First 5 Kern gets grant to train, support local medical providers

First 5 Kern has been awarded a six-month grant for nearly $300,000 from the California Department of Health Care Services, in partnership with the office of the California Surgeon General, as a part of the ACEs Aware initiative.

The grant will fund the creation of a countywide Network of Care that will train and support local medical providers to screen for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and, where needed, connect with local community partners to meet the non-medical needs of families under stress from poverty, food insecurity, lack of transportation, social and cultural isolation and racism.

First 5 Kern will execute the grant through its Resilient Kern program, which is a collaborative effort to help enhance the resiliency of residents throughout the county by providing trauma-informed care.

Specifically, this effort will engage with Medi-Cal providers and local Federally Qualified Health Centers, who see the majority of Medi-Cal patients in Kern County.

The work included in First 5 Kern’s grant will run through June 2021 and include outreach to providers as well as education on the benefits and potential outcomes of incorporating ACEs screenings into area practices.

Resilient Kern has trained hundreds of local members of the health and human services community over the last three years, and the website ResilientKern.org serves as a hub for information and recorded local webinars pertaining to trauma-informed care.

ACEs Aware is an initiative led by the Office of the California Surgeon General and the Department of Health Care Services to give Medi-Cal providers training, clinical protocols and payment for screening children and adults for ACEs.

For more information visit www.First5Kern.org or contact 661-328-8888.