An eight-year-old girl named Anna has sparked a movement to end childhood trauma in New Mexico. Anna is a fictional character based on a real case within the Protective Services Division of the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department and it's her story in the book, Anna, Age Eight, that is guiding urgent community work focused on ending childhood trauma and maltreatment. A group of family-focused Dona Ana county agencies have initiated a groundbreaking project that will use data on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to combat childhood trauma - the result of ten adverse childhood experiences that include growing up in households where adults misuse substances; are threatening or violent; have untreated mental health challenges; are abusive physically, emotionally and sexually; neglectful of meeting basic needs; are dissolving marriages or are engaged in activities leading to incarceration.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Prevention Project launches on Aug. 8, with a series of events in Las Cruces. They begin with the Resilience Leaders course from 9 a.m. to noon in room 2007-B at City Hall, 700 N. Min St. The course is a new program that empowers agency leaders with a result-focused process facilitated by Dominic Cappello, co-author of Ann; Age Eight: The data-driven prevention of childhood trauma and maltreatment. The course includes a face-to-face classroom experience and five web-based lessons for participants to explore strategies for meeting the needs of families and preventing ACEs and trauma. There is no fee for this course for pilot participants.
Cappello will also conduct a presentation for the public from 1:30 - 3 p.m., followed by one for legislators and businesses from 5:30 - 7 p.m. For this event, RSVP to: Adominguez@las-cruces.org. Both presentations will be at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Main St.
[For more on this story by CITY OF LAS CRUCES, go to http://www.krwg.org/post/las-c...s-prevention-project]
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