Please join us!
The Chester County ACEs Coalition’s mission is to increase our county’s awareness and knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and to build resiliency and foster hope in order to offset the cycle of trauma.
2018 Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference July 23-25
The 2nd Annual Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference: Preventing Childhood Trauma and Its Impact Across the Lifespan, will be held on Thomas Jefferson University's East Falls Philadelphia Campus July 23rd-25th, 2018. This unique training conference will provide an intensive, collaborative, and engaging experience to providers, educators, and leaders across health, education, and social service disciplines, as well as to community members invested in the health of their families, neighborhoods, and cities.
Please visit the conference link for more information about the conference, including registration costs, deadlines (we offer group rates, early bird discounts, and scholarships are available to community and family members), session descriptions, keynote speakers, and an overview of the agenda. CMEs, CNEs, and APA credit as well as continuing education for mental health professionals, early childhood educators, and k-12 educators will be offered, as well as certificates of attendance for students and those who do not need continuing education hours. There are also great opportunities to take a deeper dive through post conference workshops on Thursday, July 26th. We look forward to seeing you in July.
Please join us for a FREE public screening of the documentary
"Resilience: the biology of stress & the science of hope."
RSVP here !
Come out to PJ Whelihan's on May 16th from 5pm-9pm and mention the Chester County ACEs Coalition to donate 15% of your check to our cause! Enjoy dinner and drinks while supporting our mission to bring awareness, knowledge, prevention, and initiatives throughout the county on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, and toxic-stress.
Good News Chester County!
Did you miss our radio debut?
Don't fret - you can catch it here!
Tune into channel 1520AM to hear co-hosts, Lou Beccaria and Vince Melograna bring good news in and around Chester County to WCHE radio Wednesdays at 3:30PM.
Batman is a 3. Luke Skywalker is a 6. Katniss Everdeen is a 7. So, what's your ACE score?
Your ACE score is the total number of "yes" answers to 10 questions regarding the occurrence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) prior to the age of 18. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) include:
· Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)· Neglect (physical and emotional)· Household Dysfunction (mental illness, incarcerated relative, violence in the home, substance abuse, divorce)
Why it’s important.
In the mid nineties, Dr. Vincent Felitti and Dr. Robert Anda developed a study which established a direct association between childhood trauma and adult ill health. As the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) increases, so does the risk for negative behaviors including lack of physical activity, drug and alcohol use, early and/or risky sexual activity and missed work. These behaviors lead to serious health outcomes such as obesity, depression, suicide attempts, substance abuse, sexually transmitted disease, heart and lung disease, and premature death. The more traumatic and toxic events experienced by a child, the more likely the impact will be substantial and long lasting. These results have been replicated over and over, finding even more significant results in inner cities where bullying, living in a dangerous neighborhood, witnessing violence, living in foster care, and experiencing racism have all been added to the list of childhood adversities.
But there’s hope.
Science shows the effects of ACEs are not permanent. Childhood experiences can impact who we become as adults, but they do not have to.
Batman has Alfred, Luke has Obi-Wan, and Katniss has Gale, Peeta, and Effie.
The presence of a caring individual is the single most significant factor in developing strong children.
We can prevent and intervene, and create supportive systems. Research shows that children need stable, responsive, nurturing relationships as early in life as possible to have the best developmental outcomes.
Investing in quality programs aimed at the early years has impressive economic benefits. Early interventions mean better grades, less crime, less risky behaviors and lower teen pregnancy rates. Ultimately these early interventions lead to better jobs and work performance, greater mental and physical health, more stable relationships and less negative impact on future generations.
What else helps?
Recognize triggers. Respond with compassion.
First and foremost, we should try to avoid triggers that re-traumatize a child such as loud sudden movement, yelling and aggressive posture. We must work to change the conversation when a child is acting out from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?”
Our immediate response must be, "You are Safe. I am here. How Can I Help?" Only then can we begin to earn a child’s trust and start to build the safe, nurturing relationships necessary to teach and encourage positive resilience skills.
-Written by Lynn Detwiler, Executive Director of Barnstone Art for Kids in Phoenixville, PA and member of the Phoenixville ACEs Committee and Chester County ACEs Coalition.
Have you heard??
We're famous!
Check out this awesome article written by Tracey Behringer, published in the Winter 2018 edition of Chester County Medicine Journal! Our feature starts on page 30!
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