About Us
Mission Statement
To consolidate and share scientific research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to guide clinical practice and inform policies aimed at improving the health of individuals affected by ACEs.
OUR VISION
We envision a future where there is widespread awareness and understanding about ACEs and their impacts on health. We aim to promote informed decision-making and action by offering evidenced-based insights into ACEs.
OUR GOAL
To connect policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and the general public to trusted information on the science of ACEs, so that they can use it to learn about and/or deepen their understanding of childhood adversity’s effects and advocate for positive change.
OUR VALUES
We value access to trustworthy information on ACEs, resilience, trauma-informed care, and collaborative, relationship-centered approaches to fostering optimal health outcomes.
Our Team
The ACEs Hub was developed by a team of experts in clinical psychology, health informatics, social work, population and community health, knowledge translation, and mental health and wellness.
We work together with a variety of people to ensure ACEs Hub has something for everyone. Our team consults with policymakers, practitioners, and people with lived experience of ACEs to make sure the information we provide is relevant, helpful, and understandable to everyone.
Our Work
Research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has grown substantially in the past two decades but finding reliable information can be difficult.
The ACEs Hub addresses this challenge by consolidating and synthesizing research findings and providing a trustworthy and accessible resource for those seeking information on ACEs and recent developments.
OUR PLATFORM OFFERS A RANGE OF TOOLS AND RESOURCES INCLUDING:
Information on the science of ACEs, covering key concepts and associated health outcomes.
A sophisticated query function enabling users to explore ACEs studies by topic, demographics factors, or geographical locations.
Summaries of research data to facilitate understanding.
A comprehensive bibliography that includes a wide array of ACEs studies.
Curated links to additional resources for further exploration.
Our work is guided by three central pillars:
Overall, the ACEs Hub serves as a curated knowledge synthesis platform, offering comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date information on ACEs by collating, summarizing, and translating scientific research findings into actionable insights.
Translating ACEs Science
Our aim is to make the findings from ACEs research understandable and useful for everyone, including policymakers, practitioners, and the general public.
Researchers are working hard to ensure that the insights from ACEs studies can be applied to practice initiatives.
For practitioners, this means having solid evidence to guide their clinical decisions, like knowing the best ways to assess and treat ACEs. For policymakers, it means having reliable information to plan programs and allocate resources to help those most at risk.
And for the public, it’s about increasing awareness and understanding of ACEs, their toxic effects, and links with health outcomes. Ultimately, we want to educate people about the serious impacts of ACEs, reduce the stigma around mental health issues related to ACEs, and advocate for fair treatment for everyone by taking a trauma-informed approach.
Advancing Clinical Practice
Biomedical researchers have studied how toxic stress alters gene function through epigenetics, affecting our bodies and brains long-term. These epigenetic changes can be transmitted across generations, even without direct exposure to the original stressor or adverse experience.
There are ongoing discussions about whether all patients should be screened for ACEs, and our platform helps practitioners find studies that weigh the pros and cons of screening. This information can guide decisions about whether to implement screening in their own practice.
Beyond screening, practitioners can find resources on different approaches, like community-based care or trauma-informed approaches, to better support patients affected by childhood adversity. Overall, our goal is to connect practitioners with reliable ACEs information so they can improve the health and well-being of those impacted by early adversity.
Building Connections
The ACEs Hub serves as a platform for fostering collaboration among individuals, organizations, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners dedicated to addressing the impacts of ACEs.
We value collective action in raising awareness and driving change to support individuals affected by ACEs.
We encourage the growth of communities of practice and advocacy groups focused on mitigating ACEs and their impacts and finding pathways to healing. We have carefully considered the links to resources that we have provided on the ACEs Hub to help connect people to other useful sources of information, tools, and resources.
Through collaborative efforts, we aspire to increase awareness, cultivate expert networks, and advocate for policy reforms aimed at promoting trauma-informed approaches within healthcare and social services.
Our Partners
We’d like to acknowledge our generous funders who have made the ACEs Hub possible:
- Anonymous Donor
And our valuable partners who have supported the mission and creation of the ACEs Hub:
