A County-Wide Approach to Promoting Resilience in Children, Youth, and Families

There is a wealth of research examining the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – potentially traumatic experience such as violence, child abuse, and neglect, and an expanded definition of adversity including racism and discrimination, bullying, community violence, and poverty – and long-term health and well-being. Children who experience adversity without the protection of nurturing relationships and support systems can suffer from toxic stress, a physiological reaction to an increase in stress hormones. When this happens for an extended time, it can lead to lasting wear and tear on the body and brain, affecting youth’s brain, hormones, and immune system. Research shows that early detection and intervention are critical in reducing the impact of adversity on children’s long-term health.

Aurrera Health supported Montgomery County, Ohio in their work to establish a multi-sector, cross-agency approach to addressing childhood adversity. The county-wide Promoting Resilience Over Time To Eradicate Childhood Trauma (PROTECT) Initiative has helped Montgomery County on their path to becoming a trauma-responsive, healing-centered county. The PROTECT initiative, led by the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Mental Health Services Board, identifies youth and families with unmet needs and connects them with services and supports to promote healing, foster resilience, and mitigate the potential impacts of trauma and adversity.  

To learn more about Montgomery County, Ohio’s PROTECT initiative, read the full Case Study here.

To learn more about how Aurrera Health promotes healing-centered, trauma-responsive programs, policies, and practices across the country, email Lauren Block or visit our Pathways to Resilience initiative website.

Lizzy Schlichting [Senior Policy Consultant]