During the October 2022 convening of the Arizona House’s Ad Hoc Committee on Teen Mental Health, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) presented statewide data on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ADHS representatives noted that Arizona currently ranks 44^th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia for number of children with two or more ACEs. Data from 2018 found that 18% of residents have experienced between 3 and 8 ACEs; and data from 2019-2020 illustrates that Arizona youth have a higher prevalence of ACEs in 10 out of 12 categories compared to nationwide averages. Arizona’s Department of Health Services has announced a three-part plan to reduce exposure to ACEs and mitigate the impacts of trauma and toxic stress on youth development.

• Part One: Improve data collection and visualization for ACEs and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Along with improving their data collection methods and plan, ADHS is currently developing an interactive ACE/PCE Data Dashboard for the public including resources and education on ACEs and PCEs.

• Part Two: Enhance provider awareness of ACEs and PCEs. ADHS will create training videos around trauma informed approaches to care, housed in a website portal for health care providers with additional resources and research.

• Part Three: Trauma Informed Public Health. ADHS is implementing agency-wide trainings on trauma-informed approaches for large agencies, including an internal assessment of ADHS policies, programs, and practices to begin the transformation into a trauma-informed agency.

Arizona’s Ad Hoc Committee on Teen Mental Health originated in May 2022 and is comprised of members of the state House of Representatives as well as community stakeholders, including representatives with lived experience, and from the health, education, and justice sectors. The Committee is tasked with researching and reviewing information about teen mental health, including substance abuse, depression, and suicide, and identifying potential solutions.

Pathways to Resilience applauds the Arizona Department of Health Services and the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on Teen Mental Health for prioritizing ACE awareness and taking steps to promote life-long health and wellbeing for Arizona youth. Like ADHS, Pathways to Resilience supports a data-driven approach to advancing trauma-responsive policies, programs, and practices and commends Arizona for joining states like Hawai’i, New Jersey, and New York in championing trauma informed approaches that foster resilience.