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 http://www.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 Series
Fact Sheets for Videos 1 through 3
Video 1 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma
Video 2 Fact Sheet Responding to Trauma
Video 3 Fact Sheet Trauma Sensitive Schools
Video 1 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma accessible version
Video 2 Fact Sheet Responding to Trauma accessible version
Video 3 Fact Sheet Trauma Sensitive Schools accessible version
SPANISH Video 1 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma accessible version
SPANISH Video 2 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma accessible version
SPANISH Video 3 Fact Sheet Understanding Trauma accessible version
Trauma Training Videos from FFF – 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
Northern Post Adoption Regional Consortium
Funded by Va Department of Social Services, the Northern Post Adoption Regional Consortium offers case management, crisis supports, training, and other services for post-adoptive families. It is a partnership between The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.), Lutheran Family Services, Children’s Home Society and NACAC to offer post adoption services and supports.
All families who have finalized adoptions of children ages birth through 18 years and reside in Virginia are eligible for services at no cost. This includes families that have adopted domestically, internationally and through foster care.
Consortium Flyer for families
Consortium Flyer for professionals
Website
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.
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.
Pandemic Parenting: Brain Science, Help and Hope
This webinar from Formed Families Forward was broadcast live on May 18, 2020. Find the full recording, and 5 accompanying handouts here.
Recording of Pandemic Parenting webinar
Pandemic Parenting webinar slides
NCTSN Fact sheet: Supporting Children during COVID
Self Care Assessment
FFF Trauma Videos flyer
FFF Trauma Videos fact sheets
Integrating and Installing Trauma Informed Approach within PBIS Framework
Trauma training modules from MidWest PBIS Network.
Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event
From the Child Mind Institute.
In the wake of a traumatic event, your comfort, support and reassurance can make children feel safe, help them manage their fears, guide them through their grief, and help them recover in a healthy way. This guide was assembled by psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health experts who specialize in crisis situations. It offers simple tips on what to expect, what to do and what to look out for.
Childhood Trauma: Understanding, Supporting, and Preventing online modules
A self-paced online module, created by the Military Families Learning Network’s Early Intervention team to explore childhood trauma, disability, and trauma-informed practices in early childhood settings.
The interactive module includes four units that cover the prevalence and impact of trauma, manifestation of trauma in young children, providing trauma-informed supports, and preventing future trauma. It is designed to be a high-level overview of the topic and a starting point for professionals working with young children and their families.
Trauma-Informed IEPs: Differential Diagnosis and Trauma-Informed Assessment in Schools webinar slides
Slides from a 2011 National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) webinar presented by M. Elizabeth Ralston, PhD, Dee Norton Lowcounty Children’s Center
Lisa J. Bernard, EdS, Charleston County School District
Ben Atchison, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Western Michigan University
Audra Langley, PhD, UCLA
Full webinar recording is available at https://learn.nctsn.org/mod/nctsnwebinar/view.php?id=9454
Webinar slides
Children’s Trauma Assessment Center at Western Michigan Univ
The Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center was established to provide assessments for children who have experienced trauma and adverse childhood experiences. The CTAC team also provides professional training and coordinates projects in order to create trauma-informed systems and services.
The Center’s website includes a variety of resources as well as information about how to access the Center’s services.
Books for Children and Youth about Adoption and Foster Care
The CreatingAFamily.org website compiles a list of fiction and nonfiction books about foster care and adoption. Books are described and suggested age ranges are listed. Books for adults are also suggested.
Suggested books for children, youth and adults on foster care
Suggested books for children, youth and adults on adoption
Trauma Informed Systems Change Instrument
This 19-item measure assesses agency and individual factors related to trauma-informed systems. Appropriate for education, family, child welfare, health and other services systems. The linked article provides psychometric data re: the instrument.
Richardson et al., journal article re TCSCI
Trauma Sensitive School Checklist
This schools checklist is designed by
Lesley University, Center for Special Education and the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative of Massachusetts Advocates for Children and the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School
Trauma Informed Agency Self-Assessment
From the Linking Systems of Care for Children Virginia project.
The Trauma Informed Agency Self-Assessment was created for agencies and organizations from a variety of fields (child welfare, behavioral health, public health, juvenile justice, education, early childhood development, housing, and victim advocacy) to assess where they fall in a continuum of trauma-informed care and to engage them in a process of setting agency improvement goals.
Trauma Informed Agency Self Assessment tool
FACT of Virginia trauma resources
These resources from Family and Children’s Trust Fund (FACT) of Virginia include issue briefs exploring trauma and trauma-informed care, including trauma informed schools.
FACT of Virginia issue briefs
Trauma-Informed Practices: Considerations for the IEP meeting
This fact sheet from Kennedy Krieger Institute offers suggestions of trauma-sensitive practices and procedures for preparing for and holding Individual Educational Program (IEP) meetings. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students who access special education services have a documented IEP.
The Trauma Aware Educator online course
The Trauma Aware Educator: Understanding the Science of Childhood Trauma and Its Impact on Students online course from the Australia-based Trauma Informed Positive Behavior Support (TIPBS).
This is an online course designed to answer frequently asked questions about the foundational concepts of trauma informed practice for educators and educational leaders.
Childhood trauma affects the physical, emotional, and social development of children and adolescents. In order to minimize harm, teachers and school leaders need to respond appropriately using trauma-informed practices and policies.
In this course, you will:
- explore the impact of trauma on students and
- understand the neuroscience behind the behaviours presented by students who have experienced complex trauma
This course is a primer for the Trauma Informed Positive Behaviour Support (TIPBS) online course and is suitable for teaching staff and education leaders who want to improve their professional practice, and is relevant to most school contexts worldwide. It may also be of interest to health and social care workers.
Trauma Sensitivity During the IEP Process
This 4 page guide from the Federation for Children with Special Needs in Massachusetts offers information on Sharing Information, Trauma-Sensitive Evaluations, Trauma-Sensitive Meetings and Trauma-Sensitive IEPs.
Resource Collection on Trauma Informed Care
This comprehensive collection of resources (documents, webinars, videos, websites) on childhood trauma, trauma-informed care, trauma sensitive schools and more is organized by topic. Topical collections include:
- Basic Information about Trauma
- What is Trauma Informed Care?
- Trauma and Specific Populations
- Building Trauma Informed Schools
- Responding to Disasters
From the national Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR).
Children and Trauma: What Can You Do? FFF Fact Sheet
Child traumatic stress refers to the physical and emotional responses of a child to events that threaten the life or physical integrity of the child or of someone critically important to the child (such as a parent or sibling). Traumatic events can overwhelm a child’s capacity to cope. Children may feel terror and powerlessness; they may act out. The fact sheet provides information to understand the types of trauma, potential responses to the trauma and ways to support a child who has experienced trauma.
Responding to Children Impacted by Trauma FFF fact sheet
It is often difficult for parents and caregivers to know how best to respond to their children’s behavioral and emotional needs. Download our fact sheet for proven strategies for responding to children impacted by trauma.