Trauma Informed Agency Self-Assessment

From the Virginia HEALS project of Virginia Department of Social Services.

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.

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  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.

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  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.

Information on Trauma-Informed Care

There are 10 types of childhood trauma measured in the ACE Study. Information on Trauma-Informed Care from Dr. Allison Sampson-Jackson.

Virginia HEALS Systems of Care Virginia toolkit

A number of resources have been developed to support community and state-level implementation of the Virginia HEALS Model for the provision of services and referrals to children, youth, and families. The toolkit includes a family engagement guide, resource mapping, a screening tool for use with individuals who may have been victimized or have trauma impact, and a trauma informed agency assessment, among others.

Understanding Trauma in Children and Youth video

From the Fairfax Trauma-Informed Care Network

This session gives a primer on the lasting effects of trauma, and provides practical strategies for developing positive coping skills in children and youth with a history of trauma. Participants will enhance their ability to understand and handle challenging behavior in young people and learn how to develop a trauma-informed environment, focusing on strategies that minimize triggers and emphasize effective, asset-focused behavior management.

Hope & Healing through Animal Assisted Therapy

This booklet provides an overview of animal assisted therapy approaches and therapeutic benefits. Additional resources are cited.

Attachment and Trauma Network website

At the Attachment & Trauma Network, it is our mission to: Promote healing of traumatized children and their families through support, education and advocacy. The Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN) is the nation’s oldest parent-led organization supporting families of traumatized children.

The ATN website features resources and links to training and other information about trauma-related therapeutic parenting, trauma-sensitive schools and other trauma and attachment content.

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  ATN main website

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  Part of ATN, this website features school-specific resources

Helping Foster and Adoptive Parents Cope with Trauma

Helping Foster and Adoptive Parents Cope with Trauma from the American Academy of Pediatrics

Fact Sheet on Recognizing Trauma

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that may overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope.

Potentially traumatic events may include:

• Abuse (physical, sexual or emotional)
• Neglect
• Effects of poverty (homelessness, food insecurity)
• Witnessing domestic violence/abuse
• Separation from a loved one
• War zone or refugee experience
• Natural or man-made disaster

Fact Sheet on Recognizing Trauma from SCAN of Northern Virginia

1-2-3 Care – A Trauma-Sensitive Toolkit for Caregivers of Children

The 1-2-3 Care Toolkit is intended to support caregivers on their journey towards trauma sensitivity. It is organized by topic, each offering a brief overview, specific tools that can be used with children, and where to find more information. Also included are handouts that can be used as teaching aids.

1-2-3 Care – A Trauma-Sensitive Toolkit for Caregivers of Children from Spokane WA Regional Health District

Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

Factsheets for Families from The Children’s Bureau, HHS: Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

CAPPD: Practical Interventions to Help Children Affected by Trauma guide

CAPPD is an acronym developed by the Multiplying Connections Initiative that stands for CALM, ATTUNED, PRESENT, PREDICTABLE and DON’T Let the Child’s emotions escalate your own.

CAPPD: Practical Interventions to Help Children Affected by Trauma guide is put together by the Health Federation of Philadelphia

Special Issue of Therapeutic Parenting Journal

SCAN Fact Sheet on Trauma-Informed Organizations

What does it mean to be trauma informed? Trauma informed organizations make a commitment to understand trauma, how to respond to trauma, and how it affects those they work with. Being trauma informed is an organizational cultural change.

Fact Sheet on Trauma-Informed Organizations from SCAN of Northern Virginia.