Become ACEs Aware!
Join the movement to identify and support children with ACEs
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic experiences that occur in childhood. Prolonged exposure to trauma such as abuse or neglect, as well as to things like poverty, racism, and community violence, can create toxic stress. Over time, toxic stress can damage a child’s developing brain and body. ACEs can even affect long-term physical and mental health.
ACEs represent a public health crisis. In fact, cumulative adversity is a root cause of some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive health challenges facing California and the nation, including 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States.
The Role of Healthcare Providers
Healthcare providers are critical partners in addressing ACEs. Early detection, early intervention, and trauma-informed practices can reduce the impacts of ACEs and improve health outcomes. ACEs Aware provides training and tools to help you to screen for ACEs, assess risk for toxic stress, and implement evidence-based interventions to help patients.
Providers who have completed the training and a self-attestation can receive payment from Medi-Cal for conducting ACEs screenings. Providers can receive 2.0 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits and 2.0 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits upon completion of the training.
Local Resources
Local ACEs Newsletter
First 5 and our ACEs Aware partners offer local ACEs resources and training. We share via brief monthly updates.
San Mateo County PACEs Connection
PACEs Connection is a community that shares resources and information related to addressing trauma and resiliency.
Additional Resources
First 5 San Mateo County is a grant recipient of the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to participate in the state’s ACEs Aware initiative.
As part of this initiative, First 5 is working in partnership with the Health Plan of San Mateo to promote the ACEs Aware initiative among the Medi-Cal provider community in San Mateo County.
ACEs Aware seeks to change and save lives by helping Medi-Cal providers understand the importance of screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and training them to respond with trauma-informed care. Learn more about ACEs Aware.
First 5 San Mateo County works on behalf of children ages 0-5 in San Mateo County, partnering with our community to create the conditions that will allow all young children to prosper socially, emotionally, and economically. Learn more about First 5 San Mateo County.