Trauma Informed Curriculum

Supplemental Curriculum Resource Reviews: Trauma-Informed Services and Systems

Introduction & Review Rubric

This document provides description of key curricular resources that instructors may obtain for integrating content on trauma-informed practice in undergraduate or graduate courses in professional schools or applied sciences and arts programs. The curricula resources were selected based on four criteria:

• accessibility (e.g., free or low cost, easy to obtain)
• ease of use
• focus on child welfare as well as trauma-informed practice in child-welfare related contexts (such as dependency courts)
• utility for both discipline specific and interdisciplinary courses in academic setting

The reviews provide detailed information that will allow instructors to select and obtain materials that may be suited to their courses.  Our intention in structuring this resource review is to facilitate the instructor’s ability to include content on trauma-informed practice in academic courses. Additionally, it  is intended to strengthen curriculum and skill building goals in preparing students for working with children and families with histories of trauma.

The review assumes instructors have fundamental knowledge with the literature on trauma and trauma-informed practice.  The materials here may be easily adapted for classroom use. Some resources, such as online trainings, may be assigned as a special project or assignment.  Types of resources reviewed are clearly identified with a table at the beginning of the review.

Each review includes an evaluative statement about the appropriate audience for the training materials.  

1. Introductory.  Includes materials that provide foundational knowledge about trauma, the impact of trauma, and basic elements of trauma-informed practice.  Materials are appropriate for BA level students or foundation year Master of Social Work students.  
2. Intermediate. Materials and activities are appropriate for advanced year Master in Social Work (or other Masters level students) with some foundational knowledge in trauma-informed practice and trauma-specific services.  May also be appropriate for training in practice settings for review and practice of theories, skills, and models for trauma-informed practice.
3. Advanced.  Designed for professionals in practice settings interested in developing more advance practice skills, developing skills for supervision, and/or advancing trauma-informed systems changes.    

I. Begin Curriculum Review

Title: Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit, 2nd Edition

Author/Organization: National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) – Learning Center

Availability: http://nctsn.org/products/child-welfare-trauma-training-toolkit-2008. NOTE: Download for free with registration

Audience: The Special Topics section of the NCTSN website is designed to provide free resources for students, mental health and other helping professionals, researchers and other interested professionals.  

The materials available in the NCTSN Learning Center provide educational and training resources aimed at improving standards of care and services for children and families who have experienced trauma.  The Child Welfare Training Toolkit is designed to help professionals and students develop knowledge, skills and values to work effectively with children who have experienced trauma and who are involved in the child welfare system

The Trainer’s Guide is divided into 14 modules supported by information found in the Comprehensive Guide. The 14 modules vary in length, and together total approximately 13 training hours. The curriculum can be presented in two full days, eight hours each day (including a one-hour lunch break and two 15-minute breaks); in four half-day sessions; in seven two-hour sessions; or as stand-alone modules (as a multi-session in-service training). The Trainer’s Guide contains tips and guidance for presenting the content and conducting training activities, as well as materials that instructors may use in the training ( PowerPoint slides, audio clips, video clips, and supplemental handouts).

The website provides access to live training sessions in each of the seven topic areas outlined above.  (See “Train the Trainer” video section).  In addition to providing a valuable resource to prospective teachers or trainers, students could be assigned to view specific training segments on-line.

The toolkit was developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, in collaboration with the following organizations:

• Rady Children's Hospital, Chadwick Center for Children and Families
• Child and Family Policy Institute of California (CFPIC)
• California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC)
• California Institute for Mental Health (CIMH)

Level: Intermediate and advanced.

Titles: Three online courses focused on domestic violence

Course Topics: 

1. Trauma and trauma informed care
2. Cultural competency
3. Working with undocumented survivors.

Author: Office on Violence Against Women

Availability: Free. Access through the Office on Violence Against Women and Witness Justice:

http://www.trainingforums.org/lms/index.php

Audience: Social work, health, mental health, occupational therapy, and other social service providers.

