​What I’ve learned in my time as a student working on ACEs

By Mady Colby, BSW intern with Iowa ACEs 360

I am currently in my final year of earning my bachelor’s in social work, and until a few months ago, I didn’t know what Adverse Childhood Experiences are. I have been in college for about 5 years, during which time, I have taken many psychology, human development, and social work classes; yet, it wasn’t until the end when I finally learned how ACEs can impact children mentally and physically.

During my mental health and well-being class, we started a unit called ACEs and neurobiology. My professor asked us to take a test and add up our ACE scores with no further explanation on what the scores meant. It was later revealed to us that individuals with an ACE score of 6 or more have roughly 20 years taken off their life expectancy. The class erupted with, “We are going to die in our 60’s?!”.

My professor consoled us and explained that individuals with an ACE score of 6 or more are at greater risk for turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms like smoking, alcoholism, and drug use to cope with the trauma they have experienced during their childhood, and that the reduced life expectancy is an average among a wide population. That was when I realized that ACEs have a big impact on people’s lives even outside of their childhood and this impact is not talked about enough. 

​Through my internship with Iowa ACEs 360, I have learned in greater detail about the mission to mitigate ACEs and to altogether prevent them from happening at the start by offering education and resources to providers, educators, and families.

There is a famous saying – “It takes a village to raise a child” – which is completely accurate. The more who are educated about ACEs and how to be a pillar of resilience and support for children and families, the quicker the issues can be addressed, and children can receive support for their needs. There is no need to be college educated to figure out what ACEs are and how to mitigate childhood adversities; it just takes people who care enough about shaping young children’s life’s and making a positive impact. Just being a stable adult in a child’s like is enough to make a difference.   
​
As I think about my future as a social worker, I know how important ACEs education is, not only for social workers, but for educators, providers, and parents. ACEs play a major role in social work as our client system is majorly impacted by lingering effects of ACEs and other forms of toxic stress.

​I will take the knowledge I have gained by working with those at Iowa ACEs 360 and I will apply it to my future practices and will share my education with my peers and future clients. I will do my part in mitigating adversities by offering support, services, and resources to families across Iowa in the mission of ACEs prevention.