ACEs Aware Initiative
Encouraging routine screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma-informed care in California.
Impact Area
Launched in 2020 by the California Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health Care Services, the ACEs Aware initiative is a first-in-the-nation effort to screen patients for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to help improve and save lives.
12k+
Trainings
340%
Engagement rate
45k
email list
The challenge
By the end of 2021, the ACEs Aware initiative had transitioned to a new organizational home within the University of California, the newly created University of California ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN). UCAAN was tasked with the academic anchoring for the initiative, and as a new initiative with a complex premise, the challenge here was picking up the torch and advancing the goals of a budding organization to get California providers trained to screen for ACEs, a crucial public health issue.
Our solution
Breaking down the science of ACEs was the initial step, using an informational, welcoming voice on social media, alongside infographics and brighter branding, to make it as approachable as possible.
As interest began to build, we were able to utilize promotional material demonstrating real examples of how ACE screening has changed lives across the state. This tiered approach helped build a foundation of understanding in our audience, and allowed for a more tailored approach via our email marketing, where the academic aspect of this work got to really flex.
With thousands of completed ACE trainings, an ever-expanding web presence, and a successful webinar program already underway, this partnership has been a stellar sample of what a trauma-informed future could look like.
Updating and expanding the initiative’s web presence has been core to promoting and housing the various resources available to healthcare teams who are helping build a trauma-informed California.
Trainee Testimonial
This training leads to a more empathetic understanding of the trauma caused by obstacles and difficulties experienced by clients.
