Action Plan to Address Childhood Adversity in Illinois

The two- page Tool adapts the Substance • The policymaking process itself can cause harm, particularly Abuse and Mental Health Services when the voices and expertise of community members with Administration’s six principles of relevant and lived experience and whose lives will be most a trauma-informed approach and impacted by a policy are marginalized and dismissed. [...] Strategies • Educate legislative and agency staff on childhood adversity, the widespread impact of trauma throughout the life course, and the ways in which past and current policy decisions and processes create and exacerbate trauma. [...] Key Challenges A Community-wide • The lack of a shared understanding about the impacts Approach to of trauma and adversity in childhood and strategies for Public Awareness preventing and addressing its effects throughout life The Winnebago contributes to the implementation and perpetuation of County Health Department leads harmful practices and policies. [...] the Winnebago collaborative • Harmful narratives and policies have stigmatized the services educates community members and supports that prevent and address childhood adversity, on ACEs and resiliency through reducing both the public’s willingness to access supports and trainings, community events, and the political will to make them widely available and accessible. [...] Page 18 | Action Plan to Address Childhood Adversity in Illinois About Us Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative Established in 2011, the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative (the Collaborative) works to catalyze a cross-sector movement to prevent trauma and promote thriving across the lifespan and to place the impact of childhood experience at the forefront of the equity agenda in Illinois.