Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone is aware of existing trauma-informed competencies for staff of human services agencies? We are specifically looking for child welfare, but would be interested in any information, especially research, in related fields.
Thanks!
Cambria
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I'm thinking Alison Moran at U-Albany has some. Try sswceu@albany.edu
The Multiplying Connections Cross System Training Institute, which included staff from child welfare, developed a set of core competencies for trauma informed developmentally appropriate care - while the focus was on children, many are applicable across ages and systems
I was researching some materials for a concept paper on Trauma-informed policies for my organization about a year ago. I produced an annotated bibliography and here are some relevant references.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. There are a lot of materials out there about "agencies" becoming trauma informed, but I find the materials more about organization, policies, procedures, décor - etc. But the TRUTH if the matter is that it's not an organization that becomes trauma informed, it is the staff. It's people. It's mindset and resultant behavior in acting toward others. What I HAVEN'T seen is any materials on that basic idea.
Agencies don't support people. People support people. Help is one on one - from the waiting room staff, to the therapist in the office - to the case worker in the field. Interaction is one on one. Sure - environment is important (a nice non-threatening waiting room, warm colors, etc.) but the bottom line is always people.
An agency can have all kinds of TIC activity going on, but if ALL of their staff are not aware of their mindset and resultant behavior towards the folks they support - all the best policies and procedures don't mean a thing.
So - that being said, I developed a flyer and hung it up in different places for my staff to look at and consider. We discuss the ideas behind it in supervision. All it is, is a series of clarifying questions about individual staff behavior based on the six underlying principles of what it is to practice Trauma Informed Care. (Kind of a Socratic Method approach to figuring out one's own behavior and attitude to fit in an overarching paradigm.)
I don't have any resources to point you toward - but I think these ideas will point you in a direction that will work for you and the folks you work with.
Small and fast presentation last night on Building Resilience Mindfully... essentially looking within consistently as we deliver our TI message. It will be posted soon on Resilient Sacramento's site, its small but exactly related to your post.
Ron Arnold posted:I've been thinking about this a lot lately. There are a lot of materials out there about "agencies" becoming trauma informed, but I find the materials more about organization, policies, procedures, décor - etc. But the TRUTH if the matter is that it's not an organization that becomes trauma informed, it is the staff. It's people. It's mindset and resultant behavior in acting toward others. What I HAVEN'T seen is any materials on that basic idea.
Agencies don't support people. People support people. Help is one on one - from the waiting room staff, to the therapist in the office - to the case worker in the field. Interaction is one on one. Sure - environment is important (a nice non-threatening waiting room, warm colors, etc.) but the bottom line is always people.
An agency can have all kinds of TIC activity going on, but if ALL of their staff are not aware of their mindset and resultant behavior towards the folks they support - all the best policies and procedures don't mean a thing.So - that being said, I developed a flyer and hung it up in different places for my staff to look at and consider. We discuss the ideas behind it in supervision. All it is, is a series of clarifying questions about individual staff behavior based on the six underlying principles of what it is to practice Trauma Informed Care. (Kind of a Socratic Method approach to figuring out one's own behavior and attitude to fit in an overarching paradigm.)
I don't have any resources to point you toward - but I think these ideas will point you in a direction that will work for you and the folks you work with.
As a researcher,
I am evaluating a training program for staff in a school district. We are beginning to evaluate staff who are administrative and support after they have one of the trauma based trainings you can find at this site. The trainings are intense and very supportive. The organization is next going to train the teachers and then parents and we will evaluate each. That way there will hopefully be an umbrella of safety for the preschoolers and the teachers will be self regulated enough to help the children become so as well.
Hi, Abigail -- Do you know if the trauma-based trainings included ACEs science (edpidemiology...ACE Study, neurobiology of toxic stress, health consequences of toxic stress, epigenetic consequences of toxic stress and resilience research)?
Cheers, Jane
Hi Cambria,
The Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery is free as an ebook: http://www.blueknot.org.au/ABO...-Guidelines/Download
The clinical section has 21 guidelines. Although on p89 there are just four dot point guidelines for trauma specific services which seems more practical for non-clinical staff:
1 client and worker safety, both physical and emotional
2 The importance of respect for clients, provision of information, possibilities for connection and instillation of hope
3 recognition of symptoms as adaptive rather than pathological
4 the need for collaborative work with clients which is affirming of their strengths and resources
They cite Jennings, 'Models for Developing Trauma-informed Behavioural health Systems and Trauma Specific Services', p16 for this.
Not exactly competencies as such. The Guidelines contains a lot of background to their points.
Graham
