Prevention and mitigation of Adverse Childhood Experiences using education for families in poverty
A grant proposal by Victoria M. Brase
Poverty is a very prevalent problem and has its own risk factors for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Emotional and physical neglect have been shown to be associated with poor outcomes (CDC, 2016). It has been shown that long-term effects of ACEs are impactful in the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, causing increased levels of depression and substance abuse, elevated levels of inflammation in the immune system and poor immune system function, and increased cortisol levels which can lead to metabolic disorders (Danese & McEwen, 2012). Poverty also impacts children on an academic level, with higher rates of drop-outs, and on a psychosocial level, with higher rates of behavioral and emotional problems (APA, 2019).
My grant would fund an intervention designed to provide classes to educate parents on ACEs, specific to living in poverty, and provide opportunities and education about ways to prevent ACEs and future problems that arise from trauma. The classes include education on things like easy, inexpensive cooking, ideas about free activities for kids, and resources for parents to further their education and employment. It is designed to eventually become completely community-run by having parents who participate in the program return as teachers and mentors. Based on the CDC’s four-level social-ecological model, our intervention will primarily address the individual level. Based on the predicted outcomes, it will also have a positive ameliorating effect on the relationship and community levels. The intervention will address the individual level by providing education and resources to encourage development of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that can alleviate and prevent violence. As individuals are strengthened and educated about ACEs, the relationship and community levels will be positively impacted. As parents develop more positive experiences and interactions, they will have a positive effect on their children, who will develop healthier relationships and a better understanding and attitude towards ACEs, which will also change the societal attitude towards ACEs for future generations. We also intend to have peer support in the form of other parents who have found success with the program and who come back to teach and mentor other parents. Our intervention is also designed to eventually become a program that is run exclusively by a community with the intent of strengthening the community and producing a positive ameliorating effect on the community. This intervention has multiple trauma-informed principles built into it. A main component of the program is based on collaboration and mutuality as well as empowerment, voice, and choice. It is designed to provide education and resources to empower parents and help them feel like they have choices beyond their current situation. The end goal of this program is for it to become community-run and engage community members in order to strengthen the community. It will also be utilizing peer support by having parents who have found success through the program return and teach and mentor other parents. The program will also ensure that the spaces we use for the classes are safe, both physically and mentally and incorporate trustworthiness and transparency by asking parents for their feedback and also asking them what type of classes and resources they would like. Any data that is gathered from this intervention or proposed changes will be routinely shared with the community. The program will also be sensitive to any cultural, historical and gender issues and ensure that any educational classes we provide incorporate different cultures, for example, having cooking classes with multiple different cultural cuisines that are relevant to the community we are serving. The intervention will utilize a public health framework in multiple ways. It will address primary prevention by providing education about ACEs and ways parents and the community can prevent them. The intervention will do this by focusing on education and resources that help parents get off welfare and out of poverty, eliminating exposure to ACEs related to living in poverty. It will focus on both parent and child welfare, education, and early childhood experiences. The intervention will address secondary intervention by educating parents on what to look for in regards to risky behavior or other symptoms of trauma, as well as what the impact of ACEs can be, both physically and mentally. It will also show how resilience is protective and can mitigate exposure to ACEs. The educational classes will also build confidence in parents and give them opportunities to change their situations, which will build resilience and build positive outcomes. This also addresses tertiary prevention by providing resources to address ACEs and traumas that have already been experienced. There will also have physicians and nurse educators on staff, as well as mental health professionals, not only to teach classes, but to be available to counsel families who have experienced trauma and need resources for physical and mental health care.
By providing these educational classes we can develop a real and sustainable way for families to work their way out of poverty and break the cycle of ACEs.
American Psychological Association. (2019). Effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and youth. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). About the CDC-Kaiser ACE study. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violencepr.../acestudy/about.html
Danese, A., & McEwen, B. (2012). Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiology & Behavior, 106, 29-39.
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