Provide Treatment & Healing

A trauma-informed approach to addressing ACEs and toxic stress

Doctor with small child

This section describes strategies for clinicians, practices, and community organizations to build strong networks of care across the state. For information on clinical treatment of toxic stress, please visit the Clinical Assessment & Treatment page.

Trauma-informed networks of care form critical connections to cross-sector support

A trauma-informed network of care is a group of interdisciplinary health care, education, and human service professionals, community members, and organizations that recognize and respond to the signs, symptoms, and potential consequences of trauma and provide evidence-based “buffering” resources that mitigate the harmful consequences of toxic stress.

We have created the Trauma-Informed Network of Care Roadmap* to provide practical steps for clinical teams and communities to grow cross-sector networks of care to significantly improve the health and well-being of individuals and families for generations.

The roadmap is designed to assess where your community stands in its ability to screen for, treat, and heal toxic stress and identify opportunities for continuing to enhance your network to support the well-being of children, adults, and families.

Clinical interventions are necessary, but insufficient, to reduce the health impacts of ACEs and toxic stress. Many sectors beyond healthcare play a critical role in providing evidence-based toxic stress mitigation strategies.

To support clinical treatment plans, many practices already have resources in place, such as patient education, as well as links to community resources, social services, and specialty medical services. Connecting with the full set of resources available in your community is key to achieving fully trauma-informed care.

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Network of Care Grants: ACEs Aware provides grants to organizations across California to build and strengthen robust networks of care. To learn more, visit our Grants section.

 

Network of Care Webinar

This webinar includes an overview, discussion, and concrete example of a trauma-informed network of care that has been underway in Fresno County for several years.

*Developed by the California Surgeon General’s Network of Care Subcommittee with input from the California Surgeon General’s Clinical Implementation Subcommittee and other stakeholders in collaboration with the Office of the California Surgeon General and the Department of Health Care Services. 

END USER SUBLICENSE AGREEMENT

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: This End User Sublicense Agreement (the “Agreement” or “Sublicense”) is a legally binding agreement between you (an individual or an entity, hereinafter “You” or “Sublicensee”) and the Department of Health Care Services (“DHCS”) for the use of the Pediatric ACEs and Related Life-events Screener (“PEARLS”) for children and adults up to the age of 21.

BY WAY OF DOWNLOADING, COPYING, ACCESSING, OR OTHERWISE USING THE PEARLS TOOL, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE LEGALLY BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS TO THE PEARLS TOOL AND MAY NOT DOWNLOAD, COPY, ACCESS, OR OTHERWISE THE PEARLS TOOL.

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    1. The PEARLS Tool. The PEARLS tool is a unique tool that assess for both Adverse Childhood Experiences (“ACEs”) such as abuse, neglect, and household challenges, and related events, such as discrimination, food insecurity, and community violence, thought to be risk factors for toxic stress. The PEARLS tool was made in the course of research under the auspices of the Children’s Hospital Research Center at Oakland (“BCHO”) and the University of California, San Francisco. BCHO has licensed the PEARLS tool to DHCS and provided DHCS with the right to sublicense the PEARLS tool.
    2. Sublicensee Attestation. By agreeing to this Agreement, You attest that You are a provider of health care services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, a Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan, a Medi-Cal beneficiary, a parent or guardian of a Medi-Cal beneficiary, or an Electronic Health Records (“EHR”) vendor.
    3. The Sublicense. Subject to the terms of this agreement, DHCS hereby grants to Sublicensee a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-assignable, non-transferable sublicense (the “Sublicense”) to the PEARLS tool. Under the Sublicense, Sublicensee may use the PEARLS tool as directed, and may save, download, print, copy, reproduce, or distribute the PEARLS tool to facilitate such use.
    4. Use in a Remote Patient Portal. The PEARLS tool was developed as a screener of risk for toxic stress and has been tested for safe, reliable screening when used during in-person (i.e., synchronous) visits. The questions and responses of the PEARLS tool may be administered using the EHR as structured data fields to facilitate record and follow-up. Because the PEARLS tool was never studied under asynchronous screening formats, DHCS cannot provide recommendations regarding its use in a remote patient portal. This includes information around safety and adequate windows of response. Sublicensee acknowledges that DHCS is not responsible for providing any recommendations regarding the use of the PEARLS tool in a remote patient portal, and that DHCS is not responsible for overseeing implementation and use of the PEARLS tool in a remote patient setting. This includes information around safety and adequate windows of response.
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      1. IN NO EVENT WILL DHCS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM EXERCISE OF THIS SUBLICENSE OR THE USE OF THE PEARLS TOOL.
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