A delegation of law enforcement and public health workers from Wales visited the Manchester Police Department Tuesday. They were there to learn about a city program that connects children who have experienced trauma with mental health services.
The program trains police officers in the effects of trauma on child development, and coordinates with social workers to help recruit affected families into trauma-therapy and other programs.
Janine Roderick, lead for public health and policing in Wales, says the visit is part of a major effort to address Adverse Childhood Experiences – or ACES, in Wales.
“We’ve been researching evidence based practice and how we could respond with policing and public health and one of the programs we camea cross was this ACERT program in New Hampshire.”
ACERT stands for Adverse Childhood Experience Response Team.
Program officials in Manchester say 212 children have been referred to mental health services since the program began in October 2015.
