Statewide proposal seeks trauma‑informed K‑12 training; coalition asks lawmakers for $3.5 million

LANSING — Co-chairs of the Michigan Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Initiative told the Michigan House Families and Veterans Committee on Tuesday that they are proposing a statewide policy requiring trauma‑informed training for K–12 school staff and are seeking funding to roll out a modular curriculum.

"68 percent of Michigan adults reporting reported experiencing at least 1 ACE, 20 percent reported 4 or more ACEs, and among those with 4 or more ACEs, 41 percent have been diagnosed with depression," said Lisa Farnham, co‑chair of the initiative's policy and advocacy work group and a representative of the Michigan Association of Health Plans Foundation.

The Michigan ACE Initiative, launched in 2017 and now overseen by the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI), is a statewide coalition that says it aims to prevent and mitigate adverse childhood experiences through trauma‑informed, healing‑centered strategies. At Tuesday's committee hearing, Farnham and Katie Prout, co‑chair of the policy and advocacy work group and chief strategy officer at the Michigan Federation for…