Thursday, August 26, 2021 2:30 - 3:30 PM (EDT)

TOPIC DESCRIPTION & OVERVIEW

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events which affect children’s brain architecture and can have negative, lifelong effects on health and well-being. ACEs are common – across the country, 2 out of 3 children have experienced at least one ACE, which can include events such as parental separation, experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect, or having a loved one attempt or die by suicide. ACEs can also include challenges such as poverty, discrimination, and poor housing quality. As public health professionals, it is especially important for us to mitigate the impact of ACEs in this moment against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial justice movement’s collective activism against systematic racism.

Research shows that ACEs can be neutralized by positive experiences and loving relationships, and that with compassionate, nurturing support, people can achieve resilience — the process of adapting and overcoming in the face of adversity. Caring and competent adults can help children heal from the impact of ACEs by building positive relationships youth, helping to create a sense of belonging, and increasing connections to community, culture, and spirituality.

The NJ ACEs Collaborative – a unique public-private partnership – developed a statewide awareness campaign to build public understanding, support for, and adoption of behaviors to help mitigate the negative short- and long-term impact of ACEs.

This panel discussion will explore the various efforts underway in New Jersey, campaign partners and their roles, with special emphasis on the Community Advisory Board. We will share how an intentional discovery process enabled the creation of a strengths-based communications campaign in a space typically characterized by deficit models and draw out lessons that can be applied to other public health efforts.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES