Early Adverse Experiences : How Faith Based & Community Organizations Can Promote Resiliency are the pipeline to a multitude of societal problems. Dr. Mimi Graham, Director FSU Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy Academic Mental Health Maltreatment Addictions Disease Crime Widespread Prevalence of ACEs ACE Study 17,000 Middle class 75% White sample 2 out of 3 adults have at least 1 ACE Household dysfunction Substance abuse 27% Parental separation/divorce 23% Mental illness 17% Battered mother 13% Incarcerated family member 6% Abuse Psychological 11% Physical 28% Sexual 21% Neglect Emotional 15% Physical 10% Source: V. Felitti, 2005 ACES linked to many problems.. Substance Abuse Domestic Violence Delinquency Child Abuse Mental Health Issues Health Problems We now know more than ever before of the long-term effects of ACES TED Talk Video: 3 minute clip. Nadine Burke Harris, MD 1
Changing the ACEs Trajectory: Early Childhood Court Multigenerational Cycle of Adversity Asthma Cardiovascular Disease Cancer Anxiety Hopelessness Suicide Attempts Current Depression Mental Illness Insufficient Sleep Victim of Sexual Assault Victim of IPV Current Smoking Binge Drinking Alcoholism High Risk for HIV Promiscuity ( 30) Drug Abuse IV Drug Use Painkillers to Get High Drunk Driving Adult Incarceration 14 Days MH Interrupts Work 14 Unhealthy P or MH Days Spec. Equip. Needed Fair or Poor Health Activity Limits Health Divorce/Separation Life Dissatisfaction Adverse Childhood Experience High Risk Teen Years ACE Transmission Risk Adverse Adult Experience Overview of Florida s Early Childhood Court Initiative (5-minutes): https://youtu.be/q4ixnpaytu8 7 Changing ACES Trajectory Separation & Divorce Physical, Emotional & Sexual Abuse Emotional & Physical Neglect Changing ACES Trajectory Dysfunctional Households 5% Healthy Intensive Ready to Learn Intervention 15% At-Risk Delayed or Disordered High Quality Environments 80% Nurturing Attachments Quality Environments Targeted Supports Targeted Social Emotional Supports Nurturing & Responsive Intensive Interventions Relationships 9 Nurturing & Stable Adults Can Buffer Toxic Stress for Children Source: The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning 10 High Quality Child Care Can Buffer ACES & Change Trajectory Becoming Foster Parents Offering Parenting Classes Hosting Family Events Parents Night Out Building Support Groups Healthy Child Neglected Child Standardized Test Scores 115 110 Treated Control 105 100 95 90 85 80 11 0 1 2 3 5 8 Age of childre n in ye ars 18 12 2
Intensive Interventions Can Change ACES Trajectory Targeted Supports Can Change ACES Trajectory Professional Counselors/Therapists Within the Church, Courts, Health Care and Community Organizations Trauma Trained ChildCare Trauma Trained Health Professionals ü ACE screen ü Multidisciplinary team ü Home visits ü Care coordination ü Mental health services ü Nutrition ü Medication when necessary ü Parent education on trauma www.myflfamilies.com/serviceprograms/childcare TED Talk: 1 minute video clip Nadine Burke Harris Solution Resiliency: The Ability to Bounce Back & Gracefully Recover from Adversity Resilience does not come from rare and special qualities, but from the everyday magic of ordinary, normative human resources in the minds, brains, and bodies of children, in their families and relationships, and in their communities Ann Masten, 2001, p. 9 Social Connections 14 13 Ways the Faith Based Community Can Help Foster Resiliency Social Connections Listening Inspiration Coping Forgiveness Life Purpose Hope Listening Skills A strong support network of friends helps to keep us happier and healthier. Slowly, I have come to see that Asking and Listening and Accepting are a profound form of Doing. 3
Inspiration Inspiring others to believe they can accomplish their dreams Know When You re Over Your Head: Get Professional Supports Coping Strategies Replacing destructive coping strategies for constructive ways of handling stress Forgiveness & Healing Inner Wounds We do not treat our patients to cure them of something done to them in the past; rather we are trying to cure them of what they still do to themselves and to others in order to cope with what was done to them in the past. I really appreciate your courage in thinking about and sharing these difficult experiences, but I do not have the right expertise to help you walk through these details. I can help you find the right person who can help you. Solution to Addictions: Quit Chasing the Drug, Focus on ACEs - Phillip Bromberg Life Purpose Compulsive comfort-seeking is a normal response to the adversity experienced in childhood. The solution to changing the illegal or unhealthy compulsive comfort-seeking behavior to addiction is to: Address ACEs individually and in group therapy Treat people with respect instead of shame Provide medication assistance used to treat addictions Help them find alternative comfort-seeking behavior that isn t lethal or illegal. Dr. Daniel Sumrok, Director, University of Tennessee Center for Addiction Sciences in the Healthy Science Center s College of Medicine Faith Spirituality Religion Sense of purpose Some resilient individuals draw strength from religion, others benefit from spirituality, and others achieve a sense of stability by having a sense of purpose and self-worth. 4
Hope You can t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending. CS Lewis It s the most important opportunity for the prevention of health and social problems and disease and disability that has ever been seen. Dr. Vincent Felitti, Co-Investigator ACE Study The good news is we now know some things you can do to buffer some of those early adverse experiences, so you can be the kind of parent you really want to be, be healthier, and do the things in life you hope to do. Thank you! Dr. Mimi A. Graham, Director Florida State University Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy mgraham@fsu.edu 5