Through key informant interviews, this practice paper explores experiences regarding ACE screening from the perspective of Medi-Cal pediatric and family practice providers in rural Northern California to identify and understand barriers and facilitators in implementing ACE screening and best practices for trauma-informed care in the region. Supported by the California ACEs Aware Initiative, this research focuses on the six counties participating in PHIL’s Northern ACEs Collaborative (NAC), a multisector collaborative of 28 agencies working in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Tehama, and Trinity counties.

Held in December 2025, the 4th Annual Rural ACEs Summit convened rural leaders, youth, practitioners, and state partners to explore how systems can better support children, youth, and families in rural Northern California. Focusing on listening to the lived experience of youth, aligning state and local efforts, highlighting rural innovations, and inspiring insight to action, this event provided an opportunity to strengthen the connection between policy and practice. This brief captures what we learned, what shifted, and what participants committed to doing next. Download the Brief