The KIDS Network of SB County and the Pediatric Resiliency Collaborative (PeRC) have received a total of $350,000 in grant funds from the Office of the California Surgeon General and the Department of Health Care Services to participate in the state’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Aware initiative.
ACEs Aware grants are funding the organizations to design and implement training and education activities for providers and organizations that serve Medi-Cal beneficiaries. A total of $14.3 million was awarded to 100 organizations throughout California.
The initiative seeks to change and save lives by helping Medi-Cal providers understand the importance of screening for ACEs and train them to respond with trauma-informed care.
Cottage Health and a number of local organizations have formed the PeRC, which has received an ACEs Aware training grant for $200,000.
PeRC partner organizations include CALM, Carpinteria Children’s Project, CenCal Health, Family Service Agency, James S. Bower Foundation, Priory Fund, Resilient Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Public Health Care Centers, and Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.
PeRC, a pioneering effort to implement universal ACEs screening throughout Santa Barbara County, aims to train 75 percent of pediatricians and their clinic staff within the county, as well 25 percent of pediatric providers in neighboring counties.
ACEs are defined as stressful or traumatic experiences occurring before the age of 18, such as abuse, neglect, substance use, divorce, and/or domestic violence.
Read the full article at Noozhawk here: https://www.noozhawk.com/article/350000_in_grants_will_help_local_groups_respond_to_traumatic_childhood
