The Advocacy and Policy project was created to identify opportunities to contribute to policy change that incorporates the latest research on ACEs and resilience. 

 

 

The Philadelphia ACE Research Committee is comprised members in pediatrics, behavioral health, and adolescent medicine, and epidemiology, who developed the Philadelphia Expanded ACE Survey Questions. 

The goal of the Community Education Workgroup is to inform community residents in the Philadelphia region about the impact and prevalence of adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma, the role of resilience, and the possibility of healing and recovery.

The Workforce Development Workgroup focused on identifying opportunities and strategies to disseminate information on ACEs, trauma and resilience to the workforce via higher and continuing education.

Join ACEs Connection to connect with others in Philadelphia and across the country about ACEs, trauma, and resilience. ACEs Connection is an online community of practice for individuals who are deeply committed to this work in areas ranging from education to the justice system, and from policy to parenting. 

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One of the biggest questions that Andi and I get whenever we talk about a trauma-informed approach is something along the lines of “Ok I get ACEs and toxic stress, but what can I do about it in my organization?” We get it–this approach can seem overwhelming because it is literally a lens through which you see everything. We often say that a trauma-informed approach is less about what you do and more about how you do it. So how in the world do we even begin the work of operationalizing our unders


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Child USA shares urgent call to action; needs our help.CHILD USAdvocacy continues working closely with survivors, legislators, and advocates on the ground to pass a child sex abuse revival window for civil claims. The Pennsylvania House and the Senate have passed different versions of window legislation. The House has passed HB2 , which is a legislative window, and HB1 , which is a window via constitutional amendment. The Senate passed SB1 , which bundled the window with two other unrelated constitutional amendments. We support a stand alone...


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The 2023 Creating Resilient Communities Accelerator Program is now Open For RegistrationPACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.


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A Letter to KyleTo mark the anniversary of the passage of the landmark legislation of the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act, we are sharing a letter written a year ago by Roland Behm, Co-founder of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership, Board Member and Former Board Chair, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Georgia Chapter. The letter is to his son, Kyle, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2010 as a junior in college and died by suicide in August 2019.


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Hardware store employee builds parallel bars so a boy with cerebral palsy can learn to walk (upworthy.com)To read more of Tod Perry's article, please click here. A story first shared by Fox 29 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, is the epitome of customer service that goes above and beyond. Jessica Getty and her husband, Mark, went to a Lowe’s hardware store in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, earlier this month to buy materials to help their 5-year-old son, Will, make a significant leap in his development. They were looking to buy PVC pipes to build parallel bars so he could learn to walk. "He was born...


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48-Hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program- COHORT 1 & 2New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various cultures from around the world. In this inclusive study we rely...


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In Philly, These Retired “Aunts And Uncles” Fund Young Entrepreneurs (nextcity.org)An entrepreneur presents to The Circle of Aunts and Uncles in a member's backyard. (Photo courtesy of the CAU) Author: To read Connie Aitcheson's article, please click here. When Judy Wicks retired from running her restaurant, the White Dog Café, she wanted to find a way to help young, under-resourced entrepreneurs develop their own businesses. She had an idea but wasn’t sure it would work. Like many other retired baby boomers, she had money, knowledge and time to offer young entrepreneurs.


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Pennsylvania has nearly the worst education ‘opportunity gaps’ in country (philadelphia.chalklbeat.org)Screenshot from Research for Action’s dashboard ranking states based on “opportunity gaps” shows Pennsylvania at the top of the list for being among the most inequitable. Research for Action Author: To read Dale Mezzacappa's article, please click here. Pennsylvania ranks nearly the worst in the nation for educational opportunity gaps based on race and income levels, according to a new report finding a large difference in access to a quality education between students of color and white...


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Pennsylvania prisoners are giving their own money to families impacted by gun violence (whyy.org)File photo: Hundreds gathered at Gorgas Park Thursday for a prayer vigil following Tuesday's deadly shooting at Roxborough High School. (Cory Sharber/WHYY) Author: Sammy Caiola's article, please click here. A group of Pennsylvania prisoners, many of them serving life sentences for gun crimes, is pooling together their own funds to help Philadelphia families who lose a child to gun violence. The Community Bereavement Fund is a partnership between Right 2 Redemption , a statewide prisoners’...


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Drexel Seeks Young Adult Applicants for PAID Community Health Worker/ Certified Peer Specialist TrainingDo you know what it's like to be impacted by violence in your neighborhood? Do you want to use your experience to help others heal? Drexel University Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice is currently seeking applicants for a PAID Community Health Worker/ Certified Peer Specialist Training for Philadelphia residents ages 18-24. This program is a good fit for young adults impacted by violence or trauma who want to use their experiences to become healers and helpers in their communities...