USC Student Health makes a commitment to being a leader in college health and campus public health, continually deepening our understanding of the whole person who arrives at USC.

We utilize patient-centered health care and community-centered health promotion as two very powerful processes to create health. This happens through the individual attention each patient receives AND the comprehensive attention to our setting that the whole population shares and distinct communities moves through each day.

At USC Student Health, we see the whole you and the world that surrounds you as essential to creating health.

Our team is centered on seeing and listening to each individual, understanding their context and questions, and providing them with the services, support, and guidance that can help them become empowered in making wise health decisions, both during their time at USC and throughout their lives.

Focus Area: ACEs, Toxic Stress, and Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed practices are embedded into the fabric of our organization.

Our medical providers have completed training as part of the ACES Aware, a program for medical providers on adverse childhood experiences and their impacts on a person’s health. This brings in to our organization a fundamental recognition of toxic stress and its potential roots in adverse childhood experiences. Trauma-informed care training is regularly provided for all Student Health employees.

Learn more about ACEs in the presentation video below:

View the first featured video in the presentation, from “The Power of Positive Experiences” from numberstory.org:

View the final featured video in the presentation, from “What is a Number Story” from numberstory.org:

Additional Resources

For Educators: Safe Spaces Training Program

• Foundations for Trauma-informed Practice and Educational Care Settings, for teachers of ages 0-5, 5-11, and 12-18 (in English and Spanish)

For Parents:

• Sometimes ACEs have affected an entire household, or multiple generations. If you are a parent trying to break the cycle, give yourself grace, and acknowledge all you are holding for your self and your family. Learn more about parenting and ACES, and support for families and communities, including how to get help right now.

For Everyone:

• Toolkits and Multi-lingual Resources: View the resources available from the Office of the California Surgeon General.

• Good browsing on social media: See mynumberstory (the ACE Resource Network) on Instagram: