Office of Educational Resources and Planning (OERP) Videoconference Series

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, originally published in 1998, illuminated the graded relationship between negative experiences in early life and long-term medical and mental health consequences.  Since then, multiple studies have yielded comparable results and there has been an increased push to provide clinical services in a trauma-informed manner.  While this is a significant step in the right direction, there has been ongoing debate about the utility of ACE assessments in clinical settings, and particularly with marginalized communities.  Ultimately, the potential dangers of relying too heavily on assessing ACE scores need to be considered and more effort put into promoting resilience and protective factors while teaching skills that can help buffer traumatic experiences.