April 20th, 2024
Unresolved childhood trauma underlies some of the most pressing social issues of our day including homelessness, drug overdoses, obesity, loneliness, falling lifespan and crime.
GOAL
The goal of this conference is to bring together medical professionals, mental health professionals, faith leaders, community leaders, and government leaders to provide actionable solutions that result in true healing for those with Adverse Childhood Experiences and to prevent future childhood trauma.
LEARNING
Attendees will learn how to move patients, community members and parishioners with elevated ACE scores towards true healing through the Positive Childhood Experience (PCE) framework based on evidence-based best practices. There is growing frustration when practitioners identify mental and physical issues rooted in childhood trauma, but lack resources and tools to achieve true healing. Attendees will receive concrete tools and strategies to foster true healing through PCEs and connections to resilient communities. The conference will provide opportunities to build connections between medical practitioners, faith leaders and community leaders in order to build trauma informed, resilient communities in Silicon Valley and beyond.
ACE SCORES
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dr. Harold Koeing, MD
Psychiatrist & Director at Duke’s Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health.
ACE score – #
Dr. Kathryn Erickson-Ridout, MD
Psychiatrist & ACE Expert
ACE score – #
Francis Chan
NYT Best Selling author of dozens of books which have sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.
ACE score – #
Dr. Cheryl Ho
Physician & Founder of VHHP
CEO of Healing Grove Health Center
ACE score – #
Dr. Angela Bymaster
President California Academy of Family Medicine, Santa Clara County Chapter
ACE score – #
Dr. Jennifer S. Wortham, Dr. PH.
Harvard Human Flourishing Program
ACE score 7
SPEAKERS IN BREAK OUT SESSIONS
Dr. Katelyn Long, DrPH, MSc
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
ACE score – #
Dr. Vince Vitale, PhD
Author, International Speaker and Philosopher
PhD from Oxford in Philosophy
ACE score – #
Noe Guzman
President of Healing Grove Sports
ACE score 4
Dr. Cheryl Ho
Physician & Founder of VHHP
CEO of Healing Grove Health Center
ACE score 4
Dr. Angela Bymaster
President California Academy of Family Medicine, Santa Clara County Chapter
ACE score – #
Dr. Jennifer S. Wortham, Dr. PH.
Harvard Human Flourishing Program
ACE score – #
SPONSORS
Saturday April 20th, 2024
8AM-6PM
Hosted by Cathedral of Faith Church
2315 Canoas Garden Ave,
San Jose, CA 95125
Lunch and dinner included
Contact:
conference@acehealing.org
Medical Professionals
with 6 hours of CME
$350
Medical Professionals
NO CME
$150
Clergy, Pastors, Community Members
$50
More about Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Child Experiences
Experience TRUE HEALING from childhood trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
The Adverse Childhood Experience Research
In the mid 1990’s a group of Kaiser physicians began to notice a pattern: people with chronic medical conditions often reported having experienced childhood trauma.
The Kaiser physicians developed a 10 question assessment related to trauma that individuals experienced prior to 18 years old, called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Scale. They then launched a large scale study, involving tens of thousands of patients, to correlate health conditions with an individual’s ACE score. The results were shocking!
Researchers found that people with a high ACE score (>4) are 230% more likely to have cancer, 200% more likely to have cardiovascular disease, 10 times more likely to abuse injected drugs, and 40 times more likely to attempt suicide. Learn more about ACEs from the CDC by clicking here. These findings launched a new field of study ACEs and the related research around Social Determinants of Health.
Screening and Assessments
Doctors in California are screening more than 500,000 patients for Adverse Childhood Experiences per year. More and more people are learning that they are at elevated risk for chronic disease. You can take the ACE assessment below, and receive a confidential individualized report. See below or click here.
But that creates a challenge. If you have a moderate or high ACE score, what should you do? Is it a guarantee that you’re going to suffer from chronic conditions?
The Solution
Absolutely not! In fact, at the True Healing conference, we will feature a number of patients with an ACE score of 10 (they’ve had every single bad thing happen to them), and yet, they are thriving in health, family, and life. Just like the Kaiser researchers, researchers have been interviewing those who have experienced severe trauma but are doing well, and observing the kinds of interventions that promote resilience in their stories. Researchers have found a set of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) which have been shown to promote resilience.
A clinic built from the ground up to address ACEs
In 2020, True Healing organizer, Dr. Angela Bymaster, M.D. launched an innovative new clinic model, called Healing Grove Health Center, built from the ground up to address ACEs. This innovative model offers concierge health care to those with means. Every paying member funds two low income uninsured people to also access concierge care. This model allows for 30-60 min appointments, case management, and counseling for people with high ACE scores. Dr. Bymaster’s research has been featured in peer reviewed journals (here’s a free copy of that paper) and articles.
Adverse Childhood Experiences among the unhoused
Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)
Looking at healthy high ACE score individuals, researchers have discovered that there are 7 Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) that offset the harmful effects of ACEs.
PCEs include:
- Able to talk with my family about my feelings.
- Felt that my family stood by me during difficult times.
- Enjoyed participating in community traditions.
- Felt a sense of belonging in high school.
- Felt supported by friends.
- Had at least two non-parent adults who took a genuine interest in me.
- Felt safe and protected by an adult in my home.
The role of healthcare in the process
The issue is that the 7 Positive Childhood Experiences are typically not addressed in a healthcare setting. When you get sick, where do you go? To see your doctor. However, most physicians aren’t trained or equipped in helping people heal from childhood trauma.
The individual, family and community
The key to healing is to look at the individual, the family, AND the larger community. Western medicine is a great tool, but it often limits itself to only the individual. The key to healing for childhood trauma is to use Western Medicine in conjunction with encouraging and facilitating Positive Childhood Experiences at the individual, family, and community levels. The combination of the two results in TRUE HEALING.
Positive Childhood Experiences
Positive Childhood Experiences
Creating PCEs has a very positive impact on young people experiencing adverse childhood events!
This is what healing looks like
“Healing Grove is at the leading edge of evidence-based, upstream clinical practice!” Dr. Angela Bymaster, M.D.
