{Ace}ing Early Childhood in Minnesota

Authors

Bailey Alston, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Casie DeVos, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Alisha Field, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Renee Gasner, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Author Affiliation

Department of Social Work, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Document Type

Policy Advocacy Brief

Publication Date

3-2017

Issue Statement/Executive Summary

Too many young children are facing ACEs that are detrimentally impacting their development and contributing to negative outcomes that persist into adulthood. There are no current policies using the ACE questions to drive mental health interventions. The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health made nine recommendations that, if implemented, will greatly improve the mental health and well-being of children and their parents. Improving early childhood prevention and intervention programs helps ALL Minnesota’s families build healthy and rich experiences for their children.

1. Expand the Early Childhood Mental Health Grant program statewide to increase early childhood mental health specialists.
2. Create a Governor’s Task Force focusing prevention and early intervention of ACES.
3. Implement the recommendations of the Governor’s Mental Health Task Force with the needs of children at the forefront.
4. Use the ACEs questionnaire as a standardized tool.
5. Develop trauma-informed learning communities.
6. Require pre- and post-natal depression screenings.

Department

Social Work

Recommended Citation

Alston, B., Devos, C., Field, A., & Gasner, R. (2017). {Ace}ing early childhood in Minnesota. MSW Program Policy Briefs, Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/msw-student-policy-advocacy-briefs/1