Breaking the Cycle: ACEs, Trauma, and Utah’s Path to Healthier Children

Utah is taking a historic step to confront childhood trauma and its lifelong impact. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., and ACE data show that 65.7% of Utah adults have experienced at least one ACE, while 1 in 4 have experienced three or more. These early adversities shape mental health, physical health, educational outcomes, and long-term economic stability. Childhood trauma — particularly sexual abuse — is far more common than many realize and often goes unnoticed or unaddressed.

We’ll be joined by three leading experts — Dr. R. Neal Davis, Holly Willard, and Dr. Brooks Keeshin — who will explore the science, clinical realities, and community impact of ACEs and childhood trauma. After their discussion, Sage Hancock, Executive Director of GenerationAll, will close the webinar by introducing Utah’s Healing Generations initiative, the first statewide ACE screening pilot of its kind.

Presented in partnership with GenerationAll, the panel will examine the full landscape of ACEs: what they are, why they matter, and how early adversity — especially child sexual abuse — affects lifelong mental and physical health. They will discuss the profound costs of untreated trauma, the protective power of early identification, and the roles families, pediatricians, schools, faith communities, and communities can play in breaking cycles of harm. The session will also introduce Utah’s new legislative effort (HAR0130) to reimburse validated trauma screenings, a policy designed to help children receive support before crisis occurs. This conversation will give Utahns a clear understanding of the problem, the path forward, and the hope that comes from prevention and healing.

As GenerationAll emphasizes, “the question is not whether Utah pays for childhood trauma — the question is whether we pay for it early through prevention, or later through healthcare, incarceration, child welfare, and crisis services.”

This webinar will give Utahns the knowledge, tools, and hope needed to help break generational cycles of harm and build a healthier future for all children.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

Dr. R. Neal Davis, MD, MS, serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer for Intermountain Children’s Health in the Canyons Region, where he leads clinical strategy, quality improvement, and system-wide innovation to advance pediatric care. A committed physician-executive, he blends frontline clinical experience with deep operational expertise to strengthen care coordination, expand access, and elevate outcomes for children and families. Dr. Davis is known for championing evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and compassionate, family-centered care. His leadership focuses on building resilient clinical teams, improving patient safety, and driving initiatives that support healthier communities. With a career rooted in service and continuous improvement, Dr. Davis plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of pediatric health across Intermountain’s growing regional network.

Holly Willard, LCSW, RPT-S, completed her master’s in social work at the University of Utah in 2000 and earned her LCSW in 2002. She has worked across school counseling, residential care, foster care, outpatient clinics, and private practice, developing deep expertise with children, teens, and families. Holly specializes in gender-specific therapy, attachment difficulties, and play therapy, and she teaches as an adjunct professor at both the University of Utah and Westminster. A frequent contributor to local television and radio, she presents nationally on play therapy and previously served as President of the Utah Play Therapy Board. Holly is the founder and Executive Clinical Director of Grandview Family Counseling, and in 2022 she launched Grandview for Good, a nonprofit providing accessible, evidence-based mental health services for under-resourced individuals and families experiencing trauma or grief.

Dr. Brooks Keeshin is a nationally recognized pediatrician and child abuse pediatrician specializing in trauma, child maltreatment, and human trafficking. He serves as the Medical Director of the Center for Safe and Healthy Families at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and is a leading clinical expert in trauma-informed care for children and adolescents. Dr. Keeshin’s work integrates medical evaluation, mental health treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration to support survivors and strengthen community response systems. He is widely respected for his research, clinical leadership, and advocacy focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable youth. Through his clinical practice, statewide partnerships, and national training efforts, Dr. Keeshin plays a pivotal role in advancing evidence-based approaches to prevention, early identification, and healing for children impacted by abuse and exploitation.

Sage Hancock, MBA is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of GenerationAll, a Utah-based organization working to drastically reduce the generational impact of trauma, specifically sexual violence. She leads efforts to strengthen community systems by partnering with trauma-informed experts to address root causes rather than symptoms. Under Hancock’s direction, GenerationAll advances three core strategies: expanding public awareness of childhood trauma’s long-term effects, supporting healing for survivors and families, and driving policy change that creates safer, more responsive communities. Recently, she launched the GenerationAll Policy Center (GAP Center) which passed legislation earlier this year in Utah to further ACE screenings in healthcare settings. With a background in nonprofit leadership and systems-level advocacy, Sage is known for her collaborative approach, strategic clarity, and commitment to building environments where individuals and families can heal and thrive. Her leadership continues to expand GenerationAll’s reach and impact across Utah and beyond.

Moderator:
Dr. Susan R. Madsen is considered one of the top global scholars and thought leaders on the topic of women’s leadership, has authored or edited nine books, and has published hundreds of articles, chapters, and reports. Her research has been cited in the U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Chronicle of Higher Education, and The Washington Post. She is also a regular contributor to Forbes and other local and state newspapers. Professor Madsen is a Professor of Leadership in Extension at Utah State University and serves on many nonprofit and community boards. She is also the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project, the visionary behind Utah’s A Bolder Way Forward, and her passion is to strengthen the impact of girls and women in Utah and worldwide.