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Jan 26, 2022 | Announcements

ACEs Aware 2021: The Year in Review

From raising awareness to implementing practice change to supporting the development of trauma-informed networks of care, 2021 has been a successful year for the ACEs Aware initiative. While there is still work to be done, the commitment of an additional three years of Medi-Cal funding for ACE screening included in Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2022-2023 budget provides an opportunity to continue to grow the initiative in 2022 and beyond. Read some of the highlights from the past year.

Dec 14, 2021 | Grantee Highlights

ACEs Aware Grantee Spotlight – December 2021

On December 14, 2021, three ACEs Aware Network of Care grantees shared their successes promoting ACE screenings, sustainable trauma-informed networks to mitigate toxic stress. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris listened to each presentation with an opportunity to ask the grantees targeted questions about what their efforts have accomplished for their communities through their Planning or Implementation Networks of Care grants.

Nov 4, 2021 | Announcements

California Screens More Than 500,000 Children and Adults for ACEs, Announces New Partnership with University of California

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in partnership with the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG), today announced that the ACEs Aware initiative has reached two key milestones less than two years after launching. To date, more than 20,500 California clinicians have been trained to screen for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and more than 500,000 children and adults across the state have been screened for ACEs.

Research shows that 62 percent of Californians have experienced at least one ACE. Emerging…

Sep 28, 2021 | Provider Spotlight

California Boys & Girls Club Sites Offer Trauma-Informed Programs

The ACEs Aware initiative, a statewide effort to screen children and adults for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and prevent and treat the impacts of toxic stress, is built on the consensus of scientific evidence demonstrating that early detection and evidence-based interventions improve outcomes. The ACEs Aware mission is even more important today as we address the secondary health impacts of stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a growing need for mental and behavioral health support for California’s young people.

There are more than 800 Boys &…

Aug 18, 2021 | Announcements

New Guidance: California’s Mandated Reporting Requirements and ACE Screening

Joint letter from the California Department of Social Services, the California Department of Health Care Services, and the Office of the California Surgeon General providing clarifying guidance on the responsibilities of health care clinical teams who conduct screenings for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the context of the state’s mandated reporting requirements.

Jul 27, 2021 | Grantee Highlights

Tri-City Mental Health, Hanna Institute, and Kings County Department of Public Health

The ACEs Aware initiative funds community-based approaches to identify, treat, and heal the effects of ACEs and stress. Last month, we asked grantees Tri-City Mental Health Authority, Kings County Department of Public Health, and the Hanna Institute to share their strategies for engaging with local communities.

Jul 20, 2021 | Announcements, Data Reports

New Data Report: 264,000 Medi-Cal Beneficiaries Screened for ACEs

This month the ACEs Aware initiative released a new data report that details the number of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) screenings conducted in California between January 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020, and the number of providers who completed the “Becoming ACEs Aware in California” online training between December 4, 2019, and March 31, 2021.

Jun 23, 2021 | Grantee Highlights

ACE Overcomers and Merced County Office of Education’s Family Resource Center

When two ACEs Aware communications grants were awarded to Merced County, a strategic alliance between the Merced County Office of Education’s Family Resource Center and ACE Overcomers was developed to achieve greater impact through collaboration. Read reflections on their efforts in this month’s joint interview.

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.

THE PEARLS TOOL IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAWS AND IS OTHERWISE PROTECTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. THE PEARLS TOOL IS LICENSED AND IS NOT SOLD.

    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.
    5. Disclaimer of Warranty. This Sublicense and the associated PEARLS tool are provided WITHOUT WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. DHCS MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THE PEARLS TOOL WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY COPYRIGHT, PATENT, OR OTHER PROPRIETARY RIGHT.
    6. Limitations of Liability.
      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.
      2. DHCS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, COSTS OF PROCURING SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOST BUSINESS, ENHANCED DAMAGES FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENT OR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER SPECIAL DAMAGES SUFFERED BY SUBLICENSEE, JOINT VENTURES, AFFILIATES, OR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT. DHCS WILL NOT LIABLE FOR ANY CAUSES OF ACTION OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING TORT, CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, AND BREACH OF WARRANTY) EVEN IF DHCS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
    7. Indemnity and Duty to Defend. Sublicensee shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless DHCS from and against all claims, actions, damages, losses, liabilities (or actions or proceedings with respect to any thereof), whether or not rightful, arising from any and all actions or claims by any third party or expenses related thereto (including, but not limited to, all legal expenses, court costs, and attorney’s fees incurred in investigating, preparing, serving as a witness in, or defending against, any such claim, action, or proceeding, commenced or threatened) to which DHCS and/or any employee, contractor, or agent acting on DHCS’s behalf may be subject, whether or not Sublicensee is a party to any pending or threatened litigation, which arise out of or are related to (i) claims and losses accruing or resulting to any person, firm or corporation who may be injured or damaged by Sublicensee’s use, reproduction, manufacture, sale, offer to sell, distribution, import, export, modification, public and private  performance/display, license, and disposition of the PEARLS tool; (ii) the incorrectness or breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenant or agreements of Sublicensee pertaining the PEARLS tool; or (iii) any intellectual property infringement, or any other type of actual or alleged infringement claim, arising out of Sublicensee’s use, reproduction, manufacture, sale, offer to sell, distribution, import, export, modification, public and private performance/display, license, and disposition of the PEARLS tool. This indemnity obligation shall apply irrespective of whether the infringement claim is based on a patent, trademark or copyright registration that issued after the effective date of this Agreement. DHCS reserves the right to participate in and/or control, at Sublicensee’s expense, any such infringement action brought against DHCS.
    8. Governing Law. This Agreement is to be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
    9. Miscellaneous
      1. The relationship between DHCS and Sublicensee established by this Agreement is that of independent contractors. No joint venture or partnership is established by this Agreement. Neither party is the agent, broker, partner, employee, or legal representative of the other for any purpose.
      2. The headings of any sections are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
      3. This Agreement embodies the entire understanding of DHCS and Sublicensee and supersedes all previous communications, representations or understandings, either oral or written, between them relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
      4. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is unenforceable or held to be unenforceable, all other provisions of this Agreement have force and effect and will not be affected thereby.
      5. This Agreement may only be amended, modified, or supplemented by an agreement in writing signed by each party hereto.