HR0647LRB101 16522 MST 65904 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Research over the last two decades in the evolving
3fields of neuroscience, brain science, molecular biology,
4public health, genomics, and epigenetics reveals that
5experiences in the first few years of life build changes into
6the biology of the human body, including the architecture of
7the brain; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Brain growth occurs rapidly in the first three
9years of a child's life and accelerates over the next ten
10years, slowing during the early twenties; a child's brain and
11body development can be impaired by certain environmental
12conditions, influencing the person's physical and mental
13health and social outcomes over their lifespan; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are
15traumatic experiences occurring during childhood that have
16been found to have a profound effect on a child's developing
17brain structure and body and may result in poor health during
18the person's adulthood; ACEs can be physical, emotional, or
19sexual abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, including
20caregiver substance abuse, untreated mental illness or
21incarceration, domestic violence, or separation or divorce
22involving household members; and
 

 

 

HR0647- 2 -LRB101 16522 MST 65904 r

1    WHEREAS, Experiencing ACEs as well as experiencing intense
2and prolonged stress, like community violence, without
3positive influences or nurturing relationships during
4childhood can become known as toxic stress, further affecting a
5child's brain development and function and leading to long-term
6cognitive and health impairments; and
 
7    WHEREAS, ACEs studies have also found a strong correlation
8between the number of ACEs and a person's risk for disease and
9negative health behaviors, including suicide, depression,
10cancer, stroke, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune
11disease, smoking, substance abuse, interpersonal violence,
12obesity, unplanned pregnancies, lower educational achievement,
13workplace absenteeism, and lower wages; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Findings from the Illinois 2013 Behavioral Risk
15Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) Illinois ACEs Response
16Collaborative found that almost 60% of non-institutionalized
17adult Illinoisans reported having at least one ACE; this number
18equates to almost 5 million Illinois residents; 14.2% of
19Illinois adults reported four or more ACEs; and
 
20    WHEREAS, BRFSS data also showed that approximately 20% of
21African American and Hispanic adults in Illinois reported four
22or more ACEs, compared to 13% of non-Hispanic whites; and
 

 

 

HR0647- 3 -LRB101 16522 MST 65904 r

1    WHEREAS, The Illinois 2013 BRFSS also found that 43% of
2women and 48% of men reported having one to three ACEs; 15% of
3women and 13% of men reported experiencing four or more ACEs;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, BRFSS data showed that individuals with between 1
6and 3 ACEs reported their physical health was not good 12% more
7often and their mental health was not good 44% more often than
8individuals with no ACEs, and individuals with more than 4 ACEs
9reported their physical health was not good 65% more often and
10their mental health was not good 176% more often than
11individuals with no ACEs; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Individuals with six or more ACEs were found, on
13average, to live 20 years less than those individuals with zero
14ACEs; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Among those who misuse opioids, the individuals
16most likely to experience problems with addiction are those who
17suffered ACEs; general population surveys have estimated that
1875% of individuals with substance use disorders have
19experienced trauma early in their lives; rates are even higher
20among populations seeking treatment for opioid addiction; and
 
21    WHEREAS, ACEs appear to be a root cause of many of our most
22challenging health and social problems; without adequate

 

 

HR0647- 4 -LRB101 16522 MST 65904 r

1family intervention and support, they appear to be transmitted
2from one generation to the next, further exacerbating the poor
3outcomes from ACEs and toxic stress; and
 
4    WHEREAS, It is less disruptive to well-being, less costly,
5and more effective to positively influence the development of a
6child's brain than to intervene and correct negative
7experiences and outcomes later in life; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Trauma-informed care is an approach that can bring
9greater understanding and more effective ways to prevent,
10identify, and support and serve children, adults, families, and
11communities affected by ACEs, trauma, adversity, and toxic
12stress; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Trauma-informed care is not a therapy or an
14intervention but is a principle-based culture change process
15aimed at recognizing strengths and resiliency and helping
16people who have experienced trauma to overcome those issues in
17order to achieve personal and economic well-being; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
19Administration and many other agencies and organizations
20provide substantial resources to better engage individuals,
21community based organizations, and communities across the
22United States in order to implement trauma-informed care; and
 

 

 

HR0647- 5 -LRB101 16522 MST 65904 r

1    WHEREAS, A trauma-informed Illinois enhances the ability
2of children and adults to adapt, cope, and thrive despite
3difficult experiences, supporting the mental well-being of
4everyone in our State; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7we acknowledge that toxic stress and adverse childhood
8experiences can have significantly negative short-term,
9long-term, and generational impacts and that early
10interventions through trauma-informed care is the most
11efficient and cost effective way to combat these impacts; and
12be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the Illinois State Legislature is urged to
14seek opportunities to enhance legislation through the science
15of resiliency and a trauma-informed lens and to seek funding
16around early intervention services for children and families
17that centers the principles of brain development, the intimate
18connection between mental and physical health, and the concepts
19of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences; and be it
20further
 
21    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
22delivered to Governor JB Pritzker, House Speaker Michael

 

 

HR0647- 6 -LRB101 16522 MST 65904 r

1Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, House Majority
2Leader Greg Harris, Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, and the
3Illinois interagency Council on Early Intervention.