California Budget Update [acesaware.org]

Rafael Maravilla(PACEs Connection Staff) 1/12/213:25 PM

2021-01-12 (3)

On January 8, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom released California’s proposed fiscal year 2021-22 budget. The Governor’s budget includes a proposal to extend Proposition 56 funding for the ACEs Aware initiative through June 30, 2022.

The ACEs Aware initiative is a vital part of the Medi-Cal program’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, helping providers identify, prevent, and treat the secondary health effects associated with increased levels of stress caused by the pandemic. ACEs Aware is steadily increasing awareness of the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and of the importance of responding with trauma-informed care. This includes offering a free, two-hour ACEs Aware online training and promoting Medi-Cal payment that is available to providers who conduct ACE screenings.

The ongoing budget authority and funding for the ACEs Aware initiative is subject to legislative approval.

About ACEs Aware

The Office of the California Surgeon General and the state Department of Health Care Services are leading a first-in-the-nation statewide effort to screen children and adults for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in primary care, and to treat the impacts of toxic stress with trauma-informed care. The ACEs Aware initiative is built on the consensus of scientific evidence demonstrating that early detection and evidence-based intervention improves outcomes. The bold goal of this initiative is to reduce ACEs and toxic stress by half in one generation, and to launch a national movement to ensure everyone is ACEs Aware. For more information, visit the ACEs Aware website.