Trauma and Trauma-Sensitive Schools

This page features a number of external and FFF resources on childhood trauma, responding to trauma and trauma-sensitive schools. Click the "For educators" box below to limit search results to those resources that may be particularly helpful to school personnel. In addition to services and supports at schools, Virginia regional Community Services Boards offer behavioral health services for children and families. Emergency services and crisis response are among the supports offered by CSBs. Local CSBs can be found at https://dbhds.virginia.gov/community-services-boards-csbs .

Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School videos– produced by Formed Families Forward as part of our work with the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports project. Under 10 minutes in length, each video provides an introduction to critical trauma content.

The videos include:
1) Understanding Trauma
2) Responding to Trauma
3) Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools

Three fact sheets are designed to support the Trauma Sensitive Responses at Home and School video series.

Individual Fact Sheets are available as separate documents, and all three fact sheets in one document. Accessible text versions of all fact sheets are also available in English and Spanish.

 

  • Video, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video Series

  • Factsheet, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Fact Sheets for Videos 1 through 3

  • Factsheet, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video 1 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma

  • Factsheet, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video 2 Fact Sheet Responding to Trauma

  • Factsheet, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video 3 Fact Sheet Trauma Sensitive Schools

  • PDF, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video 1 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma accessible version

  • PDF, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video 2 Fact Sheet Responding to Trauma accessible version

  • PDF, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    Video 3 Fact Sheet Trauma Sensitive Schools accessible version

  • Document, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    SPANISH Video 1 Fact Sheet accessible version

  • Document, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    SPANISH Video 2 Fact Sheet accessible version

  • Document, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    SPANISH Video 3 Fact Sheet accessible version

  • PDF, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    ARABIC Video 1 Fact Sheet

  • PDF, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    ARABIC Video 2 Fact Sheet

  • PDF, Trauma Training Videos & Fact Sheets: Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

    ARABIC Video 3 Fact Sheet


Trauma Training Videos from FFF – Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School

Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School videosproduced by Formed Families Forward as part of our work with the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports project. Under 10 minutes in length, each video provides an introduction to critical trauma content. 

The videos include:
1) Understanding Trauma
2) Responding to Trauma
3) Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools

  • Website, Trauma Training Videos from FFF – Trauma Sensitive Approaches for Home and School


Connection, Curiosity and Compassion presentation at LCPS Mental Wellness conference
January 27, 2024

Presented at the Loudoun Co. Public Schools Mental Health and Wellness conference on January 27, 2024, this presentation focused on how to regulation and connect with your children, so they feel safe, seen and valued.

  • PDF, Connection, Curiosity and Compassion presentation at LCPS Mental Wellness conference

    Presentation slides


LGBTQ family resources

A collection of linked resources for families raising LGBTQ+ children, youth and young adults, and professionals and communities who support them.

  • Document, LGBTQ family resources

    FFF Building LGBTQ Awareness and Acceptance webinar training and related resources

  • Website, LGBTQ family resources

    Family Acceptance Project LGBTQ Youth and Family resources

  • Website, LGBTQ family resources

    The Trevor Project

  • Website, LGBTQ family resources

    The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (The National SOGIE Center)


Self Care: How to Take Care of Yourself So You Can Take Better Care of Others

Originally broadcast live on May 9, 2023, this webinar from FFF’s Renee Myers offered an overview of typical parenting stressors, self-care techniques and approaches for making a self-care plan for the upcoming summer break.

  • Video, Self Care: How to Take Care of Yourself So You Can Take Better Care of Others

    Recording of webinar

  • PDF, Self Care: How to Take Care of Yourself So You Can Take Better Care of Others

    Copy of presentation slides


Trauma and Developmental Disabilities webcast series from VCU

This series of three webcasts from VCU Autism Center for Education, presented by Dr. Ruth Brown, were made available in February, March and April 2023.

  • Webinar, Trauma and Developmental Disabilities webcast series from VCU

    Webcast Part 1: The Essential Messages of Trauma Responsive Practices

  • Webinar, Trauma and Developmental Disabilities webcast series from VCU

    Webcast Part 2: Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses

  • Webinar, Trauma and Developmental Disabilities webcast series from VCU

    Part 3: Trauma Responsive Strategies for the Classroom


Critical Crossroads: Resources for Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Children and Youth with Disabilities webinar

On March 8, 2023, FFF hosted a live webinar featuring the new Critical Crossroads videos and other resources. Provided here is a re-recording, that does not include time for the pre-and post-tests or Q & A that were included in the live webinar.

  • Video, Critical Crossroads: Resources for Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Children and Youth with Disabilities webinar

    Recording of Critical Crossroads resources webinar March 2023


How Trauma Informed Care Can Benefit Children and Youth with Disabilities – Critical Crossroads Infographic

This infographic from Formed Families Forward’s Critical Crossroads resources overviews the issues around trauma impact on children and youth with disabilities.

  • Infographic, How Trauma Informed Care Can Benefit Children and Youth with Disabilities – Critical Crossroads Infographic

    Critical Crossroads Infographic


Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Schools Toolkit

From the National Center for School Safety  and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, this toolkit offers school personnel, families and other stakeholders guidance and strategies for implementing trauma-informed and resilience-oriented schools.

