From The New Jersey Department of Children and Families, June 9, 2020
The New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) today announced that Dave Ellis has been named as Executive on Loan to the State of New Jersey, functioning as the first Executive Director for the Office of Resilience within DCF. Ellis will share his expertise with the state and coordinate statewide efforts to prevent, protect against, and heal from the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
ACEs are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse, neglect, household substance use, and parental separation, which affect children’s brain architecture and have negative, lifelong effects on health and well-being. Some children also face exposure to toxic stress from historical and ongoing traumas due to systemic racism and the associated impacts of poverty resulting from disparate educational and economic opportunities.
“New Jersey is taking a momentous step towards tackling childhood trauma before it manifests into negative health outcomes. The DCF Office of Resilience will be another critical Nurture NJ partner as we work to break the cycle of trauma that has resulted from centuries of systemic racism and discrimination, and to address the mental and physical effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must be proactive to ensure healthy women, become healthy pregnant women and ultimately healthy mothers,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “Dave Ellis is joining the team at a critical time, and his expertise will ensure New Jersey is a leader in addressing ACEs.”
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