Resiliency Goal Setting & ACEs Screenings

Annual checkups with physicians will include a screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences and collaborative, reflective goal setting to ensure a focus on how to prevent, treat, and heal harmful effects of ACEs & toxic stress
Resiliency Goal Setting & ACEs Screenings Explained: 
During annual checkups, physicians will meet with patients to discuss: 
  • ACEs Score (for anyone under 18) OR ACEs score (once for all adults - then annually discuss how they're handling life's challenges
  • Clinical Manifestations of toxic stress (ex: asthma, high blood pressure, etc)
  • Protective factors present (using the Resilience Building Resource)
  • A collaboratively created treatment plan - including potential roadblocks
  • Follow-up after the visit to ensure needs are being met
This process will allow all members of our community to continuously prioritize their health and well being - reducing the physical and emotional impacts of toxic stress as well as daily tolerable stressors
​Why this is needed: 
Children and adults in our community are suffering from physical and emotional effects of toxic stress without fully understanding the connection to ACEs or how to treat and heal themselves. This lack of awareness is leading to adults continuing the same cycles of behaviors which can affect their physical and emotional health for the rest of their lives. Research shows that these issues can then be passed down generationally through genetic code alterations - for better or worse. The good news is that with successful intervention, we can make positive generational shifts in the DNA we pass down to our children!​
Next Steps: Establish a system with adequate, ongoing training for physicians to administer ACEs screenings and collaborate with patients to set resiliency goals. 
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​Research Notes:
See the image below from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard for more information on epigenetics and how what happens now can impact generations to come
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One example of an ACEs Screening Tool: Click the image to see more
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This is one of many examples of a goal setting sheet - click the image for more

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