) of Interest:
Public Health
A free statewide training series on “Advancing Trauma-Informed Communities” is now available for primary care, acute care and behavioral health providers. The series is part of the ACEs Aware initiative, a first-in-the-nation statewide effort to screen patients for trauma and the increased likelihood of adverse childhood experience-associated (ACEs) health conditions due to toxic stress.
The series is hosted by the Catalyst Center, an ACEs Aware grantee that leverages connections between research, policy and practice to inform and lead capacity building efforts among service providers across the state of California who work in the fields of child and family services.
Participating physicians will improve their knowledge and capacity for:
- Defining ACEs and their prevalence, health disparities in these data, toxic stress physiology, and related impacts on health, including underlying biological mechanisms
- Identifying how to introduce and integrate ACEs and toxic stress screening into clinical care, aligning with trauma-informed care principles
- Describing special populations at increased risk of ACEs and toxic stress
- Identifying at least three strategies to facilitate warm handoffs and referrals to community resources
The training will also help leaders gain insight and tools on ACEs, toxic stress, screening and unique populations experiencing ACEs to assess their local communities, thus being able to identify and engage community-based services to provide a warm handoff for patients and their families to gain access to ongoing support in the community.
The 2021 provider training schedule is organized by geography and held virtually for four hours with a scheduled break. Professional credit is available. Learn more and register here, and be sure to complete the emailed pre-survey.
Please email questions and comments to mluong@cacfs.org.
Providing ACEs screenings to patients? The California Medical Association’s (CMA) wellness program has launched free, online wellness engagement groups for health care teams that screen for ACEs and toxic stress to empower their personal wellness and prevent feelings of professional burnout. The engagement groups offer subject matter experts, best practices and an open forum to share experiences, facilitated by trained, volunteer physicians.
Registration is required, and each monthly session (presented via live webinar) is organized around a prevailing theme with a stakeholder co-host to provide a variety of perspectives with a general discussion and breakout rooms.
Not currently screening patients for ACEs? CMA encourages all physicians, particularly Medi-Cal providers, to receive the free, two-hour training to learn how screening, risk assessment and evidence-based care can effectively intervene on toxic stress. Physicians may receive 2.0 continuing medical education and 2.0 Maintenance of Certification credits upon completion - and can receive reimbursement for providing ACEs screening to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.