The Cambia Health Foundation has awarded CHOICE Regional Health Network a one-year grant of $87,500 to support a pilot program that is designed to help children with unmet behavioral health needs get the services and support they need. Additional efforts will focus on ensuring that these mostly rural communities learn more about trauma-informed practices and the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). A teacher training program will be developed that can easily be shared across school districts all over the region in the most cost-effective way.
The impact of ACEs cannot be understated as studies indicate that the relationship between ACEs and multiple risk factors for disease, disability and early mortality is very high. According to a study by the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, 28 percent of study participants reported physical abuse and 21 percent reported sexual abuse. In addition, almost 40 percent of those in the study reported two or more ACEs and 12.5 percent experienced four or more. Because ACEs cluster, many subsequent studies now look at the cumulative effects of ACEs rather than the individual effects of each.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), ACEs are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan including increases in underage drinking, higher risk of alcoholism as an adult, tobacco use, prescription drug use and illicit drug use, increased risk of suicide attempts, lifetime depressive episodes, high-risk sexual behaviors and fetal mortality.
“Adverse Childhood Experiences have a dramatic impact on students in Central Western Washington and we believe that this grant will help the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance greatly improve the lives of many students living in rural communities,” said Angela Hult, executive director, Cambia Health Foundation. “One of the goals of the Foundation is to work with organizations that have a direct impact on their communities. In the first year of the program, the schools in the five counties saw a 50 percent improvement in attendance and a 50 percent reduction in behavior and disciplinary actions by those served by this project. We look forward to seeing many students with unmet behavioral, physical health and social support needs benefit from this amazing program.”
“Adverse Childhood Experiences are a major health issue in our communities,” said Winfried Danke, executive director, CHOICE. “The Cascade Pacific Action Alliance is extremely pleased to have the support of the Cambia Health Foundation in addressing this issue among our youth.”
About CHOICE Regional Health Network
CHOICE Regional Health Network is a nonprofit collaborative of member organizations dedicated to
improving community health in Central Western Washington through collective planning and action of health care leaders. For more information about CHOICE, visit http://www.crhn.org. CHOICE serves as the support organization for the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance (CPAA), which is the Accountable Community of Health for the seven-county region. For more information about the CPAA, visit http://www.cpaawa.org.
About Cambia Health Foundation
Based in Portland, Ore., Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate Foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to transforming the way people experience health care. Founded in 2007, Cambia Health Foundation awards grants in three program areas: Palliative Care, Transforming Health Care and Children’s Health. The Foundation has funded just over $29 million in grants to support these causes. Cambia Health Foundation’s investments in palliative care advance patient- and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. Learn more at www.cambiahealthfoundation.org, and follow us on Twitter: @CambiaHealthFdn.
The impact of ACEs cannot be understated as studies indicate that the relationship between ACEs and multiple risk factors for disease, disability and early mortality is very high. According to a study by the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, 28 percent of study participants reported physical abuse and 21 percent reported sexual abuse. In addition, almost 40 percent of those in the study reported two or more ACEs and 12.5 percent experienced four or more. Because ACEs cluster, many subsequent studies now look at the cumulative effects of ACEs rather than the individual effects of each.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), ACEs are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan including increases in underage drinking, higher risk of alcoholism as an adult, tobacco use, prescription drug use and illicit drug use, increased risk of suicide attempts, lifetime depressive episodes, high-risk sexual behaviors and fetal mortality.
“Adverse Childhood Experiences have a dramatic impact on students in Central Western Washington and we believe that this grant will help the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance greatly improve the lives of many students living in rural communities,” said Angela Hult, executive director, Cambia Health Foundation. “One of the goals of the Foundation is to work with organizations that have a direct impact on their communities. In the first year of the program, the schools in the five counties saw a 50 percent improvement in attendance and a 50 percent reduction in behavior and disciplinary actions by those served by this project. We look forward to seeing many students with unmet behavioral, physical health and social support needs benefit from this amazing program.”
“Adverse Childhood Experiences are a major health issue in our communities,” said Winfried Danke, executive director, CHOICE. “The Cascade Pacific Action Alliance is extremely pleased to have the support of the Cambia Health Foundation in addressing this issue among our youth.”
About CHOICE Regional Health Network
CHOICE Regional Health Network is a nonprofit collaborative of member organizations dedicated to
improving community health in Central Western Washington through collective planning and action of health care leaders. For more information about CHOICE, visit http://www.crhn.org. CHOICE serves as the support organization for the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance (CPAA), which is the Accountable Community of Health for the seven-county region. For more information about the CPAA, visit http://www.cpaawa.org.
About Cambia Health Foundation
Based in Portland, Ore., Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate Foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to transforming the way people experience health care. Founded in 2007, Cambia Health Foundation awards grants in three program areas: Palliative Care, Transforming Health Care and Children’s Health. The Foundation has funded just over $29 million in grants to support these causes. Cambia Health Foundation’s investments in palliative care advance patient- and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. Learn more at www.cambiahealthfoundation.org, and follow us on Twitter: @CambiaHealthFdn.