NEWS

ACHIA spreads best practices in strengths-based approaches

by Cason Benton, MD, FAAP, Director, Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA)

The Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA) faculty had the pleasure of conducting strengths-based approaches workshop with AL-AAP Spring Meeting attendees at The Lodge at Gulf State Park in early May. The strength-based approach improves outcomes by encouraging a family’s growth and competency-building across time.

During the workshop, Cason Benton, MD, FAAP, and Elizabeth Dawson, MD, FAAP, shared best practices from ACHIA’s 2024 Trauma-Informed Care and Resilience (TICR) quality improvement collaborative. The room was alive with conversations as the attendees practiced weaving the HELP principles – Hope, Empathy, Language, Loyalty and Permission, Partnership and Plan into clinic visits.

For more information on the TICR collaborative, visit

https://www.achia.org/healthybeginnings2024ticr.

2026 collaborative on firearm safety counseling coming soon!

ACHIA is also gearing up for its 2026 quality improvement collaborative on firearm safety counseling. Recruitment of practices will begin this fall; for now, visit our website at www.achia.org or reach out to Beth Johns at bjohns@alaap.org for more information

This article first appeared in the Second Quarter 2025 Edition of the Alabama Pediatrician Newsletter.