Today John Wiesman, WA State Secretary of Health shared the release of the draft version of the Washington State Health Assessment, and an invitation to provide feedback on the expansive report during the public comment period, January 2–23.
In particular, schools should be reviewing “How is Washington addressing adverse childhood experiences?” The attached pdf document, PG 93 outlines how “DOH and its partner agencies are implementing the Essentials for Childhood Initiative which supports cross-sector collaboration to support safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children by enhancing parents’ capacity to promote healthy child and youth development, strengthening family economic security, and preventing and mitigating the impact of trauma.”
Note for those not immediately familiar with Trauma Informed Approach: Any program, organization or system that is trauma informed, means “that it realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.”
The draft assessment pulls data from many sources to provide insights about Washington’s “diverse population, health status and health behaviors, access to healthcare and preventive services, environments, and social and economic forces impacting health and well-being. The assessment also describes statewide assets and resources already in place across Washington that impact health and well-being.”
Anyone interested in being contacted when the assessment is final, can sign up here.
