Los Angeles, March 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hillsides has received a $300,000 grant from the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to establish a network of care among partner agencies as part of the state’s ACEs Aware Initiative. The grant is the second phase of funding Hillsides has received as part of the initiative following a $100,000 grant in June last year that established a learning community to promote the ACEs Aware Initiative.
This new round of funding is earmarked for the establishment of a “network of care” among numerous regional Medi-Cal providers who were part of the phase one learning community. Hillsides is one of 35 organizations throughout the state who received a total of $30.8 million in ACEs Aware grant funding to effectively respond to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress with community-based health and social supports that meet the needs of children, adults, and families. ACEs Aware seeks to change and save lives by helping Medi-Cal providers understand the importance of screening for ACEs and training them to respond with trauma-informed care, which recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, integrates knowledge of trauma into treatment, and promotes the healing of families, children and communities.
“We are so honored to have been selected to lead this Southern California regional cohort for this important work that will greatly improve the way we treat children and adults who have experienced ACEs and trauma,” said Stacey Roth, Hillsides President and CEO. “We have seen remarkable results in treatment outcomes when we adopted a Trauma-Informed Care approach to our treatment. And our partners from the first phase of the project are primed to build a robust learning community of ACEs-informed providers that should significantly alter the way services are offered.”
Other partners who will be participating in the Hillsides-led cohort include: QueensCare Health Centers, Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital, Child Development Consortium of Los Angeles, Eastmont Community Center, Unite Us, and Aetna Better Health of California. The desired outcome is to create and sustain formal connections between providers, social service systems and community partners to effectively address toxic stress following an ACEs screening.
Partner organizations will be tasked with implementation of ACEs screenings across Medi-Cal provider clinics and communities; establishing effective referral processes for appropriate resources and supports; and formalizing a cross-sector collaboration on ACEs treatment and prevention. Implementation grants focus on communities that demonstrate the highest level of clinical and operational readiness and engagement with Medi-Cal providers to fully execute trauma-informed networks of care. Implementation grantees will also leverage information technology platforms to help communities improve health outcomes for patients and families.
“The science is clear: Without intervention, Adverse Childhood Experiences and the resulting toxic stress response can lead to lasting negative mental and physical health outcomes,” said California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris in a blog post announcing the funding. “These grants will strengthen the capacity of our networks of care to support health care providers to effectively screen, treat, and heal patients with ACEs.” More information about the ACEs Aware Initiative can be found here.
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About Hillsides: Hillsides, with its affiliate Bienvenidos, is dedicated to healing children and young adults, strengthening families, and transforming communities through quality comprehensive services and advocacy. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the agency serves nearly 17,000 children and families in Southern California throughout more than 40 sites, including school-based mental health offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Baldwin Park. Foster care and adoptions services are offered in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. To learn more about Hillsides, please visit www.Hillsides.org. Visit Hillsides on Facebook @hillsideschildren, on Twitter @Hillsides, or on Instagram @HillsidesPasadena.
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