Does anyone know of the use of ACE's screening (eg CYW) in the forming of groups?
The best I can come up with is to work out what level of ACE's would be within organisational capacity for a specific number of young people and then making that maximum the total for ACE's within any size of group.
eg. We can run a safe group for 12 teens with average ACE's of 2. That makes a total ACE's score of 24 as a composite group score. So 3 teens with ACE's scores of 7 would reach the organisational limit for the formation of a safe group. Or five teens with four ACE's. These figures are simply an example.
The CYW does not discriminate ACE's scores of over 4 - they are all treated with the same care. But the literature suggests that ACE's do not simply add up. A score of 6 is not simply equal to two scores of 3 or three scores of 2.
My aim is to see if the ACE's screening tool has relevance for the recruitment of a safe group. Obviously if we were to adopt this we would also look at the individuals signs/symptoms and intra group compatibility as we already do. But perhaps a low level of signs/symptoms but high ACE's would indicate that the group size be smaller than signs/symptoms would otherwise suggest on their own. In other words 'they look all right but their ACE's score says that together they/we may not cope'.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Graham