Granite State Times

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) to reintroduce Senate and House versions of the National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act, which would provide federal resources for communities to address adverse childhood experiences associated with exposure to trauma. By helping to establish programs that allow law enforcement and first responders to connect with local child specialists and professionals, resources from the legislation would facilitate early intervention to help mitigate the impact of childhood trauma.  

“Exposure to traumatic experiences during childhood can have devastating, long-term consequences on children’s physical, mental and emotional development. As crises like the substance use disorder epidemic continue to impact families, its essential that first responders have the resources necessary to administer early intervention and trauma-informed care for affected families,” said Senator Shaheen. “This bill would establish a grant program to support the development and creation of critical, proven programs like Manchester’s ACERT in communities nationwide. These programs are crucial to ensuring children and families have the support necessary to break the cycle of trauma and lead healthy, successful lives.”

“We must ensure that we provide every necessary resource to combat childhood trauma for Tennessee communities in need,” said Senator Blackburn. “Due to trauma’s effects on brain development, early intervention is crucial to alleviate the effects of childhood trauma and prevent long-term harm. Tennessee is home to one of the leading Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) programs, Building Strong Brains, which serves as a national model for programs around the country. The National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act would build on Tennessee’s progress by giving each state the tools they need to deliver services and care to children who have experienced trauma.”

“Adverse childhood experiences can have lifelong impacts on our children, and ACE response teams, or ACERTs, serve as a critical tool for early intervention and future prevention of incidents of childhood trauma. Put simply, ACERTs mitigate the impacts of trauma and ensure kids have bright futures and live full lives ahead,” said Congressman Pappas. “Law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and first responders are often the first face a child sees after a traumatic experience, and ACERTs partner them with local health providers and child advocates to ensure children have the services and care they need. In New Hampshire, we have already seen the positive impacts these programs can bring to local communities, and I’m proud to join Senator Shaheen in introducing this bipartisan legislation to bring this program to the national level.”

"Amoskeag Health is thrilled to hear of the National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act put forth by Senator Shaheen and Senator Blackburn. Since the program’s inception, Manchester ACERT has connected over 2,500 children to therapeutic services with the goal of mitigating the negative health consequences associated with adverse childhood experiences. The ACEs Response Team partnership between the Manchester Police Department, YWCA of NH, and Amoskeag Health has acted as a model for 15 other replicating communities across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. We have seen interest grow exponentially and the ACERT Technical Assistance Center receives inquiries from states reaching far beyond the boundaries of New England, looking for support to bring this model to families most in need. Federal funding for national ACERT expansion would be instrumental to ensuring police departments have the resources needed to partner with mental health and family serving agencies in a shared mission of addressing childhood trauma,” said Katie Burns, MPH, ACERT Manager

“As one of the co-developers of the ACERT model, it is amazing to see this work continue to expand and grow, seven years later. As a survivor of childhood trauma, I know how critical this legislation is to ensuring the future health and well-being of society. ACEs remains one of the largest public health threats our children face today. We applaud Senator Shaheen on her visionary leadership to change the narrative on how we address trauma in our community, and give voice to past, present and future generations who have experienced ACEs,” said Jessica Cantin, CEO, YWCA NH

“The Manchester Police Department is proud to be at the forefront of the development of the ACERT program. We are even more proud to see that this successful program is now expanding throughout the state and beyond. The ACERT program began at Manchester Police Department in 2015 in partnership with Amoskeag Health and our local YWCA. Members of our police department at that time identified a gap in service in which adults who were part of a traumatic event were offered appropriate services while there was no clear path to offer similar services for any children involved. Since that time, the program has been responsible for identifying and providing resources to countless children who have dealt with adverse childhood experiences. As the ACERT program continues to expand its reach, we remain committed to creating a brighter and more resilient future for every child affected by adverse experiences,” said Allen Aldenberg, Chief, Manchester Police Department.

ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, are events in a child’s life which have a heavy impact on their future wellbeing, success in life and risk of violence. This legislation would allow for the creation of ACE Response Teams (ACERTs) which would provide services and care to children who have experienced trauma.       The legislation authorizes $10 million a year for four years for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a national ACERT program, modeled on the pilots here in New Hampshire. That Senate proposal would provide $10 million for DOJ and HHS to establish a national ACERT program, modeled on the pilots here in New Hampshire.  

Full text of the legislation can be read here. 

Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to combat the substance use disorder epidemic and support affected families.  As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen also fought to secure $750,000 for the enhancement of ACERT infrastructure and training resources for law enforcement and first responders in the fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding legislation that was signed into law.

Original source can be found here.