Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress are a root cause of some of the most harmful, persistent and expensive societal and health challenges facing the world today.

With 62% of California adults having experienced at least one ACE and 16 percent having experienced four or more, California is taking aggressive steps to address ACEs and toxic stress through ACEs Aware, the first-in-the-nation initiative to establish routine screening in primary care and develop a network of care.

ACEs Aware is hosting a free webinar to highlight its ACE Screening How-To Guide and implementation lessons from clinics across the state to help physicians successfully integrate ACE screening and trauma-informed care into their practices. The one-hour webinar—Implementing ACE Screenings: How-to Guide and Lessons from the Field—will be Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 12:00 p.m.

CMA encourages physician to join to learn:

• Ways the How-to Guide can help your clinic in its ACE screening journey
• How practices have implemented ACE screening for pediatrics and women’s health
• Actionable ideas for clinical teams to implement ACE screening

Panelists and moderators include:

• Heyman Oo, M.D., MPH – Novato South Associate Site Medical Director & Pediatrician, Marin Community Clinics
• Jodi Chroman – Chief Operating Officer and Rachel Steward, MD, MSc, FACOG – Medical Director & OB-GYN, FPA Women’s Health
• Mikah Owen, M.D., MPH, FAAP – ACEs Aware Clinical Advisor; Pediatrician; Assistant Clinical Professor, UC Davis Health
• Dayna Long, M.D., FAAP – Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, UCSF; Co-Principal Investigator, PEARLS (Pediatric Adverse Childhood Experience and Related Life Events) Tool
• Tanya Schwartz, MSW, MPP – Principal & Senior Director, Aurrera Health Group

Receive ACEs Aware Training Today (Free!)

The California Medical Association (CMA) is a proud ACEs Aware grantee and encourages all physicians, particularly Medi-Cal providers, to receive the free, two-hour training to learn how screening, risk assessment and evidence-based care can effectively intervene on toxic stress. 

By screening for ACEs, providers can better determine the likelihood a patient is at increased health risk due to a toxic stress response, a critical step in responding with trauma-informed care that connects patients with a supportive network of care to mitigate the impact of ACEs.

Physicians may receive 2.0 Continuing Medical Education (CME) and 2.0 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits upon completion - and can receive reimbursement for providing ACEs screening to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

Additional Resources:

• ACEs Aware Webinar Library
• CMA’s Top Issues: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

• Adverse Childhood Experiences Event Screening in Rural Northern California: Exploring Provider Perspectives and Experiences (Public Health Institute)
• Adverse Childhood Experiences and Related Life Events: Understanding their Prevalence, Impacts, and Best Practices in Intervening (Western Youth Services)
• Strengths and Barriers in Implementing the ACE Screening Tool in Tribal, Urban Indian, and Rural Settings (Center for Healthy Children and Communities)