ACEs Aware in Action

January 2022

Looking Back: 2021 Year in Review

As we reflect on 2021, we would like to thank you for joining the movement to make our State of CAre ACEs Aware. From raising awareness for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress to supporting practice change and growing trauma-informed networks of care, 2021 was a productive year for the ACEs Aware initiative. We have invested a total of $45 million in grant funds to communities across the state, and Medi-Cal providers have screened more than 500,000 children and adults for ACEs. We have come a long way since launching ACEs Aware in December 2019.

ACEs Screening: Medi-Cal Claims and Provider Training Updates

We are pleased to report that between December 2019 and December 30, 2021, 21,500 individuals completed the “Becoming ACEs Aware in California” core training. About 11,300 of those who completed the training are Medi-Cal providers who became ACEs Aware-certified to receive payment to screen for ACEs.

In addition, Medi-Cal providers screened nearly 518,000 unique Medi-Cal beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and March 30, 2021.

The next training and claims data report will provide detailed information on providers who completed the ACEs Aware core training, Medi-Cal beneficiaries who were screened for ACEs, and ACE screening rates by Medi-Cal managed care plan. For information on previously published data, please review “ACEs Aware Screening, Training, and Certification Progress: July 2021 Update.”

ACEs Aware Materials Now Available in Spanish

We are actively working to expand the library of translated materials available to patients and clinical teams.

The Pediatric ACEs and Related Life-events Screener (PEARLS) ACE screening tool is available in the following languages:

We’re also pleased to share a new collection of ACEs Aware infographics and resources available in Spanish. Additional translated materials, including a Spanish version of the Becoming ACEs Aware in California core training, will be released and available on ACEsAware.org in the coming months.

In Case You Missed It: December Grantee Spotlight Webinar

The quarterly ACEs Aware Grantee Spotlight webinar, moderated by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and Aurrera Health Group’s Jennifer Ryan, was held in December and featured three network of care grantees: First 5 Tehama, Westside Infant-Family Network, and Cottage Health/Pediatric Resiliency Collaborative.

These organizations shared how they are building their trauma-informed networks of care, their successes and challenges, and their work to support and advance the ACEs Aware initiative. The webinar featured presentations from each grantee, followed by a discussion with Dr. Burke Harris and a Q&A to wrap up the event.

Dr. Burke Harris expressed her appreciation for how the program has grown and the collective wisdom the grantees have brought to the work.

Visit ACEsAware.org to view the Grantee Spotlight recording and to learn more about the featured grantees.

In June 2020, ACEs Aware awarded $14.3 million in grants to 100 organizations across California to augment and promote the ACEs Aware initiative. The grants funded a range of activities focused on training, engaging, and communicating with Medi-Cal providers about the importance of screening for ACEs and toxic stress and responding with trauma-informed care and clinical interventions.

On December 31, 2021, the final cohort of these “Round 1 ” grantees completed their work. The ACEs Aware team held a closeout celebration event on January 12 to recognize and feature the grantees’ success in raising awareness and educating providers and networks across the state about ACEs Aware.

View a short montage of the diverse and impactful work from across California:

Violence Prevention Research Opportunity at UC Davis