ACEs & Resiliency (ACE-R) Workshop

Coalitions That Adopted

Mental Health Matters - Chippewa & Eau Claire Counties

Strategy Type

School-based & Community-based

Strategy Goal

Build youth protective factors against depression by educating youth-serving professionals on youth resiliency and adverse childhood experiences.

Intended Population

Youth-serving professionals across Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties.

Strategy Background

In the Chippewa Valley, the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) revealed over 25% of students were at risk for depression based on the question: “During the past 12 months, did you ever feel so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that you stopped doing some usual activities?” In addition, suicide numbers were increasing and rates of hospitalizations due to self-injury were higher than the state average. These statistics prompted action by community organizations to unite in order to maximize resources and connections throughout the region for a broad approach to solving the mental health scenarios facing their communities.

Often, in order to effectively address youth risk factors for depression at the community level, efforts must be directed towards building youth resiliency. The focus on youth resilience strategies is based upon research on the positive aspects of social environments and their role in preventing youth depression. They intend to strike at the core of the issue, allowing youth to build skills and develop resources enabling them to cope with stress and adversity effectively.

In an effort to educate healthcare providers, educators, youth leaders, social workers, and other youth-serving professionals on the actions they can take to build youth protective factors through their work, Mental Health Matters (MHM) developed and held ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Resiliency (ACE-R) workshops throughout the community. The trainings consist of two one-hour sessions that provide an overview of both ACEs and resiliency, and aim to achieve the following learning objectives:

Define adverse childhood experiences and describe ACE study findings of the impact of ACEs on physical and mental well-being.
Identify mechanisms for how toxic stress and trauma impact the developing brain.
Describe and define resilience and the protective factors that build resilience and support improved youth mental health.
Identify specific strategies or actions to take in our work with youth to develop and strengthen their resilience.
Describe the relationship between our own resilience/self-care and building resilience for youth.

The information provided during the workshops largely derives from experiences faced by youth in the community, as reported in the biannual YRBS. Overall, the purpose of building youth resilience is to support the mental health and well-being of young people over the course of their lives. By promoting resiliency, young people will be better equipped to handle the challenges they may face in life.

鈥淧articipants as well as trainers continue to learn and grow. The information taught has been life-changing for many. We very much focus on working with youth, however, the information we share connects to most human beings."

- ACE-R Trainer

Strategy

In order to successfully implement the ACE-R Training strategy in your community, Mental Health Matters has listed the following core components to guide you. While these items were key to the coalition’s success in the Chippewa Valley, you should consider what changes might be necessary based on the needs and behavioral health environment of your own community.

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Recruit Trainers

To recruit individuals to participate as trainers in the workshop, leverage your networks for candidates within organizations supportive of your effort who are interested in volunteering and presenting. This includes community partner organizations from across various sectors. Create promotional materials that explain the workshop, responsibilities, and expectations of the role that can be shared on public forums, bulletin boards, and social media.

ACE-R Trainer Agreement (PDF)

Create Workshop Materials

Workshop materials include any handouts that aid in the overall presentation of the ACE-R workshop, such as leave-behind flyers with examples of strategies and follow-up activities they can implement on their own.

Tip: Once you’ve gone through multiple workshop sessions, begin to update the materials in coordination with insights provided by community trainers and workshop surveys.

ACEs Infographic (PDF)
Youth Resilience Development Model (PDF)
Strategies to Build Resiliency Worksheet (PDF)
References & Resources (PDF)
ACE-R Action Items (PDF)
(PPTX)

Pilot Workshop

Piloting the workshop is critical to ensure the training functions as intended and allows you to fix any flaws before its first implementation. The process will involve asking trainers to run through the workshop with a small audience, possibly including other trainers, and seeking input.

Tip: If major edits are made to the contents of the workshop, you should run it through a peer review process with community partners and other key stakeholders before training any of your recruits.

Questions to ask reviewers:

Is the content sound?
What's missing?
Is there a good mix of information or is it too heavy/light in certain areas?

Train the Trainers

Once volunteers have signed up to become trainers, set up a kick-off meeting to train them on the presentation and review background materials, as this can be a good time to receive feedback on the workshop. This is also a good time for trainers to build rapport. At training events, you should provide trainers with all the necessary workshop material, including handouts, best practices, and a flash drive containing the PowerPoint.

Tip: If this isn’t your first run-through, invite new trainers to observe the next workshop being held, so they get a better understanding of the material.

The 5 E’s for Presenting (PDF)
Trainers Meeting Agenda (PDF)
Trainers Kit (PDF)

Market the Workshop

Create outreach materials, like brochures and flyers that describe the workshop and provide additional information about ACEs and youth resiliency. Then, once the materials are prepared and you have trainers in the queue, reach out to individuals in your community network who work with youth-serving organizations, such as healthcare, schools, law enforcement, etc. To generate awareness, consider a digital ad campaign or reach out to local news organizations for earned media opportunities in print, digital, tv, and radio.

ACE-R Workshop Flyer (PDF)

Coordinate Logistics

After you’ve confirmed an organization’s interest in hosting an ACE-R workshop, coordinate the details with your contact. Work with them to determine when and where they’d like the workshop to take place. Ask them how many people will participate, ensuring the room has the capabilities to project a presentation and the capacity to hold a set number of people. This also lets you know how many handout copies to have available. For those interested, you should provide the ACE-R Workshop Request Form, allowing you to measure the success of the workshop.

Tip: Due to amount of content, the optimal number of participants is 20-30 per workshop. Consider rescheduling if there are fewer than six.

Workshop Request Form (PDF)

Conduct Workshop

Now that the groundwork has been laid, you are ready to conduct your ACE-R workshop. Administer the workshop and provide any h

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