ACE Nashville outlines data protections, advocacy centers and push for closed‑loop referrals

Kylan Hadley, coordinator for ACE Nashville at the Metro Public Health Department, told the Commission that ACE Nashville has evolved from its 2015 community health assessment roots into a collective impact initiative focused on promoting positive childhood experiences and preventing the lifelong effects of adversity.

Hadley described ACE Nashville’s braided backbone model—Metro Nashville Public Health Department serves as administrative backbone while Nurture the Next handles fiscal responsibilities—and said the group recently completed a year‑long strategic planning process to sharpen priorities. She explained the collective impact model’s five conditions and singled out shared measurement and data protections as priorities.

Hadley outlined a proof‑of‑concept with a company called Asimio that encrypts data so information never leaves an organization but can be compared across partners to detect service overlaps and referral gaps. The pilot involved three organizations and was deemed successful; Hadley said plans exist to scale the effort.

On services, Hadley highlighted “advocacy centers” located in all 80 elementary schools in Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS); these centers are staffed by full‑time coaches who help children regulate and reenter classrooms, and include child‑led activities and calming resources. She also said MNPS reached 100% of faculty and staff with trauma‑informed frameworks training in 2021, and described Handle With Care, a partnership where police notify schools when a child experiences a traumatic event.

Hadley flagged funding constraints—some programs are recurring but face future challenges—and identified leadership needs for ACE Nashville’s policy collaborative and parent/community engagement work groups. She invited attendees to join work groups and to contact ACE Nashville for more information.