ACEs Training
You’ve heard of ACEs in passing, but why does it matter?
Why are people still talking about research done nearly 30 years ago, and what does it mean for you today?
What is the ACEs Study?
In the mid-1990s, the CDC surveyed over seventeen thousand people to assess the lasting effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The study asked respondents about three main types of negative experiences children face: neglect, abuse, and household challenges. In the end, the findings were astonishing, helping us realize that the experiences we undergo as children can affect us for the rest of our lives.
Why does it matter?
The study had many implications wedged between its findings. The first is that childhood experiences, though not always consciously affecting us, can undoubtedly disrupt neurodevelopment and social and cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we learned that women and racial/cultural minorities face ACEs in higher instances, which could help explain why it remains a challenge to narrow the achievement gap.
The impacts related to adverse childhood experiences are vast.
Nearly two-thirds of all adults have experienced at least one type of ACE.
The pains of childhood follow us long into adulthood, long into our work lives, and long after we’ve learned to shoulder the weight of our employer’s expectations.
How can you be sure that your team is valuing their health the way they should or that they recognize the challenges that others faced as they grew up with vastly different childhoods?
Keep reading to learn more, or fill out a form to get a personalized quote today.
“The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect.”
— Peter Levine
The ACE Assessment
The actual ACE assessment is a 10-item measure that will reflect your early experiences until age 18, adding +1 to your score for each item that rings true. Questions range from whether your parents were together or separated to the possibility of experiencing or witnessing physical or sexual abuse.
Many people have never considered how much their childhood experiences have affected their lives. This assessment can help people realize how their past is inflicting itself on their present.
Take into consideration that the ACE assessment is not the same thing as a diagnosis—it’s meant to be used as a guide for your own understanding of your experiences. You must also keep in mind that the test does not include any positive experiences you may have had as a child that may offset the negative ones. Some people with high scores might be well-adapted, while others with low scores might not.
The Goals of ACEs Training
The economic and social impacts of ACEs on families, communities, and societies total hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Preventing them requires widespread efforts, although it could potentially reduce a large number of health conditions.
Taking the time to educate yourself and your team about the impact of ACEs could provide future generations with more stability, better places to work, and a better society.
This training aims to encourage reflection on one's own childhood experiences and resilience developed and develop empathy for others' experiences.
As we gain a better understanding of the impacts of trauma—physically, mentally, socially, relationally, economically—we can know how to better respond to others and calm an activated trauma response.
Learn how trauma affects individuals, families, and society
Understand the ACE Study and apply it responsibly
Understand the impact of trauma on the brain and body
Recognize the effects of trauma and how to calm an activated nervous system response
Mental health doesn't just affect productivity—it affects safety, attendance, job satisfaction, and more.
By providing your employees with the attention to mental health, and the training that will influence every area of life, you're not just looking out for your bottom line; you're looking out for the life and blood of your business: your employees.
Amanda Gibson, LCSW
About Me
Counseling | Coaching | Consulting
I have worked for over 15 years in clinical and leadership roles in non-profit organizations specializing in helping people and organizations find the best version of themselves.
As a therapist, I've worked with many people who struggle with trauma, especially experiences that took place in childhood. I understand the kinds of emotions that this sort of discussion can inspire and ensure that despite the serious nature of the subject matter, we do not re-traumatize attendees.
Why Work With a Therapist
Talking about trauma is not always an easy task. Our childhood experiences often reside in the recesses of our minds, and the last place we want to talk about them is at work. However, trauma is everywhere, and if we continue to ignore its presence, we're only contributing to the problem.
Knowing how to recognize trauma in yourself and others is a valuable skill necessary to avoid burnout whether you work in healthcare or otherwise.
As you become a trauma-informed workplace, enlisting the help of a mental health professional can help you gain insights into your employees' performance, mental health, and well-being.
What Your Business Needs in 2021
Organizational Development
While many people who work in organizational development focus on efficiency and procedures, it is a mistake to ignore mental health and the underlying issues trauma may induce in your employees. Every business that improves the conditions of work for their employees also enhances their performance and productivity. By building a workplace where physical and emotional safety is prioritized, everyone wins.
Leadership Coaching
Leaders need to be aware of all the potential hiccups their employees might experience. What strategies do you employ to ensure that your employees are motivated and inspired to achieve their goals? Addressing their mental health needs as a leader can help you build a stronger influence on your team for the better.
Be an Anti-racism Workplace
Microaggressions, actual violence, and vicarious trauma can damage your employees both emotionally and in terms of their work performance. By learning more about how to enact anti-racist policies in the workplace, you can build an environment of respect and equity and establish a positive legacy in your company.
Be a Trauma-Informed Workplace
Trauma can change the way a person’s brain functions. Understanding how it can reveal itself in the workplace can be eye-opening. You can create a work environment full of respect and equity while also showing your employees that you care about their well-being.
Be a Culturally Responsive Workplace
Just as employees come from different racial backgrounds, they also share different cultural backgrounds. Learn what it takes to build an organization that considers all cultures and understands how cultural and implicit biases can affect employees and their well-being.
