UCS and Head Start/Early Head Start of Bennington County host panel discussion on adverse childhood experiences

United Counseling Service (UCS) and Head Start/Early Head Start of Bennington County, hosted a panel discussion about the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACES) on October 16 at the Berkshire Family YMCA in Bennington, VT. Around 40 community partners serving the local area attended the event, which provided information about adverse childhood experiences and answered questions from attendees to support them in serving individuals, children and families.

Panel speakers were Jenna Struble, Director of Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) at UCS, Keili Trottier, Assistant Director of Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Services at UCS, and Mariam Shah, UCS Outpatient Clinician. The discussion centered on ACES and included how to identify them, understanding ACES, and how to create protective factors to buffer against the negative effects of ACES on physical, mental and emotional health.

This event is the first in a series of discussions on ACES, the next occurring in January 2026. To learn more about ACES, please visit acesaware.org. Please visit ucsvt.org for information about UCS and the programs and services it provides, including Head Start/Early Head Start, across Bennington County.