Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Summit

Building Resilient Communities: Where you Live, Work and Play!

LITTLE ROCK, ARK – Sept. 18, 2019 – Building resilient Communities: Where you Live, Work and Play! is the theme for the third Arkansas Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Summit, Thursday and Friday Sept. 26-27, at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. A Saturday event is also scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock.

Issues to be addressed are related to Arkansas’ top national ranking for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Arkansas has the highest percentage of children who have experienced emotional or physical abuse, neglect, family instability, poverty or exposure to violence. These are some of the ACEs that can negatively affect children’s mental and physical health throughout their lives. Building resilience in children through nurturing relationships within their family, school and communities can help prevent and stop the damage done by ACEs.

The summit is designed for school administrators, health care professionals, mental health and school health professionals, law enforcement, court system professionals, community- and faith-based organizations, and those involved in assessment, treatment, support and advocacy for children and families. Attendees will learn how to work with Arkansans across the state to prevent and address ACEs and help build resilient families and communities.

The summit kicks off at 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, with panel discussions, breakout sessions and keynote speaker Liz Huntley, JD, an Alabama attorney and president and co-founder of the Hope Institute. Friday’s summit will feature keynote speaker Steve Gross, founder and chief policymaker of the Life is Good Foundation.

An award presentation during Friday’s luncheon will be made to Judge Joyce Williams Warren for her leadership and advocacy for children with ACEs and to Mr. Lorenzo Lewis for fostering resilience in others.

A special session will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church for early childhood classroom teachers and staff, K-12 teachers and staff, foster or adoptive parents, and parents of children with special health needs. A Provider Symposium for family practitioners and primary care providers, pediatricians, dentists, and mental health/behavioral health providers is also scheduled for Saturday at the church.

The summit is hosted by AFMC and the Arkansas Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience Coalition, a cross-sector collaboration of approximately 300 individuals representing more than 100 organizations and government agencies in health care, law enforcement, human services, mental health, churches and businesses. Primary sponsors include AFMC, the Division of Child Care Early Childhood Education, Arkansas Good Medicine, Arkansas Children’s Trust Fund, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, SouthEastern Transportation Inc., and Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church,

To register or get more information, visit AFMC.org/ACES, email ACEs@afmc.org, or call 501.212.8765.

For more than 47 years, the AFMC  has worked to improve the health of Arkansans through utilization review, quality improvement projects and public education. AFMC’s mission is: To promote excellence in health and health care through evaluation and education.