I am often asked, “What are the benefits of ACEs prevention work being data-driven, cross-sector and systemic?” I also hear, “Isn’t raising awareness of ACEs enough?” These are important questions. From our work in child welfare we know that many parents struggle to gain access to behavioral health care, safe shelter and living wage jobs. Imagine twenty-year-old single parent Deirdre with her three-year-old son Ethan. She grew up experiencing emotional trauma and faces huge challenges. She...

“What are your signs of stress?” asked the leaders of a recent mindfulness webinar hosted by the Philadelphia ACE Task Force (PATF), held during the week that U.S. cases of COVID-19 neared half a million and more than sixty Philadelphians had died of the disease. Participants spilled their responses into the chat box: “headache…teeth grinding…can’t think clearly…nervous stomach…ruminating thoughts…muscle pain…itchiness…bad dreams.” [ At left: #TakeCarePHL during COVID-19 #StayHome #StaySafe.