An American Public Health Crisis – the ‘Pair of ACEs’ [HuffingtonPost.com]

This post was authored by guest blogger, Wendy Ellis, DrPH (c), MPH, Project Director at Building Community Resilience (BCR) and Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. William Dietz on the BCR project.

Mark and Diane* once had thriving jobs in an Ohio manufacturing plant until a car accident left them with severe back injuries and unable to work. Ineligible to receive workman’s compensation, the couple and their young children, Emma (5), Ava (7) and Lucas (10), quickly lost their livelihood, their home, and their dignity as they slid from America’s middle class to America’s forgotten class. Permanently disabled, Mark spends his days struggling to find odd jobs in their small town. Diane lost hope and spends her days in an opioid and alcohol induced fog. The family survives on a mix of public benefits, including Medicaid, welfare, Social Security income and housing vouchers. The children attend school, less for the education and more for the free breakfast and lunch that help ensure they are fed.