The Office of the California Surgeon General and the Department
of Health Care Services (DHCS) released their much anticipated
draft guide on efforts needed to diminish the impact of
adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress.
California is the first in the nation to begin a statewide ACEs
Aware Initiative effort to train providers on screening for
childhood trauma. This campaigned received funding from the
state’s General Fund. The ACEs screening is designed to provide
physicians with the important patient history to better determine
the likelihood of an increased health risk. The screening assists
providers in delivering trauma-informed care, and connecting
patients with the resources and supports necessary to combat
physical, behavioral, and environmental health concerns.
The newly released Trauma-Informed Network of Care Roadmap aims
to build on the efforts of the provider awareness training, with
concrete steps which can be utilized by stakeholders, including
health care providers, social services agencies, and
community-based organizations to create an effective cross-sector
network of care for children and families. The Network of Care
Subcommittee which worked to provide feedback on these specific
strategies was co-chaired by Frank Mecca, executive director of
the County Welfare Director’s Association of California.
The draft document is organized in what is being called
milestones for both providers and clinics and for communities
throughout the state. Some of these milestones include:
conducting readiness assessments; defining clinical roles and
tasks; monitoring, evaluating and improving referral processes;
identifying or establishing a strong leadership and
accountability structure; and considering financing and
technology needs.
The full draft roadmap can be found
here. For those interested in providing public
comments, the deadline is January 15, 2021.
