Arizona is in the midst of a trauma crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood trauma has now reached the level of a public health crisis. What’s more, Arizona ranks highest in the nation for victims who have experienced two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). To make matters worse, certain population cohorts are two and three times more likely to have multiple ACEs in their background; this includes people who live on Native American reservations, women of color, people with disabilities, children in mixed immigration status families, and people who have had contact with the foster care system. In other words, data tells us that many Arizona communities – many Arizona children and families – are in crisis even as they go about their daily lives in our public schools, in our communities and in our healthcare systems.

The Arizona Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium (AZACEs) strives to create a “Resilient Arizona” which equips communities with tools to better address the unique needs of all community members.