New Jersey ACEs and Overdose Prevention Funding

ACEs prevention funding - New Jersey

ACEs are preventable, potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). Examples include neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, or having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

ACE statistics are reported by U.S. adults and include exposure to eight types of ACEs: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing intimate partner violence, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member.

Examples of how New Jersey is working to prevent ACEs

Surveillance activities

The New Jersey Center for Health Care Strategies is adding questions about experiencing ACEs to the 2023 New Jersey YRBS to provide representative state-wide estimates of ACEs for New Jersey public high school students. They are also analyzing statewide child abuse and neglect data, Medicaid claims data and incarceration data to assess the risk and protective factors among populations experiencing high burden of ACEs.

Prevention strategies and approaches

The New Jersey Center for Health Care Strategies is ensuring a strong start for children by developing an ACEs interface training on ACEs risk and protective factors for early home visitation providers. They are also promoting social norms that protect against violence and adversity by increasing access to Connections Matter training to raise community awareness of ACEs and how to prevent them.

Other support for ACEs in New Jersey

Beyond the ACEs appropriation, CDC supports several initiatives, research, and partnerships to build state and tribal surveillance infrastructure and enhance ACEs prevention and mitigation.

In New Jersey, some of those other initiatives include:

• Overdose Data to Action

Overdose prevention funding - New Jersey

There were 106,699 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021 (32.4 deaths per 100,000 standard population), a 16% increase from 2020.2

*average award amount

Examples of how New Jersey is working to prevent overdose

Emergency medical services training

New Jersey's Five Minutes to Help program teaches EMS providers how to overcome stigma surrounding substance use disorder and connects patients with resources, all within a brief "five-minute" interaction. The training includes topics like motivational interviewing, communication techniques, types of substance use disorder treatment, the stages of behavior change, and compassion fatigue. The program has trained 170 instructors and over 1,150 participants.

Overdose hotspot initiative

New Jersey analyzes first responder naloxone incident data to identify overdose hotspots throughout the state. Hotspots include transportation centers, correctional facilities, alcohol stores, apartment complexes, and motels. In response, New Jersey directs resources to these locations by supplying community-based organizations with harm reduction resources and conducting outreach and education to hotspot establishments to encourage onsite naloxone storage.