I had the opportunity to attend the Academy on Violence and Abuse last week in Minneapolis. The conference brings together academicians, researchers, practitioners and policy makers who understand the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and their long-term impact on health and well-being and want to do something about it.
In addition to meeting and networking with some of the nation’s leading experts in this field, we had an opportunity to view the recently produced 14 minute introduction video to the training DVD that has been produced by the AVA. The training DVD is an excellent tool in educating healthcare professionals, policy makers and others, and it is hoped that this brief introductory video will peek sufficient interest in viewers to prompt them to seek additional information. However, the brief introduction provides many key concepts and is sufficient by itself to get a discussion started. In addition to these resources, the AVA is currently writing a paper which I am sure will become a central document in the ACEs community, as it discusses how to apply the knowledge of ACEs to improve policy and practice. This white paper will include hyperlinks to articles, videos and resources identified throughout the paper. As such, it will be an excellent summary document as well as source of links to a wide range of other important resources.
Healthcare delivery is undergoing an historic stage in its evolution in response to the Affordable Care Act and other factors. The diverse group of people represented by the Academy are working together to apply the growing body of knowledge of ACEs to policy and practice and to embed principles of trauma-informed care into the emerging new healthcare delivery systems. The work of the Academy is extremely valuable to me as a county mental health board director, as it has connected me to a network of organizations and people who provide critical resources (such as the training DVD and forthcoming white paper) and navigational tools to the field.
As we work as a nation to transform healthcare delivery it is exciting to meet and be part of the ever-growing ACE community. I am glad I am a member of the Academy on Violence and Abuse because it is, in my opinion, one of the most important “neighborhoods” in the community. I would encourage anyone who is interested in ACEs and how they can be applied to shape healthcare policy and change healthcare practice to become a member of this great organization. Please visit the AVA website, www.AVAHealth.org, to find more information about the resources I mentioned here and please consider becoming a member.
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