Build local, state, tribal, territorial, and key partner capacity to implement ACEs
prevention and response policies, programs, and practices based on the best
available evidence.

Local, state, tribal, and territorial health departments and other community partners working on the frontlines with the public are best positioned to take the lead on advancing a comprehensive approach to ACEs prevention, due to their focus on social determinants of health (e.g., safe housing, job opportunities, social support, access to health care services including substance use disorder treatment and mental/behavioral health services, education) and shared risk and protective factors (Wilkins, et. al., 2014). State, local, tribal, and territorial health departments also have a long-standing role as community conveners to address complex health challenges and as essential service providers to their communities (CDC, 2018). One of the Injury Center’s main goals is supporting the implementation of a comprehensive, datadriven, evidence-based public health approach to preventing, identifying, and responding to ACEs within communities and states, as well as providing technical support to ensure this approach is implemented with fidelity. The existing evidence base of effective ACEs prevention policies, programs, and practices promotes safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for children and families.

The CDC-developed prevention resource, Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the Best Available Evidence, includes a series of ACEs prevention strategies and can inform health departments and community partners as they pursue evidence-based ACEs prevention efforts. Technical assistance will focus on strengthening surveillance efforts; promoting linkages to ACEs prevention resources; deepening the understanding of the connection between ACEs and other forms of violence and injury (e.g., suicide, interpersonal violence, overdose) and health and social outcomes; and aligning ACEs policy, programmatic, and practice strategies among partners.

CDC will also help partners build capacity to leverage multi-sector partnerships and resources (including data managers, education sector partners, business sector partners, tribal healthcare workers, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, youth-serving and family-serving organizations, policymakers, substance use disorder treatment providers and healthcare providers, local and state health departments, statewide domestic violence coalitions, courts and justice-serving organizations, medical associations, psychological associations, and others who may already be implementing or are poised to begin implementing these types of strategies) to improve ACEs surveillance infrastructures and the coordination and implementation of ACEs prevention and response strategies. As a result of this goal, there will be increased local, state, territorial, and tribal capacity to develop and sustain an ACEs surveillance system that informs and helps guide implementation of ACEs prevention strategies that help to promote safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments where children live, learn, and play. The Injury Center’s central programmatic mechanism for accomplishing this goal is the Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Data to Action (PACE: D2A) cooperative agreement, which supports state health departments in growing their surveillance and prevention capacity, and in implementing evidence-based programs and policies. Expansion of this programmatic effort will be central in furthering the objectives of Goal 3.