Raising Resiliency: ACEs Response Toolkit

The Iowa ACEs 360 website has formally launched the new resource "Raising Resiliency: ACEs Response Toolkit." The purpose of this project is to answer one of the most common questions asked when discussing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or traumatic stress: “So, what do I do about it?"

The answer is as complex as the communities in which we live. No resource could address the wide range of needs related to traumatic stress present in a community. However, many resources are being implemented and tested in various settings. Existing resources include curricula, community-based intervention frameworks, conversation guides, presentations, and a host of other materials. To date, little effort has been made to consolidate a comprehensive list of existing resources that might benefit a community in responding to ACEs. This project is one response to that gap. It will be a living, dynamic body of knowledge that can and should be expanded upon as the science behind this work and these applications continue to grow.

This website was developed by Caitlin Suginaka, MPH, on behalf of the Central Iowa ACEs 360 Steering Committee, with input from partners throughout Iowa and feedback from national leaders who have been instrumental in developing ACEs-related activities in Iowa. The responses included in the project were identified through a process of discussion and discovery and should be considered part of a cadre of responses which, if used together systematically, form a dynamic, community-wide approach to addressing childhood adversity and trauma.

The resources included in this project should be considered with some caveats. None of the parties involved in developing this project, including the author, make any claim about the usefulness, reliability or evidence behind any of the resources included. These tools are not endorsed in any way by the developers of the website.

This project was made possible through the generous support of Mid-Iowa Health Foundation. Visit http://www.iowaaces360.org/resiliency-tooklit.html to access the toolkit.