This case study highlights California’s ACEs Aware initiative and its key elements. The ACEs Aware initiative provides education, training and clinical protocols for the state’s Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) providers on screening for ACEs and covers the cost of screenings and related services under Medi-Cal. The goal of ACEs Aware is to identify and improve the health and well-being of Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal and who have experienced ACEs and toxic stress, providing a sustainable path to integrating identification and response to ACEs and toxic stress into the state’s Medicaid program.

This case study is the latest in a series from a partnership between NASHP, the National Governors Association, the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, and a former state policy leader from Building Strong Brains Tennessee.