What are ACEs?

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are events in childhood that disrupt brain development and can lead to social-emotional and cognitive adaptations that can then lead to risk factors for major causes of disease, disability, social problems, and even early death. ACEs are common across all socio-economic and culture/ethnicity lines.

Some examples of ACE-Attributable problems are:

  • Alcoholism and alcohol abuse
  • Depression
  • Drug abuse
  • Intimate Partner Violence
  • Mental Health Problems
  • Violence
  • Sexual Behavior Problems

Garden State Equality’s ACEs Work:

Beginning in 2020, Garden State Equality mobilized a broad set of partners to focus on innovative approaches to addressing ACEs in the city of Asbury Park. We have created a core group of community members to  stimulate a set of synergistic activities to address the needs of youth, family, and the community utilizing a novel approach.   The innovation has been to utilize a “Positive Deviance” approach to identify the strategies that have helped youth and families to succeed in spite of challenges and to use that information as a set of guideposts for services, programs, and policy. The newly developed healing-centered community model focuses on empowering those most impacted by trauma to be leaders in the community, identifying new approaches, and ensuring a truly community-generated solution. 

Main Positive Deviance Themes:

  1. REFILLING MY WELL
    • Acts of self-regulation
      • Mindfulness, breath work, journaling, creativity.
  2. LOVE THEM TO LIFE
    • Acts of love and non-judgement
      • Restorative practices, community building, developing norms, healthy communication.
  3. I SEE YOU. I AM HERE.
    • Acts of engagement, patience and high expectations
      • Include young people in decision making, engage young people in community events and programs, encourage solution and problem solving techniques.
  4. IMAGINING WHAT THEY COULD BE
    • Acts of reimagining self, employment, development and pursuit of interests
      • Providing young people with job opportunities, connection youth with programs that help them meet a greater goal.
  5. IT TAKES A VILLAGE
    • Acts of linking resources and engaging families and whole communities
      • Be aware of resources available within a community, help bridge a gab between families in need and those resources.

Course Offerings for Asbury Park Residents:

ACEs Interface Trainings for organizations/institutions, businesses, and school districts seeking to expand their knowledge on ACEs and Positive Deviance by providing education and opportunity for dialogue to a broad cross-section of residents and professionals in order to build a common language and common understanding about how experiences affect wellbeing.

Community Learning Sessions for families, parents, guardians, and caregivers to familiarize themselves with ACEs and Positive Deviance. Individuals will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge on breaking generational curses through education, practice, and leadership within their communities.

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