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  • Trauma-Informed Practice in Child Welfare

Trauma-Informed Practice in Child Welfare

To provide trauma-informed care to children, youth, and families involved with child welfare, professionals must understand the impact of trauma on child development and learn how to effectively minimize its effects without causing additional trauma. This section offers trauma resources for caseworkers, caregivers, and families that focus on understanding and treating trauma, training, and building trauma-informed child welfare systems. 

  • Understanding trauma
  • Building trauma-informed systems and policy issues
  • Helping Children Address Past Trauma
  • Resources on trauma-informed care for caseworkers
  • Resources on trauma for caregivers and families

How Can Investigation, Removal, and Placement Processes Be More Trauma-Informed? 
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Describes how child protection agencies are beginning to recognize the trauma caused by their interventions and are exploring ways to minimize additional trauma. 

How Does Investigation, Removal, and Placement Cause Trauma for Children?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Details how investigation, removal, and placement in out-of-home care are traumatizing to children and how this trauma must be taken into consideration when making child welfare decisions. 

SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2014)
Presents a working concept of trauma and a trauma-informed approach that is acceptable and appropriate across an array of service systems. This paper utilizes research, practice, and survivor knowledge to generate a framework for improving the capacity of multiple service systems and public institutions to better address the trauma-related issues of their communities.

Trauma-Informed Care 
Forkey et al. (2021)
Pediatrics, 148(2)
Summarizes best practices for delivering trauma-informed care to children and youth. 

Trauma-Informed Care 
Casey Family Programs (2019) 
Offers information on trauma-informed practice in child welfare, including resources related to how child welfare agencies can become more trauma informed. 

Trauma-Informed Innovative Practices: Insights From Children’s Bureau Discretionary Grantees on Addressing Trauma in Child Welfare (PDF - 429 KB) 
Murphy & Ingoldsby (2020)
James Bell Associates 
Presents innovations, successes, and lessons learned across trauma grantees to inform future trauma-informed initiatives in State and local child welfare agencies. 

Why Should Child Protection Agencies Become Trauma-Informed?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Discusses the importance of trauma-informed child welfare systems and how child protection agencies can benefit from becoming more trauma informed. 

(Back to Top)
 

Spotlight On

The Importance of a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System
Child Welfare Information Gateway
(2020)

Resource Guide to Trauma-Informed Human Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (2017)

Trauma-Informed Care

Casey Family Programs (2019)

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

National Strategy for Trauma-Informed Care Operating Plan (PDF - 688 KB)

Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care (2022)

Related Content

Child Welfare Practice Improvement

Trauma Screening Instruments in Child Protection

Trauma and Adolescent Development

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

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