HPIO analysis identifies 12 key strategies to prevent childhood trauma in Ohio

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) –  New analysis from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio has identified 12 costbeneficial strategies that state leaders can use to prevent adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs.   

ACEs, potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood, can generally be grouped into three categories: Abuse, household challenges and neglect. 

Earlier analysis from HPIO’s Ohio ACEs Impact project found that more than one-third of Ohio adults (36%) reported exposure to two or more ACEs. And first-of-its-kind analysis by HPIO estimated that more than $10 billion in annual healthcare and related spending could be avoided in Ohio if exposure to ACEs was eliminated. 

“ACEs are not inevitable and Ohioans are resilient,” the report states. “Exposure to ACEs does not have to determine future hardship. There are strategies that state policymakers and others can deploy to prevent ACEs and safeguard the well-being of Ohio children and families who have experienced adversity and trauma.”   

The new report, “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): A strategic approach to prevent ACEs in Ohio,” highlights strategies Ohio’s public and private leaders can implement to ensure that communities across the state are equipped to support children and families that are most at risk for experiencing adversity and trauma – including Ohioans of color and Ohioans with low incomes, disabilities and/or who live in urban and Appalachian areas.   

The 12 evidence-informed, primary prevention strategies highlighted in the brief that can reduce the substantial health and economic costs related to ACEs are: 

• Early childhood education programs   
• Early childhood home visiting   
• Medical-legal partnerships   
• Family income supports   
• Community-based violence prevention   
• School-based violence, bullying and intimate partner violence prevention programs   
• Parent/caregiver and family skills training   
• School-based social and emotional instruction 
• Mentoring programs for delinquency   
• Drug courts 
• Trauma-informed care 
• Behavioral health treatment   

“Many of Ohio’s public and private leaders have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring the well-being of children and families across the state,” the report concludes. “However, to become a national leader in child health and well-being, Ohio policymakers and other partners must align on a comprehensive and strategic approach to prevent ACEs that includes protective risk factors, primary prevention and targeted interventions to reach children and families most at risk.”

For any questions about the analysis,  or if you would like to talk with the authors of the report, please call or text Nick Wiselogel at 614.530.9918 or email nwiselogel@hpio.net. 

Download Press Release