How to increase community-wide resilience and decrease inequalities due to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Strategies from Walla Walla, Washington

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively impact community-level social problems, education, work, mental, and physical health beyond the effects of economic and political inequality. This paper summarizes the evidence that community-wide resilience moderates such impacts and examines how resilience can be increased by strategic interventions focused on community capacity building; Trauma-Informed Practices (TIPs) by staff in community organizations; and cultural change. Findings from three formative research evaluations in Walla Walla, Washington, show how community capacity was increased, trauma-informed practices were implemented across local organizations, and a school’s culture was transformed. Common elements of change were shifts in: mindsets, collaborative relationships, and organizational values/structures. These changes enabled the adoption of scaffolded, equity-based, innovative interventions that can potentially decrease economic and racial/ethnic disparities by preventing the progression of ACEs into adult adversities, poverty, and discrimination.

Keywords:

• Adverse childhood experiences
• community capacity
• resilience
• social inequality
• trauma-informed practices (TIPs)

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Community Network and CRI champions who have shown what it means to create a community conversant in ACEs and Resilience; Mark Brown helped co-facilitate CRI's early vision, and Rick Griffin inspired the current sustainability vision.