Case Study: California’s ACEs Aware Initiative

COVID-19 has brought additional attention to the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma across the lifespan, which may be exacerbated by disruption in the lives of families. This case study highlights California’s ACEs Aware and its key elements as a model for other states. Led by the Office of the California Surgeon General and the Department of Health Care Services, California’s ACEs Aware initiative trains and reimburses health care providers to screen children and adults for childhood trauma and respond to the effects of toxic stress, with the goal of reducing ACEs and toxic stress by 50 percent in one generation.