The Bitterroot Cares for Kids Network is presenting “ACES in the Bitterroot,’’ a day-long conference on identifying, preventing and alleviating the consequences of childhood abuse and neglect.
Todd Garrison, director of the ChildWise Institute, will be the guest speaker at the Aug. 17 event, which also will feature the film “Paper Tiger.’’ The focus will be on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, which has identified childhood trauma as a major public health issue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, ACEs have been linked to risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, low life potential, and early death.
Faylee Favara, prevention program manager for Western Montana Addictions Services, said organizers “urge parents, caregivers, teachers, counselors, people working in the medical field, everyone to come.’’
Favara said a simple test can help people focus on their current mental health by asking questions about their past. The ACES test asks 10 questions that are scored on a scale from 0 to 10.
“If you rank four or five, the odds are good that you suffered some trauma in your childhood,’’ she said. Researchers predict, as a result, “ you may run into challenges in your life.’’
[For more of this story, written by Michelle McConnaha, go to http://ravallirepublic.com/new...c3-43730032169d.html]
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