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May 1, 2017 By E-MAIL The Honorable Heidi Heitkamp, The Honorable Richard Durbin, The Honorable Al Franken and The Honorable Cory Booker United States Senate The Honorable Danny K. Davis United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. Dear Senators Heitkamp, Durbin, Franken, Booker and Rep. Davis: Thank you for introducing the Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act (S. 774, H. R. 1757). The undersigned organizations strongly endorse the bill and urge deliberate and immediate congressional approval. If enacted, the bill has the potential to improve the lives of millions of young people in measureable ways, while at the same time reduce the financial burden and other costs to society caused by trauma. By reducing childhood adversity, individuals will live longer and lead more productive lives. Furthermore, through the bill, there is the potential for saving billions of dollars that Congress now appropriates to address the symptoms rather than the causes of these problems, many being rooted in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Over the last two decades, brain scientists have made dramatic discoveries about the way adversity, particularly during early childhood, can cause changes in the brain that reduce a child’s ability to concentrate, learn, and generally thrive. While scientists have shown the powerful correlation between those changes and many of the health and social problems experienced by individuals—substance abuse, youth suicide, domestic violence, obesity, and diabetes and other health conditions—governments have been slow in applying these discoveries in neuroscience to social, educational, law enforcement and health policy. The Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act is the first comprehensive piece of legislation introduced in Congress that seeks to infuse brain science into government policies and programs. First, the bill will direct Federal agencies to identify and disseminate best practices for trauma-informed interventions. It will also develop 1 the workforce needed to provide trauma-informed practices, including training for police and teachers—two professions that have frequent and influential interactions with traumatized youth. It will expand data collection to improve the understanding of trauma, expand treatment capacity through a Medicaid pilot program, provide funding for trauma-informed programs in communities hard hit by the effects of childhood trauma, such as Native American and inner city communities, and authorize a pilot program to break down silos between Federal funding programs by permitting local communities to pool funding from different Federal grants in order to implement a comprehensive trauma-informed program. The organizations listed below are available to assist you in any way we can to promote knowledge about trauma and to encourage Congress to enact the Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act. ORGANIZATIONS: The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities Peace 4 Tarpon Trauma-Informed Community Initiative United Way Worldwide National Association of School Psychologists Alaska Children’s Trust Center for Gender and Justice National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors The Roundtable on Native American Trauma-Informed Initiatives National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy Ozark Center, Joplin Mo. Institute for Educational Leadership Coalition for Community Schools Georgia Advocacy Office Mental Health America Massachusetts Association for Mental Health Children Services Council of Palm Beach County 2 Center for the Study of Social Policy The Village, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jacksonville Children’s Commission National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy Sumner Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness at the George Washington University Florida Children’s Council Florida Children’s Services Council American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry American Art Therapy Association American Counseling Association American Dance Therapy Association American Foundation for Suicide Prevention American Group Psychotherapy Association American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) American Psychiatric Association American Psychological Association Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health National Association of School Psychologists National Council for Behavioral Health Sandy Hook Promise School Social Work Association of America NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals 3 Forum for Youth Investment 4