Youth- and adolescent-serving staff from numerous agencies across the region attended a training April 10 on Adverse Childhood Experiences, the first in a series of trainings under the Coalition’s Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grant.

Seventy people attended the training, which was organized by the Jacksonville Children’s Commission (JCC) and the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network (JASMYN). It was conducted by JCC staff trained in trauma-informed care/ACE.

The training went over the definition of ACE, symptoms to look for and nine essential elements of best practices for agencies that serve children who have dealt with trauma. The event concluded with a panel of local resources. Representatives from Mental Health America, the Monique Burr Foundation and the Women’s Center of Jacksonville answered questions about reporting abuse, methods to use when working with children who have experienced ACE and where to find local resources for specific needs.

Several participants left with door prizes — the book Trauma Stewardship and youth and adult activity guide Yoga Pretzel. Additional ACE-related trainings will be available in the future under the PREP grant.