[Originally posted by Leslie Lieberman] Fourteen communities from across the country now have an opportunity to expand their innovative work in addressing childhood adversity through a new project launched by The by The Health Federation of Philadelphia, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The California Endowment.Called Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC), the project supports communities building the movement to create a just, healthy and resilient world. It will foster solutions to prevent traumatic childhood experiences - like neglect, abuse and abandonment - in families throughout the nation. Known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), these events have been proven to have lifelong impacts on children's health and behavior and the communities they live in.
Each of the 14 communities - which range from Tarpon Springs, FL, to Alaska - will receive grants of $100,000-$300,000 and join a two-year learning collaborative where they will share best practices, try new approaches and become models for other communities in implementing effective solutions for combating ACEs. (The full list of communities and states can be found at the end of this release.)
"There can be no Culture of Health without preventing or healing the impact of childhood adversity and trauma," said Natalie Levkovich, CEO of The Health Federation. "The 14 communities selected for MARC are leading the nation's most innovative efforts to reduce ACEs and promote resilience."
Already, the communities have made significant strides in addressing childhood trauma, most by forming diverse coalitions across sectors that bridge the work of health care and social service providers, educators, policy-makers, law enforcement officials, business leaders and community members.
Most importantly, all communities have raised awareness of the significant impact ACEs have on children and families, which a growing body of research shows can leave long term tracks on the developing brain.
"These states, counties and cities are living laboratories that can teach all of us what it takes to transform cycles of trauma into a Culture of Health," said Martha B. Davis, senior program officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Anyone who is interested in strengthening the resilience of their community should pay attention to what these communities are doing."
The project's advisors include leading researchers, health care providers and policy-makers in the field of ACEs and resilience. The first face-to-face gathering of MARC collaborative members and advisors will take place in Philadelphia, November 9-10, 2015.
The following is a list of communities, their networks and backbone organizations, selected to be part of the MARC initiative:
- ALASKA — Alaska Resilience Initiative (Alaska Children's Trust)
- ALBANY, NY — The HEARTS Initiative for ACE Response (University at Albany Foundation)
- BOSTON, MA — Vital Village Community Engagement Network (Boston Medical Center)
- BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC — Buncombe County ACEs Collaborative (Buncombe County Health and Human Services)
- THE DALLES, OR — Creating Sanctuary in the Columbia River Gorge (Columbia Gorge Health Council)
- ILLINOIS — Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative (United Way of Metropolitan Chicago)
- KANSAS CITY, MO — Trauma Matters KC (Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City Foundation)
- MONTANA — Elevate Montana (ChildWise Institute)
- PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia ACE Task Force (Scattergood Foundation)
- SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego Trauma Informed Guide Team & Building Healthy Communities Central Region (Harmonium, Inc.)
- SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County ACEs Connection (County of Sonoma, Department of Health Services)
- TARPON SPRINGS, FL — Peace4Tarpon, Trauma Informed Community (Local Community Housing Corporation)
- WASHINGTON — ACEs/Resilience Team & Children’s Resilience Initiative (Whatcom Family and Community Network)
- WISCONSIN — Wisconsin Collective Impact Coalition (Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health)
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