How do you go about getting an ACE study for your State? We need one In Michigan!!!

By "ACEs Study," do you mean the full-blown type of study conducted by Drs. Felitti and Anda? Or do you mean collection of the ACEs data for your state? If it's the former, I don't know. If it's the latter, I can offer some suggestions. Your public health department would be lthe place to start. They conduct the yearly behavioral risk factor surveillance system surveys, and they would have to add the ACE module to their survey.

Some helpful information on this: As you may know, the BRFSS is a telephone survey. Each state chooses specific modules validated by the CDC - modules may be about smoking, alcohol consumption, seat belt use, etc. Some modules are very short. Some are longer, and the ACE module is one of the longer (if not the longest), at 20 minutes. It is also difficult since very specific questions are asked about early traumatic experiences. Many people hang up before the survey is finished.

For these reasons, there can be reluctance to include the ACE module in the BRFSS survey. So if you approach your public health department (and I hope you do), it would be wise to go prepared to speak about the health impacts of ACEs. I would take data - take print outs of the ACEs study for them.

As a doctor, you would be a particularly strong advocate.

Best luck!

Kathy

Thank you Kathy for they input. I will start with the local PHD and hopefully they can direct me to who I would need to talk to at the state level which I assume would be the capital in lansing but our behavioral risk study is conducted by the university of michigan.  So i don't know how to connect them.  But thanks.  I will get to work on it.  Oh and I am referring to a state ACEs group. 

Dr. Hahn, Kathy Hentcy made some excellent suggestions.  The CDC site on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System lists these two contacts for Michigan (a good place to start):  

Coordinator: Chris Fussman, MPH
Michigan Department of Community Health
Community Public Health Agency
201 Townsend Street, P.O. Box 30195
Lansing, Michigan 48909
http://www.michigan.gov/brfs/
Phone: 517-335-8144
Fax: 517-335-9195
Project Director: Sarah Lyon-Callo, MA, MS
Phone: 517-335-9315
Fax: 517-335-9790

I just found out the Children's Trust Fund provided the Money and the ACE questions were added to the Behavioral Risk Survey in 2013.  The CDC has to approve the data and then The Children's Trust Fund of Michigan and DHS Michigan will approve letting the data to the public. Thanks Every one. It sounds like in 1 or 2 months (maybe sooner we will have our state ACE data). Hooray!!!