Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at the Family Health Center

The relationship between societal conditions and health is longstanding. A growing body of research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect health-risk behavior and disease in adulthood. While most of the literature surrounding ACEs focuses on population-level data and youth, fewer studies center around screening adults for ACEs in the primary care setting. The purpose of this research is twofold: first, to identify existing research related to this topic to inform screening at the Family Health Center (FHC); and second, to analyze and interpret ACEs screening data from FHC patients to inform its Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) with Greater Waco Legal Services (GWLS).