Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
This course, designed for professionals working in mental health and substance use disorders, provides a foundational understanding of how childhood trauma impacts long-term mental and physical health. Participants will explore how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) shape brain development and behavior, increasing the risk of mental health and substance use disorders. Through research-based insights, including key findings in neuroscience and epigenetics, you will discover strategies to foster resilience and apply trauma-informed care in your practice. This course equips you with practical tools to better understand your clients’ experiences, develop effective treatment plans, and support healing to break the cycle of trauma for future generations.
This course includes the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on long-term mental and physical health, focusing on how toxic stress from childhood trauma can disrupt brain development and lead to health risks. It introduces NEAR Science (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, ACEs, and Resilient Communities) and highlights findings from the ACE Study, including the significance of ACE scores. The course emphasizes the importance of resilience and protective factors, such as supportive relationships and communities, in mitigating ACE effects. It also addresses the intergenerational transmission of trauma and outlines strategies for prevention, healing, and fostering self-healing communities. The overall goal is to promote trauma-informed care and community-driven solutions to reduce ACEs and their long-term consequences.
- How might understanding the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) transform your approach to assessing and treating individuals with trauma histories?
- What role do you think the intergenerational transmission of trauma plays in the challenges faced by the individuals you serve, and how could this course help you address these patterns?
- How can knowledge of the brain’s neuroplasticity be applied in your practice to support individuals in overcoming the effects of early childhood adversity?
- What strategies could you implement to foster resilience in individuals who have high ACE scores, and how might this change their long-term outcomes?
- How could a deeper understanding of the relationship between ACEs and substance use disorders enhance your treatment planning and outcomes?
- Identify how childhood adversities, such as abuse and neglect, can become biologically embedded in the brain and body, and articulate the associated risks for long-term health and behavioral conditions.
- Recall the term "ACEs" (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and effectively use it to locate and interpret relevant information from authoritative public health sources.
Lacea Zavala
MSW
Lacea Zavala, MSW ‘07, is the Lead Learning Experience Designer and an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, as well as a child abuse prevention community organizer. Lacea worked for over 20 years in a variety of positions across the child welfare system, most recently as a supervisor for the Kids-TALK Children’s Advocacy Center in Detroit. Lacea was a LEO I Lecturer for the University of Michigan - Dearborn in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services, where she developed and launched a course on child maltreatment and trauma in 2016 and taught for seven years. Lacea is an ACEs Master Trainer and ACEs Consultant for the Michigan Department of Human Services – Substance Use, Gambling, and Epidemiology Division, an active board member of Child’s Hope in Wayne County, co-founder of Rising Sage: The Nonprofit, and a Registered Yoga Teacher and Reiki practitioner. She is passionate about preserving families, preventing child abuse and neglect, and joining with the community to support children and families to thrive.
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