Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences
There are several strategies that can prevent ACEs from happening in the first place as well as strategies to mitigate the harms of ACEs. The evidence tells us that ACEs can be prevented by:
Strengthening economic supports for families
Promoting social norms that protect against violence and adversity
Ensuring a strong start for children and paving the way for them to reach their full potential
Teaching skills to help parents and youth handle stress, manage emotions, and tackle everyday challenges
Connecting youth to caring adults and activities
Intervening to lessen immediate and long-term harms
*This information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention. Please reference their "Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the Best Available Evidence" Technical Package for additional information (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/preventingACES-508.pdf)
The Chester County ACEs Coalition has put together a list of Chester County resources that support the prevention strategies listed above. Please keep in mind this is a working list and is as current as possible. If you see something missing or incorrect, contact us! Additionally, if you would like your program or organization to be listed, please contact Chelsea at cmelrath@chesco.org.
Strengthening Economic Supports for Families
- Strengthening household financial security:
o Rental assistance programs
o Increase education to increase income
o Utility assistance
o Budgeting classes
o Addressing food insecurity
o Childcare subsidies
o Basic Needs
Promoting Social Norms that Protect Against Violence & Adversity
- Domestic Violence Center of Chester County Educational Programs
- Crime Victims Center of Chester County
- Compass Mark - Drug and Alcohol Prevention Presentations
Ensuring a Strong Start for Children
- Nurse Family Partnership Program
- ELRC (formerly CCIS) – Access to quality childcare
- Maternal and Child Health Consortium (MCHC)
- WIC
Teaching Skills
- Safe dating & healthy relationship skills programs:
- Family Service - Strengthening Families Program
- Child Guidance Resource Centers - The Incredible Years Program
- Child Guidance Resource Centers - Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Connecting Youth to Caring Adults &Activities
- Coatesville Youth Initiative
- The Garage Community & Youth Center
- YMCA’s
Intervening to Lessen Immediate & Long-term Harms
- Primary Care:
o CVIM
o ChesPenn
o Chester County Health Department
- Victim Centered Services:
- Treatment:
Trauma- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
Where can I find a Trauma Therapist?
There is no national or state directory of therapists who specialize in trauma. But you can search for trauma therapists in your area using online databases such as the one at psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/trauma-and-ptsd, or therapy-specific databases such as the EMDR lookup tool at emdr.com/search. If you’re insured, you can use the search function on your insurance company’s website to find an in-network provider.
Find more information here: https://www.inquirer.com/health/trauma-therapy-philadelphia-main-line-suburbs-20190924.html
Yoga
Equine-assisted therapy
Art and Literacy Programs
- Family Centered Treatment Approaches for Substance Use Disorders: