Regional ACEs Collaborative

Regional ACEs Collaborative

Norwescap’s Regional ACEs Collaborative, or “RAC,” is part of a state-wide initiative to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).  ACES are potentially traumatic events or circumstances that occur in childhood, including things like poverty, parental divorce/separation, neglect, and physical or emotional abuse. These and many other ACEs can contribute to significant challenges in adulthood, such as continued poverty, mental illness, social maladjustment, and poor health. Research provides a compelling case for why communities should be invested in prevention and responses to trauma. 

Norwescap is committed to preventing and responding to ACEs in our communities, and partnering with community leaders and organizations whose goal is to neutralize trauma with positive experiences and nurturing support. By providing technical assistance, distributing grant funds on behalf of the State of New Jersey’s Office of Resilience, and acting as liaison between state representatives and our partner organizations, Norwescap is leading seven Central New Jersey counties in the movement to bring ACEs to the forefront. Our service area for this initiative includes Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, and Ocean counties.

We are currently finalizing our first round of grants that will go to nonprofits, community organizations, and individuals as they develop innovative programming towards this mission. Stay tuned for a list of funded projects and organizations. There may be additional funding opportunities for ACEs-related projects in the future; we will update this page with information as we learn more from the Office of Resilience. Your idea could be part of the next round of funded projects!

Ways to get involved:

• Attend our parenting support group! Norwescap offers a virtual parenting support group available to anyone in our service area. We will exchange notes as a group and work together to share resources and brainstorm solutions to shared challenges. Click here for the flyer and registration information.
  
  Our goal for the future is to offer this support group in person once a month in addition to the virtual option. We are currently working on securing community partners who would have the capacity to offer childcare to our support group participants for the duration of the meeting.

• Attend a community event: The RAC will be planning community events to provide information about ACEs, what we can do, and how we can come together as a community. Click here for upcoming events.

• Join our PACEs page! Norwescap Parenting SEAS As the RAC moves forward, we will share blog posts about our community partners’ projects, post resources for service counties, add local and Norwescap-sponsored events to our calendar, and write additional articles on the topic of ACEs research. Follow our page to learn along with us!

If you are interested in learning more about this first of its kind state-wide project addressing ACEs, have a look at the NJ ACEs Action Plan. You will learn about the reasons behind this initiative, how it came to be, the key figures and organizations, and the steps toward making this comprehensive vision a reality.

Want more information about this important initiative? Contact our team at raccentral@norwescap.org.

For more information on the Office of Resilience: Office of Resilience

New Jersey’s Action Plan: Action Plan

Other Programs that can provide assistance