Description:

Three e-learning courses may be taken on-line and documented through a certificate when the online course and quizzes are complete.  The Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care course explores the causes, impact, experience, and types of trauma as it relates to domestic violence survivors, and delves into the nature, application and implementation of trauma-informed care. The Cultural Competency course covers how culturally appropriate and effective services can be created and provided by professionals in domestic violence service settings and covers the importance of mastering culturally sensitive attitudes, skills, and behaviors.  The Working with undocumented survivors: Focus on Domestic Violence and Immigration Law course addresses specific issues for undocumented survivors of domestic violence. Special attention is placed on the unique needs and considerations of immigrants.

These training models are well-designed and provide an outstanding overview of each of the selected topics. Each on-line training provides a narrated PowerPoint presentation that is advanced at the students’ preferred pace. Students are afforded an opportunity to respond to quiz questions at the end of each segment of the modules to both test and reinforce understanding of content. A final test is available for each course and a certificate is available for students who successfully complete the course.  Each of the courses may take between one to two hours to complete, depending on the pace of individual students. This online resource may be an excellent adjunct to courses in human services, health, and justice studies. Material is relevant to, but does not focus extensively, on cross-systems collaboration.  

Level:  Intermediate

Title: Trauma-Informed Care: Perspectives and Resources

Author: Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development - National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health

Availability: Free. http://gucchdtacenter.georgetown.edu/TraumaInformedCare/

Audience: Local and state child-serving systems (including early childhood programs), providers, families, youth, and young adults.

Description:

A web-based, video-enhanced resource tool designed to augment the ongoing efforts at the federal, state, local, and provider levels to support leaders and decision-makers at all levels (national, state, tribal and local) to create trauma-informed services and systems.  This tool is comprised of issue briefs, video interviews, and resource lists and tells a story of implementation of trauma-informed services and offers guidance and resources to help you on your implementation journey. The video interviews are of national, state, tribal, and local leaders in many child-serving systems; developers of evidence-based treatments and practices; physicians; researchers; administrators of provider organizations; clinicians; youth and young adults; families; and advocates who share lessons learned and identify remaining gaps. Youth and their families provide client perspectives on the need for trauma-informed practices and the impact of trauma-informed care on their lives. Stakeholders in selected states share lessons learned over a 1-year period of intensive efforts to become more trauma-informed. The issue briefs provide an introduction and overview for each of the tool’s eight modules. The comprehensive resource lists support users in understanding how to build trauma-informed systems and organizations.

The resource contains eight modules:

• Module 1: Understanding the Impact of Trauma
• Module 2: Trauma-Informed Child-Serving Systems
• Module 3: Creating Trauma-Informed Provider Organizations
• Module 4: Evidence-Based Treatments Addressing Trauma
• Module 5: Public Health Approach and Cost-Benefits of Trauma-Informed Care
• Module 6: Youth and Family Perspectives on Trauma-Informed Care
• Module 7: One Year Later
• Module 8: What’s Next? The New Frontier for Research and Practice in Trauma-Informed Care

Level: Intermediate and advanced.  Many of the module materials or brief videos could easily be integrated into assignments or lectures for classes.  Overall, the materials are suited to leading or participating in systems improvement efforts.  Other archived webinars and resources on this site may be of interest to instructors.

Title:  Creating Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Systems

Author: Chadwick Trauma Informed Systems Dissemination and Implementation Project (CTISP-DI)

Availability: Free. https://ctisp.org/

Audience: Child welfare professionals and students training for work in professional child welfare.

Description:  This eLearning course teaches the basics about trauma-informed child welfare and is a good introduction to the concept for those who have not delved into the resources included in the Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice Toolkit (summarized below).  It was developed by CTISP-DI and the Public Child Welfare Training Academy in San Diego, CA.  The module can be completed online in approximately 90 minutes and addresses the following objectives.

