July 2012 - As of June 30th House Bill 1965 eliminated the Family Policy Council and Staff. The Community Public Health and Safety Networks retained authority as quasi-governmental entities. The Community Networks will continue to manage their own work as well as the ACE Course. Washington State no longer has a centralized education and information system for the body of work represented on this site.

June 2012 EVENTS -

June 4-5, "POSSIBILITY THINKING" Community Network Event: Collaboration, Innovation, Creation & Celebration

June 22, Leverage Points: Connecting Families with Communities in partnership with the Children's Trust Foundation and Edmonds Community College

MAY 2012 - Community Public Health and Safety Networks self organize a Transition Team to maintain communication with State agencies and promote the Community Network partnership and model with new partners.

MARCH 2012 - Adverse Childhood Experiences: Interviews with the Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Development, Faith, K-12 Public Education, and Public Health Communities - Report prepared by Clegg & Associates documenting sector specific supports to continue generating interest and action related to ACE prevention and mitigation.

FEBRUARY 2012 - Stress, Strength, Work, Hope: Washington's Adult's Answers about Life/Work Experiences - Draft Report for the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation by the Washington State Family Policy Council.

"This report explores important aspects about the life experiences of adults in Washington State with disabling conditions that interrupt daily activities, including work.  The report offers a window into the impacts of cumulative stressors on employment and daily functioning.  The analysis also illuminates contextual, capacity and resilience factors that improve the likelihood of employment."

Memorandum of Understanding - April 1, 2011 through December 15, 2011 - Final Report

"Family Policy Council provided to the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation three types of services in 24 counties and 8 Tribes. These activities increased awareness and understanding of DVR – its services, customers, business partnerships, and role in local communities. These activities also improved social/emotional support and work-related networking opportunities for DVR-eligible individuals. Local community relationships were built that will help DVR do its work in the future."

OCTOBER 2011 - The Reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences online course is now available! Link to the site through the ACE Course button above or the image on right.

It's immediately and internationally accessible, it's fabulous, and it's more information than you have ever been exposed to!

OCTOBER 2011 - American Public Human Services Association Policy and Practice publication highlights Washington State Community Network Adverse Childhood Experiences reduction!

SEPTEMBER 2011 –The Harvest: Coming Together for the Solution! Read the first issue of our new publication to increase visibility and communication.

Updates include educational opportunities, House Bill 1965 developments, examples of ACE informed practice change, and national exposure of the community capacity building approach that has led to documented reduction in ACEs.

MAY 2011 – House Bill 1965 passed in the legislature:

"The legislature finds that adverse childhood experiences are a powerful common determinant of a child's ability to be successful at school and, as an adult, to be successful at work, to avoid behavioral and chronic physical health conditions, and to build healthy relationships. The purpose of this chapter is to identify the primary causes of adverse childhood experiences in communities and to mobilize broad public and private support to prevent harm to young children and reduce the accumulated harm of adverse experiences throughout childhood.

"The legislature recognizes that many community public health and safety networks across the state have knowledge and expertise regarding the reduction of adverse childhood experiences and can provide leadership on this initiative in their communities."

MAY 2011 – Magnitude of the Solution: ACE Reduction - Washington Leads the Nation, presented at the Children's Justice Conference.

APRIL 2011 – The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Family Policy Council have established a new partnership. The approved proposal is intended to extend counselor effectiveness, improve needs assessment, and expand job preparation, skills development and employment opportunities for people with behavioral, mental and physical disabilities. Community Networks will build upon success improving dynamics of inclusion using the Community Capacity Development Model.

MARCH 2011 – The Pacific Northwest Initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department of Social and Health Services host a meeting between philanthropic organizations and funding entities. This is the second in a series of multi-sector discussions to further explore how to achieve better results for children, youth and families. It is an opportunity to develop a shared understanding and common language about Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Family Policy Council Community Capacity Development Model; brainstorm potential roles in a new public-private partnership; and consider mission alignment for collective impact.

Funders noted the following:
Together we can proceed further rather than acting independently.
Goals and actions must be fueled by science, research and evidence.
Government programs alone are not sufficient to catalyze change; the power lies in building community capacity.
A common goal among partners is possible and can achieve success.

More discussions are lining up in, but not limited to, corporate, faith, medical, and non-profit sectors. If there are questions, concerns, or interest in sectors represented or missing please let us know: FPCStaff@dshs.wa.gov

NOVEMBER 2010 - Researchers Think Tank hosts over 50 experts from multiple disciplines to explore life span and intergenerational transmission and reduction of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Washington State and the nation!

Graphic recording of session insights and shared foci:

Sponsorship by Washington State Mentors, Casey Family Programs, and the Family Policy Council.

The November 4th sister event, "Applying the Science of Early Childhood Development to State Policy and Practice: A Case for Action and Call for Innovation," sponsored by Casey Family Programs, continued the conversation about building on current innovations and developing strategies for the future to ensure that policy and practice across service systems in Washington State are science-based, improve foundations of healthy development and build resilience across the life span.

JULY 2010 - Adverse Childhood Experiences & Population Health in Washington: The Face of a Chronic Public Health Disaster. Results from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

"Our society has bought into a set of misconceptions. Here are a few: ACEs are rare and they happen somewhere else. They are perpetrated by monsters. Some, or maybe most, children can escape unscathed, or if not, they can be rescued and healed by emergency response systems. Then these children vanish from view...and randomly reappear - as if they are new entities - in all of your service systems later in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood as clients with behavioral, learning, social, criminal, and chronic health problems." Robert Anda, MD, MS

BACKGROUND - In 2010, the first Washington State data about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and adult health is available through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The Family Policy Council facilitated the addition of ACE inquiry into the 2009 BRFSS telephone interview with the financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Washington State Committee for Children and Families of Incarcerated Parents. This cross-sectional information will support more strategic, effective and leveraged investment in mental, physical and behavioral health and can improve factors vital to global competitiveness for business in our state. Washington State is one of seven states to include ACE questions in the BRFSS survey conducted by state health departments. "But the pioneer is Washington State, which jumped on the ACE Study a decade ago. (H)undreds of people in juvenile justice, education, child protective services, and rehabilitation have already integrated the ACE Study into their programs." (LJWorld.com, October 6, 2009)