Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)

I thank everyone for their opening statements. As full disclosure, I sit on the ACI board. It is lovely to see you in real life. We do not get many opportunities. My first question is about adverse childhood experiences, ACEs. All of the witnesses spoke about the importance of ACEs. When screening for ACEs in addiction services, sometimes there is a push and pull. A therapist is trying to screen for ACEs but also is trying to forge a relationship with the person before going into intrusive questions about their past. Then the therapist has to fill out forms like in the audit because they need to get the person into a treatment service. How can that be done ethically and safely? I recall having to do it with one woman and the story always stuck with me. A lot of people looking at addiction treatment services are not even aware of their own trauma. I had to ask her a question and she said she never had any adverse experience. Then she said she would sit at the table and eat her dinner and if she did not want to eat her dinner, her mother would force-feed her until she vomited. To her, that was not an ACE. How do we it ethically and safely? Do we also need to teach the people coming into the services what ACEs actually are?