• Define Child Traumatic Stress and recognize factors that contribute to a child’s experience and reaction to trauma
• Define the 7 Essential Elements of a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System
• Explain the process for assessing children exposed to trauma
• Describe the core elements of evidence-based trauma treatment
• Recognize the signs of secondary traumatic stress in professional staff and caregivers in the child welfare system, and identify personal and systemic strategies in managing secondary traumatic stress
• Identify resources for creating trauma-informed child welfare systems

The authors also provide a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice Toolkit designed to assist both individuals and greater systems in their efforts to create a more trauma-informed child welfare system.  It includes a variety of tools and resources that are designed to provide guidance, support, and practical suggestions that can be utilized across service systems.  The toolkit consists of five documents:

• Creating Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Systems: A Guide for Administrators  (2nd Edition ).
• Desk Guide on Trauma-Informed Child Welfare for Child Mental Health Professionals.
• Desk Guide on Trauma-Informed Mental Health for Child Welfare. This 20-page guide, plus 2 pull-out inserts, is designed to assist child welfare workers and supervisors in understanding mental health services that are available for children and families in the child welfare system.
• Guidelines for Applying a Trauma Lens to a Child Welfare Practice Model. Designed to be a resource for child welfare agencies as they update or articulate their current practice model.
• Trauma System Readiness Tool. A community assessment tool that can be completed by individuals within the child welfare workforce to determine the trauma-informed nature of their system.

Level: Intermediate and advanced.

Titles: Varied titles from inSocialWork Podcast Series

Author: Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development - National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health

Availability: Free. inSocialWork® Podcast Series

Audience:  Social work students, educators and professionals.

This Podcast series (http://www.insocialwork.org/) features conversations with prominent social work professionals, interviews with cutting-edge researchers, and information on emerging trends and best practices in the field of social work. Several of the podcasts below are relevant to address secondary trauma among social service providers and models for trauma-inform

• Episode 162 - Ellen Fink-Samnick: Fostering Professional Resilience: The Professional Resilience Paradigm  - Reviews 6 building blocks for professional resilience.
• Episode 157 - Dr. Joanne Cacciatore and Kara Thieleman: Witness to Suffering: Mindfulness and Compassion Fatigue Among Traumatic Bereavement Professionals and Volunteers   - A resource for when there is the death of a child
• Episode 148 - Dr. Erin Kelly: Workplace Violence and Staff Well-Being: Everyday Hassles and Acute Crises
• Episode 133 - Elaine Hammond: Burnout and Self-Care in Social Work
• Episode 117 - Kori Bloomquist: Social Worker Self-Care: Practice, Perceptions, and Professional Well-Being
• Episode 98 - Professor Susan Green and Dr. Thomas Nochajski: The Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC)
• Episode 79 - Brian Farragher: The Sanctuary Model: Changing the Culture of Care - Transforming Human Services (part 2 of 2)
• Episode 77 - Brian Farragher: The Sanctuary Model: Changing the Culture of Care - It Begins with Me (part 1 of 2)
• Episode 74 - Dr. Brian Bride: Collateral Damage: The Impact of Caring for Persons Who Have Experienced Trauma
• Episode 65 - Marion Bogo: Doing, Thinking, Then Doing Again: Reflective Practice in Field Education
• Episode 50 - Dr. Judith Herman: Justice from the Victim's Perspective
• Episode 11 - Dr. Shelly Wiechelt: Cultural and Historical Trauma: Affecting Lives for Generations
• Episode 10 - Dr. Sandra Bloom: The Sanctuary Model: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Treatment and Services

Level: Intermediate

II. Links to Additional Curriculum and Training Resources

Trauma-Specific Organizations

Trauma-Informed and Trauma Specific S

Child Welfare Resources that Include Trauma

Cultural Competence

These materials were produced by the Child Welfare Partnership for Research and Training (CW-PART) at San Jose State University School of Social Work.  CW-PART is funded, in part, through support from the California Social Work Education Center.  The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of CalSWEC.

4.24.2016