Primary Care

The CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and household challenges and later-life health and well-being.

The original ACE Study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997. More than 20 years later we are beginning to understand how we can prevent ACEs, how we can prevent the impact of ACEs and how we can build resilience in families to break the intergenerational impact of ACEs.

GPs are the forefront of the fight against ACEs. You have a critical role in screening parents and children for ACEs and in engaging families in ACE conversations.

The science is showing us that we can reduce the prevalence of chronic disease, mental illness, addiction, and suicide by identifying parents and children with high ACE scores. The science also tells us that we need a whole of community approach to support children, families, and neighbourhoods to heal from the trauma and toxic stress associated with ACEs.

Thriving Together is an open grass roots collaborative designed to bring together children, parents and communities together to adapt the science of what works to build resilience to ACEs within the context of what matters to local people.

There is an open invite for anyone working as a GP or in Primary Care to join the movement and make a difference locally. To get involved, connect with us.