Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Adolescents
Building healthy brains reduces the impact of childhood toxic stress across one’s lifespan.
No one gets to choose their parents, family situation, or major stressors in their early childhood. These early challenges have been shown to cause toxic stress that children carry into the rest of their lives.
These types of stressful events have been named, “Adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs). This toxic stress may weaken brain architecture and often presents an increase in risky behavior as children become teenagers. Our workgroup seeks to understand, educate, and prevent the effects of ACEs within adolescents.
The ACEs Workgroup has successfully completed their Action Plan, therefore the group is no longer active. Congratulations and thank you very much to all of the dedicated volunteers and leaders who worked on this important initiative and made positive impacts in Frederick County.
What is categorized as an “ACE?”
The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2021) identified these ACE categories:
Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence
Separation from Parent or Guardian due to Incarceration or Detention
Household Mental Illness or Depression
Household Substance Misuse
Emotional Abuse by Parent or Adult in Home
In Frederick County, more than 50% of high school students report at least one ACE.
What’s the good news?
Protective factors reduce risky behavior in teens.
Even teens that have two or more ACEs will benefit from these protective factors, such as food security or a trusted relationship with at least three caring adults.
For more information, visit our YouTube Channel for ACEs.
What can we do about toxic stress from ACEs?
Decrease Risk Factors:
Poverty
Community Violence
Social Isolation
Increase Protective Factors:
Reduce concrete sources of stress
Positive responsive relationships
Core adaptive skills
Subcommittees
Awareness Subcommittee: All sectors of Frederick County (including but not limited to healthcare, government, judicial and law enforcement, education, child care, housing, employment, business, civic and faith-based groups, and parent networks) will recognize the impact of trauma on health from preconception onward, and provide or support services for raising healthy children in safe, stable, nurturing environments
Prevention Subcommittee: All Frederick County residents have access to evidence-based or research-informed programs, resources, information and skills to raise healthy children in safe, stable and nurturing environments.
Treatment and Intervention Subcommittee: An equitable community-wide system of trauma-informed care provides accessible evidence-based treatments from trained, knowledgeable and culturally literate specialists in adequate supply.
Action Plan and Logic Model
Meeting Minutes
Workgroup Leadership
Pilar Olivo
Workgroup Lead and Board President
Principal, Adepta LLC
Erin Gambrill
Awareness Co-Lead
Frederick County Public Libraries, Youth Services Coordinator
Pat Rosensteel
Awareness Co-Lead
Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership, Board President
Kathy Allen
Prevention Co-Lead
Frederick County Public Schools, Coordinator of ECE & Judy Centers
Barb May
Prevention Co-Lead
Frederick County Health Department, Director, Family Partnership
Lynn Davis
Treatment & Intervention Co-Lead
Frederick County Public Schools, Coordinator of Mental Health Services
Jay Hessler
Treatment & Intervention Co-Lead
Frederick County Health Department, Assistant Director of Behavioral Health Services Division
Staff Representative Coordinators
Malcolm Furgol
Executive Director
Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County
ACEs Workgroup Members