  • Toolkit, Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Schools Toolkit


3 Tips to Improve Communication with Your Youth & Young Adults tip sheet

This tip sheet provides parents and allies of youth and young adults with lived experience of a mental health condition tips be able to improve their connection with them. This tip sheet was developed as a collaboration between the family member and young adult advisory boards that work with the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research at University of Massachusetts. The tips are based on advisory board members’ real experiences.

  • Factsheet, 3 Tips to Improve Communication with Your Youth & Young Adults tip sheet


Resources for Loss of Parents and Caregivers
October 27, 2022

In October 2022, the federal Administration on Children and Families (ACF) issued a Dear Colleague letter offering resources and links for families and professionals supporting children who have been impacted by the loss of parent or caregiver

  • Website, Resources for Loss of Parents and Caregivers

    Dear Colleague Letter


Trauma Responsive Educator Project (TREP)

The TREP Project was launched in 2016 with a policy brief on the educational consequences of the chronic toxic stress of living in high crime communities. The TREP Project works to develop the individual and organizational capacity of educators and schools serving children growing up in neighborhoods that have high levels of toxic stress, such as violent crime, concentrated poverty, concentrated foster care involvement, and housing instability.

Affiliated with the University of Chicago, the Project offers professional learning courses, online resources and a Magazine.

  • Website, Trauma Responsive Educator Project (TREP)

    TREP Educator website


Social Emotional Learning (SEL): What Families Should Know fact sheet
January 08, 2022

This fact sheet from the Northern Virginia Family Network, of which FFF is an active member, provides an overview of social emotional learning efforts in the schools. It offers families information about how they can be involved in SEL efforts in their children’s schools.

  • Factsheet, Social Emotional Learning (SEL): What Families Should Know fact sheet

    SEL Fact Sheet


Trauma Learning Modules from Va Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS)

These online modules from the Virginia Department of Education’s Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports project. They are designed for school personnel to support the journey to becoming a trauma-sensitive school.

The six modules are focused on the following topics:

  • Module 1: Introduction to Trauma and Becoming a Trauma-Sensitive School
  • Module 2: Families and Communities as Partners
  • Module 3: How Trauma Impacts Learning
  • Module 4: Strategies and Classroom Practices (academic, social-emotional learning, trauma-sensitive environments, regulation, cognitive problem solving, relationships, school-wide discipline, self-care)
  • Module 5: Implementation and Systems (division, staff, administrators)
  • Module 6: Resilience
  • Website, Trauma Learning Modules from Va Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS)


Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)

A description of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. TBRI is a an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors.

  • Website, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)


The 3-5-7 Model—Helping Children Work Through Grief

This article from NACAC describes the 3-5-7 Model used to treat children and youth.

The 3-5-7 Model is designed to help professionals and parents work with children and youth to address these issues of grief and loss. It is an evidenced-informed, guided practice approach that supports the work of children and parents in grieving their losses and rebuilding their relationships in an effort to achieve well-being, safety, and permanency. The model incorporates theoretical underpinnings from child development, attachment, separation and loss, trauma, family systems, and relationship development.

  • Website, The 3-5-7 Model—Helping Children Work Through Grief


Addressing Student and Educator Trauma from REL Appalachia

From the Regional Educational Lab (REL) Appalachia Cross-State Collaborative, several resources from Spring 2020 on Addressing Student and Educator Trauma.

  • Document, Addressing Student and Educator Trauma from REL Appalachia

    Menu of Trauma Informed Programs for Schools

  • Document, Addressing Student and Educator Trauma from REL Appalachia

    Common Trauma Symptoms and Strategies for Educators

  • Document, Addressing Student and Educator Trauma from REL Appalachia

    Resources on Addressing Student and Educator Trauma from REL Appalachia


Trauma-Sensitive Schools Learning Modules

Trauma-Sensitive Schools Learning Modules from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

  • Website, Trauma-Sensitive Schools Learning Modules


Regulation “Clip Chart” Tools

Tools for supporting elementary and for middle and high school students in self-regulation. From Heather Forbes, Beyond Consequences Institute.

  • PDF, Regulation “Clip Chart” Tools

    Regulation Tool for Middle and High School

  • PDF, Regulation “Clip Chart” Tools

    Regulation Tool for Elementary School


Applying a Trauma-Informed Framework to the IEP Process: From Referral to Development

This book from LRP Publications, dated 2020, takes a step-by-step approach to addressing trauma as a part of IEP development — from referral to family engagement, report writing, and IEP design and implementation. Authors offer guidance to develop effective, compliant IEPs for these vulnerable students.. The book is available for purchase. FFF has a copy, feel free to contact us to learn more about the book or borrow at our office.

  • Book, Applying a Trauma-Informed Framework to the IEP Process: From Referral to Development

    Link to Book, LRP Publications


How to Address Your Child’s Concerns about COVID

This Fact Sheet from Formed Families Forward in July 2020 pulls from a number of mental health and education resources to share specific strategies and suggested language to use with preschool children, school-age students and adolescents to address concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

We thank our summer 2020 interns from GMU Clare Yordy and Austin Guske for their contributions to this resource.

  • Factsheet, How to Address Your Child’s Concerns about COVID


Systems of Trauma: Racial Trauma issue brief from FACT Va

From Family and Children’s Trust Fund of Virginia, this issue brief focuses on defining and exploring racial trauma and cites examples of approaches used in Virginia communities to proactively address racial trauma.

  • PDF, Systems of Trauma: Racial Trauma issue brief from FACT Va