ARVAC Inc. Aiming to Prevent and Provide Positive and Compensatory Childhood Experiences
What are Adverse Childhood Experiences?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to a range of potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood (infancy through age 17), such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction. ACEs can undermine a child’s sense of safety, stability, and bonding, and can negatively affect health, behavior, and well-being that can extend well into adulthood. ACEs are strongly associated with a wide range of health problems including an increased risk of substance misuse, serious emotional disturbances, and mental health disorders. The more ACEs a person has, the greater the risk for negative outcomes.
The reality is that ACEs are not uncommon. Let’s take a look at some statistics.
Facts Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences
- 5 of 10 of the top 10 leading causes of death are related to ACES[1]
- 61% of adults had at least one ACE and 16% had 4 or more types of ACEs2
- 45% of children experience at least one ACE[2]
- Females and racial/ethnic minorities are at greater risk for experiencing four or more ACES2
- Estimates show up to 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases potentially could have been avoided by preventing ACEs[3]
Research shows that the trauma associated with ACEs can be passed down from generation to generation. Additionally, ACEs can increase the risk of disease and early death, as well as affect a person’s ability to thrive socially and economically.
For these reasons, addressing ACEs is critical to developing healthier people and stronger communities. The fact is that ACEs can be prevented, and people who have experienced ACEs can also build resiliency, heal their trauma, and work on recovery. The substance use prevention field plays a crucial role in addressing the risk factors related to ACEs, preventing the associated harms, and supporting the development of protective factors to counter these harmful experiences.
Related: Childhood Trauma — How it Affects Us Into Adulthood
Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences at Pathways 2 Learning
At Pathways 2 Learning (PL2), we are committed to providing wraparound services that benefit not just the child, but the whole family. ARVAC Inc. is at an advantage thanks to being able to provide prevention services, not only from the substance abuse prevention aspect but also from the childcare aspect.
Children enrolled in P2L are screened daily for any indicators of health concerns, neglect, or abuse. This is done by the teaching staff recording the child’s temperature and searching the body for unnecessary scratches, bruises, etc. A quick search is done for headlice, as well.
The P2L Director of Education and Family Services meets with each individual family to address any needs the family may have, while also setting goals. These goals are revisited four times a year to monitor progress and make changes, as needed.
Abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, and community and environmental traumas are types of Adverse Childhood Experiences evaluated. This includes but is not limited to, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect or lack of basic necessities, divorce of parents, mental illness within the family, substance abuse within the family, experiencing racism, bullying, or natural disasters.
The goal of P2L is to meet families where they are and intervene as a means of preventing the child and family from ever having to experience an ACE.
Numerous studies indicate that positive experiences during childhood set the foundation for adult mental health. These positive experiences are protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs), and they promote positive outcomes in the face of adversity, as well as overall healthy development.[4] PACEs protect against harm, including mental or physical illness. Research shows that adults with many PACEs are healthier — physically, mentally, and emotionally — than adults with fewer PACEs, regardless of their ACEs. PACEs also buffer against intergenerational transmission of ACEs.
Types of PACEs
PACEs are categorized into two domains: supportive relationships and enriching resources.
- Supportive Relationships: Unconditional love from a caregiver or parent, having or spending time with a best friend, volunteering in the community or helping others, being part of a social group, having a mentor outside of the family.
- Enriching Resources: Living in a safe home where needs are met, quality education, having a hobby, physical activity, and fair rules and routines at home.
These are things every child enrolled in P2L can expect from all staff. From teacher/child relationships to receiving services from one of ARVAC’s many community assistance programs (food bags, utility assistance, homeless assistance, crisis intervention, substance abuse treatment), ARVAC is committed to ensuring safety and security for each client and family served.
What Substance Use Prevention Can Do to Address ACEs
Substance use prevention professionals can support efforts to minimize ACEs and promote PACEs by selecting and implementing best-fit, evidence-based, and scalable programs and policies that affect adverse childhood experiences. These include efforts to strengthen economic support, develop healthy skills, and engage youth in the community.
These are all services received by clients participating in Lake Point Recovery and Wellness’s Residential Treatment program. Women participating in the Specialized Women’s Services receive the protective factors for substance use, while their children are receiving protective factors and services from P2L.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/index.html
[2] https://ifstudies.org/blog/nearly-half-of-us-children-have-suffered-at-least-one-adverse-childhood-experience
