Doctors Felitti and Anda (and team with Federal Centers for Disease Control), introduce the nation to the terms “Adverse Childhood Experiences,” “ACEs” and “ACEs Survey” through their publishing of “Relationship Of Childhood Abuse And Household Dysfunction To Many Of The Leading Causes Of Death In Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study.”

Warning of ACEs as a public health crisis ignored, as no federal response nor data-driven prevention plan for states is developed. Children enduring ACEs continues to fly under the radar of child protective services and schools. As decades pass, one in eight children become identified as maltreated by child welfare systems across the US.

Anna, Age Eight: The data-driven prevention of childhood trauma and maltreatment by Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD and Dominic Cappello present a new comprehensive approach to preventing the epidemic of ACEs and trauma informed by the social determinants of health and their work with continuous quality improvement in the child welfare systems of New Mexico, New York City, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Anna, Age Eight becomes a catalyst for creating the new Doña Ana County Resilience Leaders, launched by Las Cruces councilmember Kasandra Gandara.

Anna, Age Eight Institute proposal developed and becomes NM Senate Bill 370, introduced by State Senator Bill Soules and Rep. Gail Armstrong, proposing the Anna, Age Eight Institute For the Data-Driven Prevention of Childhood Trauma. Institute funded with statewide plan to implement data-driven, cross-sector and county-focused ACEs prevention strategy.

100% Community: Ensuring trauma-free and thriving children, students and families “Advance Review Copy” finalized for statewide review by lawmakers and stakeholders. In their follow up book to Anna, Age Eight, Dr. Courtney and Cappello provide an operating manual for a family-friendly and child-centered state, county and city.

Institute founded in NM state capital of Santa Fe with co-directors Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD and Dominic Cappello to serve as a technical assistance center for all 33 NM counties, focuses on strengthening local systems of care (coined  the ten “surviving” and “thriving” family services) shown to increase family health, safety and resilience.

Anna, Age Eight Institute supports the surveying of parents, asking to what degree they have access to ten vital services and why access is a challenge. Survey implemented with support of New Mexico State University in the NM counties of Doña Ana, Rio Arriba and Socorro.

Summit in Doña Ana County presents findings from the Resilient Community Experience Survey, revealing where gaps in family services exist and reasons parents struggle to access services like behavioral health care, medical care, housing and other vital supports.

The Institute continues work with NM county coalitions in Doña Ana, Rio Arriba and Socorro—along with Taos Pueblo. Outreach continues to leaders in the NM counties of Santa Fe, San Miguel, Bernalillo, Roosevelt and Grant to widen statewide implementation of 100% New Mexico initiative, strengthening data-driven ACEs and trauma prevention.