The 11 Community Resilience Tracker Milestones

The following 11 milestones can be used by any organization, such as volunteer, advocacy, neighborhood association, parent association, small business, health clinic, faith-based, recreation, arts...any group of people that organize around a goal or mission and who want to measure their progress in integrating ACEs science into their work.

1. ACEs science presentations to a volunteer or staff member of an organization — someone in the organization has attended a workshop or presentation about ACEs science.
2. ACEs science presentations to ALL organization staff and/or members.
3. Organization participates in local ACEs initiative — Organization representatives attend ACEs initiative meetings, participate in workgroups or have signed an MOU with the local ACEs initiative.
4. Leadership committed to integrating ACEs science — Organization decision-maker(s), or the organization by consensus, as is applicable, publicly state the intention of, approve a committee to lead and provide resources for the entire organization to integrate trauma-informed and healing-centered practices and policies based on ACEs science.
5. Human resources or DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) committee or department integrates healing-centered, trauma-informed practices and policies, including such functions as membership, hiring, rules, supervision, etc., as applicable.
6. Organization members or staff receive ACE & resilience surveys — Each person has anonymously completed an ACE survey (one that includes other questions, such as racism, bullying, involvement with foster care system, etc., that are reflective of experiences of staff members) to determine their own ACE and resilience scores so that the organization can determine its ACEs burden and foundation of resilience. It is important for an organization or association to do this; it provides impetus to examine its practices through an ACEs science lens, including equity, and make appropriate changes, to make sure its everyone in the organization or association is practicing self-care, and to create a physical and emotional environment that is safe and supportive. Anyone who takes an ACE survey should be educated about ACEs science, provided a resilience survey or information about resilience factors, and the opportunity to talk with a peer support specialist, social worker, or someone designated inside or outside the organization by leadership. Employees should not provide their scores to the organization they work for.
7. People served by an organization are educated about ACEs science — This includes patients, students, prisoners, customers, community members, parents, activists, advocates….whomever the organization serves. They have a right to know the most powerful determinant of their...and their children’s...health, safety and productivity.
8. People that the organization serves receive ACE & resilience surveys — This means that clients/ students/ customers/ patients/ prisoners/advocates/, in other words anyone whom the organization serves, have completed an ACE survey (original or expanded) for themselves. It does not necessarily mean that they have provided that information to the organization that gave it to them; it may be for their own knowledge. It depends on the organization. For example, it’s appropriate for a physician to know the ACE score of a patient; it’s not necessary for a school to know the ACE score of a student. However, it would be useful for a school to know the ACE burden of its student body, and gather student ACE scores anonymously. Anyone who takes an ACE survey should be educated about ACEs science, provided a resilience survey or information about resilience factors, and the opportunity to talk with a peer support specialist or social worker.
9. Implements trauma-informed procedures or practices for people served by the organization — Organization or association has applied ACEs science lens to all practices for clients, students, patients, prisoners, customers, in other words anyone whom the organization serves, and changed them to become trauma-informed and resilience-building, with the input of the people they serve.
10. Evaluates TI policies and practices — On an ongoing basis, organization evaluates changes it has implemented, and includes people it serves in that evaluation, and makes improvements.
11. Physical environment is trauma-informed — Organization or association has examined good examples of the trauma-informed physical environments of other similar organizations, and made changes in their own physical environment. This includes waiting areas, work areas, recreation areas, with considerations that include but aren’t limited to lighting, fresh air, safety, noise, and privacy.