Community In Schools Initiative Aims To Tackle Adverse Childhood Experiences

On this West Virginia Morning, a newly expanded program aims to address student needs – needs that are often hidden from plain sight.

Gov. Jim Justice’s state budget calls for a $6 million expansion to the Community in Schools program, which provides services in school to address the negative impacts of traumatic childhood experiences – like poverty, a family death, divorce, drug abuse and physical abuse. Glynis Board recently visited Wyoming County, which was a recent recipient of Community in Schools funding.

On a recent episode of The Legislature Today, host Suzanne Higgins spoke with two members of a newly formed Public Health caucus. One of the group’s missions is to combat Adverse Childhood Experiences, known as ACEs.

ACEs can be things like drug abuse, poverty the death of a relative. Higgins spoke with Dr. Catherine Slemp, Commissioner of the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and State Health Officer, and Jim McKay, President of Prevent Child Abuse – West Virginia. Here’s an excerpt from the interview, taped live from the Capitol.

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