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Washington State ACEs Action (WA)

A forum to inform and connect individuals and communities working to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments and prevent and mitigate ACEs in Washington State.

Washington State At-A-Glance

Here is an overview of what Washington State is doing in six major areas related to ACEs and trauma-informed programs and practices:  ACEs module in the BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) survey; laws/pending legislation; state agencies; public-private partnerships; and non-profits. You can find many more details by perusing posts in the Collections.

You also can find information on other states in the State ACEs Action Group—the go-to location for ACEs activities in the U.S. —or in the individual state groups.  

BRFSS ACE SURVEYS

BRFSS ACE Surveys conducted: 2009, 2010, and 2011

 

2009 BRFSS ACE Survey analysis (may need to copy link into browser):

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/s...20-%20Crittenton.pdf

 

Laura Porter

Senior Director of ACEs Learning Institute

Foundation for Healthy Generations

206-832-1908

laurap@healthygen.org

http://www.healthygen.org/about/people

 

Marnie Boardman, MPH


Washington Department of Health
Center for Health Statistics


Washington Department of Health

360-236-4322


marnie.boardman@doh.wa.gov

http://www.doh.wa.gov/brfss

 

LAWS/PENDING LEGISLATION

HB 1965 -- Enacted on June 15, 2011, the law established a statutory definition of adverse childhood experiences that is consistent with the ACE study and codified the state’s commitment to addressing ACEs in state policy. It also sunsetted two organizations devoted to children and families—Washington State Family Policy Council and the Council for Children and Families—and provided a framework for a private-public initiative to address ACEs.

 

STATE AGENCIES

Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) -- The Strengthening Families initiative was created in statute (HB 1965) and is responsible for the home visiting program, among other child serving programs. 

 

Erinn Havig, Program Manager for Strengthening Families, [also serves as co-chair of APPI (Adverse Childhood Experiences Public- Private Initiative)]

Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL)

Erinn.havig@del.wa.gov

360-725-4410

http://www.del.wa.gov

 

Washington State Department of Health (DOH) -- Essentials for Childhood.  The Washington State Health Department is one of five state health departments funded by CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention to implement the five strategies in Essentials for Childhood Framework. The framework is oriented to the preventing child abuse and neglect and mitigating the impact of adversity on health. 

 

Marilyn Gisser, MHSA

Essentials for Childhood Coordinator

Department of Health

Office of Healthy Communities, Access, Systems and Coordination Section

360-236-3503

Marilyn.gisser@doh.wa.gov

 

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) -- Frontiers of Innovation.  Washington was named the first Innovation by Design state in the Frontiers of Innovation (FOI) community, developed by Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child.  The initiative is lead by a cross agency workgroup comprised of staff and leaders from the Departments of Early Learning (DEL), Social and Health Services (DSHS), Health (DOH), the Health Care Authority (HCA), Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Thrive by Five WA, legislative representation and philanthropic support.

 

Anne Stone, Frontiers of Innovation Project Director (Effective October 14)

Position reports to David Stillman, Assistant Secretary,

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Economic Services Administration

Interim contact:  Rebecca Jacques

http://www.del.wa.gov/partnerships/foi/Default.aspx

 

DSHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation -- After the Washington State Family Policy Council was eliminated in 2012, the local affiliates of the Council—known as community public health and safety networks—retained their authority but lost state funding. About 20 community network organizations receive funding from and are working in partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to provide supports and work-related skill-building opportunities to individuals who meet specific criterion.

 

Contact for the networks:  Kathy Adams, Deputy Director for Whatcom Family & Community Network, represents the Public Health and Safety Networks on APPI. She convenes the network organizations on an ad hoc basis to share information and strategies. 

 

Contact for Division of Vocational Rehabilitation:

Don Kay

Assistant Director

DSHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

PO Box 45340

Olympia, WA 98504

Don.kay@dshs.wa.gov

360-725-3623, Office

360-481-5693, Mobile

 

DSHS Children’s Administration

(Information to be added in late September)

 

Washington State Organizations

APPI (Washington State ACEs Public-Private Initiative) --  The organization was in the process of being created  when House Bill 1965 passed in June 2011, in part to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies for children and families, and to make constructive recommendations for the future. The law provided legitimacy to the new organization and provided a framework for its focus and governance.

 

APPI’s goal is to strengthen the existing knowledge about effective community capacity development models and prevent and mitigate ACEs. APPI has undertaken a two-year retrospective evaluation of community level work in five communities: North Central Washington (Wenatchee), Okanogan, Skagit, Walla Walla, and Whatcom. The first data will be available to share in January 2015. 

  

APPI Co-Chairs:

Kathy Adams

Kathyadams@wfcn.org

360-223-1064

http://www.appi-wa.org/

  

Errin Havig

Erinn.havig@del.wa.gov

360-725-4410

http://del.wa.gov

 

For information on the evaluation in the five communities, contact:

Peter Pecora

Project Director

Casey Family Programs and the School of Social Work, University of Washington,

206-322-6711

ppecora@casey.org

  

The Community Public Health and Safety Networks -- These community organizations, once affiliated with the Family Policy Council, continue to focus on innovative co-created community specific strategies building on the foundation of a community capacity development model to increase the health and well-being of children and families throughout Washington state.

 

Kathy Adams, Deputy Director

Whatcom Family & Community Network

kathyadams@wfcn.org

360-223-1064

www.wacommunitynetworks.org/

 

Foundation for Healthy Generations -- Laura Porter directs the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Learning Institute for the Foundation for Healthy Generations (Formerly C.H.E.F., Comprehensive Health Education Foundation). She headed the Washington State Family Policy Council and is the principal contact for the inclusion and funding of the ACEs questions in the BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System).  In her current role, she continues to raise funds for the survey, work with experts to identify other valuable questions to add to the BRFSS, oversee coordination with the Department of Health, and analyze ACE and resilience data.

 

Laura Porter

Senior Director of ACEs Learning Institute

Foundation for Healthy Generations

206-832-1908

laurap@healthygen.org

http://www.healthygen.org/about/people

  

Washington’s Strengthening Families Collective -- is part of a national network of more than 30 state initiatives adopting the research-based approach to unify policy, funding, and training. The Strengthening Families framework was developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) to prevent child abuse and neglect. The Strengthening Families approach offers a framework for both preventing and addressing ACEs. 

 

Vicki Lunghofer, consultant and trainer

Washington’s Strengthening Families Collective

253-875-8917

tvlungho@rainierconnect.com

http://www.wastrengtheningfamilies.org

 

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