Understanding the toxic stress response*

Multiple research studies report that when people repeatedly experience a high amount of trauma, it changes their body’s entire ability to regulate itself, even down to the genetic level. This can cause long-term problems with the immune system, metabolic system, and hormones, as well as affect healthy brain development in children. 

It’s important to screen for ACEs

While it’s been shown that complications from trauma are more likely to occur in people who didn’t have nurturing parents or caregivers or a predictable home growing up, it’s important that patients of all ages and backgrounds be screened for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Positive ACE scores are strongly associated with the most common and serious physical and mental health conditions in children and adults**

Providers play an important role in screening for ACEs, preventing and treating toxic stress, and improving their patients’ physical and mental health. That’s why it’s critical to understand how toxic stress can manifest in the body and how to deliver effective care to these patients.

Free ACEs training

The Becoming ACEs Aware in California training is a free, two-hour training session for providers to learn more about ACEs, toxic stress, screening, and evidence-based care that can help you effectively intervene when treating your patients with toxic stress. 

You may receive 2.0 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits and 2.0 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits upon completion. For training details, visit the ACEs Aware training website.

The free training is available to any provider.

How to attest to completion of the online training

To attest to your ACEs certification and training completion date, please email Access2Care@Cigna.com.

Be sure to include in your email your name, individual National Provider Identifier (NPI), service address, and the county where you will render ACEs screening. (Please include all service addresses and counties that apply.)

* ACEsAware.org > ACE Fundamentals > The Science of ACEs & Toxic Stress.

** For a complete list of ACE-associated physical and mental health conditions for both children and adults, and additional resources on implementing ACES into your practice, go to ACEsAware.org > Resources > Screening & Clinical Response > ACE Screening Clinical Workflows, ACEs and Toxic Stress Risk Assessment Algorithm, and ACE-Associated Health Conditions: For Pediatrics and Adults.