ACEs-LA: Mitigating the Impact of Toxic Stress and Building Resilience in the Los Angeles Department of Health Services

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can lead to toxic stress—prolonged activation of the stress response in the brain and body. Children and families in the health care safety net often experience ACEs and are at high risk for toxic stress. Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services (DHS) responded to the California Surgeon General’s 2019 call to action to address ACEs and toxic stress. The ACEs-LA initiative was created to support screening and response to ACEs and other social and behavioral needs and includes three components: (1) ACEs Screening and Response in the Primary Care Setting: A consortium of DHS clinics support ACEs screening, in-clinic response, community referrals, and billing for ACEs and social/behavioral needs. (2) Specialty Clinic Support for Children with ACEs: The Strong, Healthy, and Resilient Kids (SHARK) Program provides primary care and consultation for children and youth with more complex or acute ACEs and social/behavioral needs. (3) Building a Community Network to Support Resilience: A Network of Care (NoC) of DHS clinics, DHS community and behavioral health programs, First 5, and multiple community-based organizations (CBOs) collaborate to mitigate the impact of toxic stress on children and families.