Breaking the Cycle: ACEs, Trauma, and Utah’s Path to Healthier Children

Utah is taking a historic step to confront childhood trauma and its lifelong impact. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., and ACE data show that 65.7% of Utah adults have experienced at least one ACE, while 1 in 4 have experienced three or more. These early adversities shape mental health, physical health, educational outcomes, and long‑term economic stability. Childhood trauma — particularly sexual abuse — is far more common than many realize and often goes unnoticed or unaddressed. We’ll be joined by three leading experts — Dr. R. Neal Davis, Holly Willard, and Dr. Brooks Keeshin — who will explore the science, clinical realities, and community impact of ACEs and childhood trauma. After their discussion, Sage Hancock, Executive Director of GenerationAll, will close the webinar by introducing Utah’s Healing Generations initiative, the first statewide ACE screening pilot of its kind. Presented in partnership with GenerationAll, the panel will examine the full landscape of ACEs: what they are, why they matter, and how early adversity — especially child sexual abuse — affects lifelong mental and physical health. They will discuss the profound costs of untreated trauma, the protective power of early identification, and the roles families, pediatricians, schools, faith communities, and communities can play in breaking cycles of harm. The session will also introduce Utah’s new legislative effort (HAR0130) to reimburse validated trauma screenings, a policy designed to help children receive support before crisis occurs. This conversation will give Utahns a clear understanding of the problem, the path forward, and the hope that comes from prevention and healing. As GenerationAll emphasizes, “the question is not whether Utah pays for childhood trauma — the question is whether we pay for it early through prevention, or later through healthcare, incarceration, child welfare, and crisis services.” This webinar will give Utahns the knowledge, tools, and hope needed to help break generational cycles of harm and build a healthier future for all children.