Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can occur in a child’s life and are potentially traumatic while having the ability to make a long-lasting impact on that child through adulthood. They can be caused by many events such as substance abuse, neglect, household disfunction, etc. There is a very high prevalence rate of substance abuse in Alachua County households which exhibits the necessity for more access to interventions and aid to help prevent future ACEs from occurring. This project aims to address this problem and increase education surrounding the topic of ACEs specifically those caused by substance abuse through activities such as cognitive behavioral therapy, educational classes, and home visits for support. This grant will utilize the trauma-informed principles safety, trustworthiness, peer support and collaboration, empowerment, voice, and choice, and cultural, historical, and gender issues. It will also be implementing the CDC’s social ecological model focusing mainly in the individual and relationship levels. Lastly, there are three main levels in the stages of prevention (primary, secondary, and tertiary) and this intervention will address each of them through project activities (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016).
Public Health Framework
There are three main levels in the stages of prevention: primary where the disease or injury has not yet occurred and you aim to prevent it, secondary where the disease or injury has already occurred and you aim to lessen its impact, and tertiary where you aim to treat the disease or injury to better the individuals’ quality of life (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016). This intervention touches on all three levels. Because ACEs and substance abuse can cause and be caused by one another, all three stages of prevention will be taking place at the same time throughout the intervention. All project activities will be used to prevent, lessen the impact of, and treat ACEs due to substance abuse on a broader scale as the intervention effects will aim to not only affect the population of the intervention, but also those they encounter in their daily lives.
Level(s) of Social Ecological Model
The CDC’s social ecological model will be used as the framework for this intervention. It holds components at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels (CDC, 2022). This intervention will take place in the individual and relationship levels of this SEM. The individual level of this SEM related to this project would deal with the participants’ personal feelings toward prevention of ACEs and substance abuse (CDC, 2022). To address this, the intervention will provide proper education about this topic because with it, they will understand the full weight of their choices during this program. This will also help each participant focus on motivation as it is a crucial part of changing behavior. The relationship level will be addressed by having group CBT as it will encourage acquaintanceships to form and will encourage beneficial peer relationships (CDC, 2022). Lifestyle changes are difficult to maintain, so this intervention will also help sustain participants’ motivation through in-home visits that will offer extra support as needed and allow them another sense of friendship. This activity addresses both the individual and relationship levels of the CDC’s SEM (CDC, 2022).
Trauma-Informed Principles Your Grant Will Utilize
“Trauma can alter human development and functioning” according to Trauma Informed Philanthropy (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016). Because of this, there are key principles that should be used for trauma informed approaches. In order to adhere to this guideline, all staff on this intervention project will be trained properly on trauma informed approaches.
The first of the principles that will be implemented is safety (SAMHSA, 2019). To do this, all participants will be required to adhere to a strict policy of keeping other participants’ anonymity outside of meetings. Meeting spaces will also be created to feel welcoming and comfortable by having couches as opposed to folding chairs, white noise playing, and neutral-colored walls. Again, all staff will attend proper training prior to the beginning of the intervention. Trustworthiness, as the next principle, will be included in this program using the previously mentioned safe environment that has been created (SAMHSA, 2019). It is important that participants are involved in every step of the intervention process and to make that happen, they must be able to have a good bond with the facilitators through trust. Peer support and collaboration are tied into this with the help of trustworthiness and the social aspect of meeting in person and allowing face to face interactions (SAMHSA, 2019). Empowerment, voice, and choice goes along with participants being involved every step of the way as that gives them the confidence that they will be able to speak up at any point and give suggestions or ideas on how the intervention could better benefit them personally (SAMHSA, 2019). Last, cultural, historical, and gender issues (SAMHSA, 2019) will be incorporated through knowledgeable education materials in that these materials will be sensitive to these issues while still providing as much knowledge as possible (Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, 2016). The materials will educate participants in a way that is inclusive and considerate of all cultures, genders, and experiences.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. (2021, April 2). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr...tion/aces/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. (2022, January 18). The social-ecological model: A framework for prevention.
Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. (2016). Trauma Informed Philanthropy: A Funder’s Resource Guide for Supporting Trauma-Informed Practice in the Delaware Valley.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2019). Enhancing motivation for change in substance use disorder treatment. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites...ant_-_02252020_0.pdf
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