As I read through all of the blogs on this site, I have struggled with trying to figure out what I could possibly contribute to the discussion. When stories discuss the work of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and studies by the NIH, I have been finding it hard to feel like anything I could say might matter, and yet I have been drawn to trying to ad to the conversation. I am not a neuro-biologist, nor do I have extensive experience working with traumatized youth or adults. I am the Program Assessment and Effectiveness Research Specialist at a small child welfare and multi- service agency in upstate New York. I spend more time with data than I do with people, but the ACE Response movement has had a tremendous impact on how I view my work. And that's when I realized I could talk about how the ACE response movement resonates so well with myself and my co-workers and with our work to address vicarious trauma and toxic stress and strengthen our ACE-informed services, programs and training. It is not a stretch to note that ACE response aligns perfectly with my own values and with the mission of my agency, and I suspect that is the case for many who read this blog.
Through the many conversations I have had both as a trainer and presenter and with my family, friends, and the taxi drivers who are silly enough to ask me why I am visiting any given town, the impact of ACEs "makes sense," and it's easy for people to understand a large scale response to reduce traumatic experiences for children, and seek to build programs and services and communities that foster recovery and build resiliency.
As a child welfare agency whose mission and vision is dedicated to helping those in need achieve lasting stability, the prevention and mitigation of ACEs and building resilience fits perfectly with how we see ourselves and our work. Beyond being a child welfare agency, we are also a Lasallian agency, and trauma informed practice aligns perfectly with the teachings of our founder, St. John Baptist De La Salle and his commitment to the underprivileged. I don't believe we are the only agency who feels this kind of value match, and I think that is where the ACE response movement gains considerable power in comparison to other movements that have gone the way of other "fads."
So I suppose the purpose of this post is to put it to the readers: Is ACE response/ trauma informed care a value match with you and/or your agency? Do you think the power of this movement is strengthened by this match?
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