Defending Childhood Initiative: A Local Example of Preventing and Addressing Exposure to Violence through Health Care Reform

The Boston Public Health Commission's Boston Defending Childhood Initiative is a multi-pronged approach to prevent and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence in homes, schools and communities in the City of Boston. The Initiative focuses its efforts on 4 key strategies: 1) supporting nurturing families, 2) promoting social emotional wellness and healthy relationships skills among children and adolescents, 3) building trauma informed systems, and 4) increasing access to evidence based mental health treatments to address trauma.

With the passage of the Accountable Care Act and Massachusetts' Chapter 254, there is an opportunity for public health to collaborate with healthcare to integrate trauma informed care and violence prevention strategies into Massachusetts' implementation of health care reform. The Boston Defending Childhood Initiative is focusing its local policy work on these potential opportunities within healthcare reform: • Early screening and referral for children exposed to violence. • Expanding access to evidence based behavioral health treatments that address trauma. • Primary prevention through promoting social and emotional health and nurturing family relationships through primary care and the medical home. • Enhanced connections and collaborations with community partners to provide prevention programs.