Lessons about what it takes to implement ACEs screening in clinical settings: Results from evaluation of CALQIC

According to the CDC, approximately 61% of adults have reported experiencing at least one type of adverse childhood experience (ACE) during their childhood, and nearly 1 in 6 reported experience with four or more. ACEs are commonly associated with traumatic events or environments, such as violence or unstable households, and can be linked to many chronic health problems as well as impact educational and career opportunities.

The Center for Community Health and Evaluation recently completed an evaluation of the California ACEs Learning and Quality Improvement Collaborative (CALQIC), a 16- month learning collaborative launched in July 2020 and led by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Center to Advance Trauma and Resilience-informed Healthcare, in partnership with the Center for Care Innovations (CCI), the RAND Corporation, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

The final report highlights the evaluation's five key findings, that during CALQIC:
Organizations and clinics built or enhanced the necessary infrastructure to support ACEs screening and response.

1. Organizations and clinics advanced their ACEs screening and response practices
2. The learning collaborative contributed to organizations’ and clinics’ progress advancing ACEs screening and response during the pandemic
3. Organizations and clinics were committed to building trauma-informed organizations and sustaining and spreading their ACEs screening and response practices.
4. Providers and medical assistants indicated that screening had a positive impact on them, their clinics, and their patients.

Read the report.