system,” says Jon David, district attorney for Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties. He adds that knowing someone’s ACEs score can help officials connect the individuals to the resources they need. Toxic stress is the extreme, frequent or extended activation of the body’s stress response without the nurturing support of a stable adult. “A trauma is a biological response,” Clark says. These traumas alter cell structure and impede the brain’s development. “We need to get rid of that stress in our bodies.” Resiliency is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. Clark cites the definition from Elaine Miller-Karas, cofounder of the Community Resiliency Model: “It’s an individual and community’s ability to identify and use
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individual and collective strength in living fully in the present moment and to thrive while managing the activities of daily living.” “We want to address [ACEs] at the earliest level, so the child might grow
Want to know more about Community Resiliency? Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear carelcf.org info@carelfc.org (910) 763-0200, Lauren Clark Further information Community Resiliency Model: traumaresourceinstitute.com
up to not experience some of the health conditions and mental health effects we’ve seen,” Clark says. Studies show that trauma and stress are carried in a person’s DNA and passed down to generations. If an entire school can be aware of these effects and informed on how to counteract them, they can be controlled. The documentary film Resilience explains the science behind ACEs. An online trailer that gives an overview is at tugg.com/titles/ resilience. “[The film] does a great job of opening people’s eyes to ACEs and the effects of trauma and the possibilities of resilience of communities coming together,” Clark says. She adds that North Carolina has the most