ACEs Aware Progress Report: 2019-2023

The ACEs Aware Progress Report: 2019-2023 provides an overview of the progress and impact of the initiative’s first four years. In addition to highlighting the progress made in training health care teams and scaling initiatives to screen for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the report includes forewords from California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos and former Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.

Highlights from the report:

• Since the initiative began in 2019, more than 2.3 million ACE screens have been conducted of more than 1.5 million Medi-Cal members.
• More than 35,000 individuals have completed the Becoming ACEs Aware in California core training, and nearly half of them are providers who are now certified to receive a $29 reimbursement from Medi-Cal for each eligible ACE screen they conduct.
• $65 million has been invested in clinics and communities across the state to support local and regional approaches to preventing, identifying, and responding to ACEs and toxic stress.
• Evaluations by RAND indicate that ACE screening has a positive impact on providers, their clinics, and their patients.
• Early findings in Los Angeles County suggest that ACE screening and response initiatives are advancing DHCS’ statewide goals to improve quality of care and reduce health disparities for the most vulnerable Californians.