The Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences Framework

Introduction

ASTHO, in collaboration with CDC, developed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (ACECAT) to help state, territorial, and freely associated state health agency staff 1) describe how they address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in their jurisdiction and 2) identify opportunities to maximize resources and impact. To complement ACECAT, ASTHO developed the Actions to Build Capacity for ACEs Prevention webpage, which provides action ideas and resources to build additional infrastructure and topical capacity for ACEs prevention. This page provides an overview.

Infrastructure Capacity

Components affecting program capacity, implementation, and sustainability include the following:

Data and Surveillance

Determine what ACEs data your agency already has access to or regularly collects to then analyze indicators of ACEs and understand service and program needs.

Responsive Planning

Determine how your agency includes ACEs and related prevention strategies in your strategic plan/state health improvement plan.

Risk and Protective Factors

Assess team knowledge and understanding of shared risk and protective factors to evaluate how they can influence multiple public health outcomes.

Multilevel Leadership

Foster relationships with other leaders and playmakers in the field of work to help engage different populations and gain trust in the community.

Networked Partnerships

Support and connect with community champions or leaders to help engage with disproportionately impacted populations and gain trust within the community.

Managed Resources

Determine whether your agency's ACEs prevention program engages in resource sharing with other internal program areas and coordinates to share resources that advance ACEs-related work.

Topical Capacity

Multiple strategies work together to form a comprehensive response for addressing ACEs, including:

Health Disparities

Address health disparities within targeted initiatives for ACEs prevention, and establish a position dedicated to eliminating health.

Workforce Capacity

Employ strategies to onboard and retain knowledgeable and experienced staff in the field who are eager to collaborate with other health agency staff.

Additional Considerations

Although not included in the ACECAT, there are two additional areas to consider for your ACEs prevention work:

Policy

Implement policies that center on and support children and their families when using a systems-level approach to prevent ACEs.

Messaging

Communicate about ACEs by translating the implications and nuances of data into actionable preventive efforts, policies, and funding.