Screening People Experiencing Homelessness for Adverse Childhood Events

Abstract

This project was conducted to identify patients who have high Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) and connect them to resources to build protective resilience. Nine of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are complications of toxic stress and relate to ACEs. During a 7-month period, 138 patients were screened and 45% had high ACEs. People experiencing homelessness would benefit from outreach with goals of building protective resilience against toxic stress. Use of the ACE screening tool in health care settings serving vulnerable populations improves recognition and referral for services with the potential to improve health outcomes.