Overall Talking Points for the Ace Resource Guide

This toolkit was developed by Innovative Approaches grant ACE Sub-Committee for primary care providers by multiple community agencies.

The purpose is to educate providers about:

  • The science of early child brain development
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, screening tool, and the impact of ACEs on adult health
  • Local resources that providers can refer patients/families to that support treating trauma/ACEs and also build resilience.

Talking Points (for Section 1): Part 1 – Brain Development/Science Section

Clinical/Primary Care Providers:

Learning/Communication

  1. Learn about the science of early brain development (Harvard Center for the Developing Child)
  2. Gain skills in discussing with families the importance of supporting healthy, nurturing experiences for children’s growing brains (for pediatrics)
  3. Develop the ability to discuss with adult patients how childhood experiences shaped their brain (for adults)
  4. Learn how to describe to patients the way toxic stress damages developing brain architecture, especially in the first 5 years when 90% of brain development occurs.

Clinical Flow

  1. See options for a clinic process to screen patients (universal, at specific visit types, specific sub-populations, etc.)
  2. Quick-start guide: how to get started in your practice
  3. Screen
  4. Ask
  5. Treat
  6. Refer

Talking Points (for Section 2) Hand-Out for Providers and Families

Clinical/Primary Care Providers:

Learning/Communication

For Providers:

  1. Utilize the included hand-outs for clinical and primary care providers understanding of:
  2. Basic background information on the definition of adverse childhood experiences
  3. Why knowing about ACEs is important for their patients and their families
  4. How to assess a patient’s ACE Score utilizing the included screening tool
  5. How to encourage patients to build resilience

For Providers to Guide Clients and their Families:

  1. Utilize the included hand-outs to help clients and their family members gain an understanding of:
  2. Basic background information on the definition of adverse childhood experiences
  3. Why knowing their own ACE score is important for themselves and their families
  4. How to assess their own ACE score and understand the meaning of their score
  5. How to help adult family members build resilience
  6. How to help adult family members guide their teenagers and children to build resilience
  7. Where in the community they can find resources for support, once they have learned their ACE score

Talking Points (for Section 3)Part 3 – Primary Care- ‘What Now?’ List of Community Resources

Clinical/Primary Care Providers:

Learning/Communication

  1. Use this list of resources to identify services that your clients could utilize within the community