Grantee Stories

Highlighting the work of our grantees furthering the mission of ACEs Aware

Doctor reviewing form with patient
Jun 5, 2023 | Grantee Highlights

Community Spotlight: Heyman Oo and Caren Schmidt, Marin Community Clinics

Heyman Oo, MD, MPH, a pediatrician, is the Associate Medical Director at Marin Community Clinics (MCC). Caren Schmidt, PsyD, is MCC’s Associate Director of Behavioral Health. For the past six years, they have championed trauma-informed care and ACE screening and intervention at their clinic. Their work is a featured case study in the ACEs Aware ACE Screening Implementation How-To Guide, in which they described their experiences obtaining buy-in for piloting and designing the implementation process for organization-wide ACE screening, training staff on trauma-informed care, and expanding internal and…

May 2, 2023 | Grantee Highlights

Community Spotlight: Deirdre Bernard-Pearl, MD, Santa Rosa Community Clinics

Dr. Deirdre Bernard-Pearl has been practicing Primary Care Pediatrics since 1997 and is the Pediatric Faculty member of the UCSF-Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency and Santa Rosa Community Health. She shared her experiences incorporating trauma-informed principles to promote worker wellness at her health center in a past ACEs Aware webinar.

Feb 28, 2023 | Grantee Highlights

Community Spotlight: Sara Johnson, Obstetrician Gynecologist at La Clínica de la Raza

Sara Johnson is an Obstetrician Gynecologist at La Clínica de la Raza in Contra Costa County. She advances trauma-informed care in reproductive health and focuses on supporting patients’ power to create health and well-being across the life course and across generations. Dr. Johnson was the team lead for La Clínica’s California ACEs Learning and Quality Improvement Collaborative (CALQIC) project, which implemented prenatal ACE screening, and with an ACEs Aware grant developed a supplemental training entitled, ACE Screening and Trauma-Informed Care in Reproductive Health. She is the lead author of California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative’s recommendations for addressing adversity in prenatal care, to be published in the June edition of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

Oct 4, 2022 | Grantee Highlights

Community Spotlight: Lisa James, Director of Health, Futures Without Violence

As part of a National Health Initiative on Domestic Violence, James has collaborated with health care providers, domestic violence experts, and health policymakers in more than 25 states across the U.S. to develop statewide health care responses to domestic violence through training, health policy reform, and public education. A former ACEs Aware grantee, Futures Without Violence (www.futureswithoutviolence.org) has developed curricula, webinars, and other resources to train health care providers on improving responses to violence and abuse. Currently, James is leading an ACEs Aware pilot project addressing the health…

Sep 16, 2022 | Grantee Highlights, Announcements

California’s ACEs Aware Initiative Awards $19.5 Million in Grant Funds to Increase Capacity to Screen and Respond to ACEs and Toxic Stress

On September 16, 2022, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced $19.5 million in ACEs Aware funding to 25 teams across California. The awarding of funds was done in partnership with the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG), UCLA-UCSF ACEs Aware Family Resilience Network (UCAAN), and Population Health Innovation Lab (PHIL), a program of the Public Health Institute (PHI).

Sep 6, 2022 | Grantee Highlights

Network of Care (Round 2) Planning Grant Report

The Network of Care Round 2 report is focused on the 26 Network of Care Planning grants designed to support communities whose Medi-Cal providers were in the early stages of screening for ACEs and contemplating approaches for coordinating across clinics, community-based organizations, and social services agencies. This report outlines areas where Network of Care Planning grantees achieved success and where challenges emerged.

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.

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.

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.