Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma

There is a growing realization among health care providers that exposure to trauma, including neglect, abuse, and violence, can have a lasting impact on health. Screening patients for trauma and adverse childhood experiences is often a key component of a trauma-informed approach to care.

This new technical assistance tool from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) offers a variety of approaches for screening adults and children for adverse childhood experiences and trauma, including examples of screening protocols used at several provider practices that have embraced trauma-informed care. It outlines considerations for screening based in part on the experiences of sites participating in Advancing Trauma-Informed Care, an initiative led by CHCS and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which sought to understand how trauma-informed approaches can be practically implemented across the health care sector.