Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Routine Enquiry as a Way of Working with Women’s Trauma: Narratives of Practitioner and Organisational Change

Authors

Keywords:

domestic violence, trauma, innovation, adverse childhood experiences, practice development

Abstract

Long-term impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are widely evidenced and attention has more recently focused on implementing ACEs routine enquiry within social service interventions. As a group of researchers and practitioners, we were all involved in a study to assess the level of ACEs for women accessing a domestic violence service and explore trauma-informed responses to women’s childhood experiences and inter-generational patterns of trauma. Our narratives describe working with an ACEs routine enquiry questionnaire and we explore our practice concerns, practice interactions, and client responses. We emphasise the importance of feedback and transformation for women when embedding new practices, the intersection of the personal and professional when working with trauma, and reflective spaces for practitioners. Our narratives illustrate the depth of work necessary to introduce a new tool or practice, a critical consideration for incorporating ACEs routine enquiry into health and social service agencies.

Author Biographies

Sarah Morton, University College Dublin

Assistant Professor and Director of the Community Partnership Drugs Programme. 

Mary Barry O'Gorman, Cuan Saor Women's Refuge

Services Manager

Megan Curran, Columbia University

Postdoctoral Research Scientist Center on Poverty and Social Policy  

Breeda Bell, Cuan Saor Women's Refuge

Services Manager

Lisa Dundon, Cuan Saor Women's Refuge

Art Therapist

Martina Killoran, Cuan Saor Women's Refuge

Senior Support Worker

Geraldine Mullane, Cuan Saor Women's Refuge

Project Leader

Erika Ward, Cuan Saor Women's Refuge

Outreach Support Worker

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Published

2021-09-25

How to Cite

Morton, S., Barry O’Gorman, M., Curran, M., Bell, B., Dundon, L., Killoran, M., Mullane, G. ., & Ward, E. . (2021). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Routine Enquiry as a Way of Working with Women’s Trauma: Narratives of Practitioner and Organisational Change. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 27(2), 46–62. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1881

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General Submissions