The following resources equip caseworkers with practical tools and strategies for working with traumatized children, youth, and families. Resource include State and local examples.
16 Trauma-Informed, Evidence-Based Recommendations for Advocates Working with Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (PDF - 236 KB)
DeBoard-Lucas, Wasserman, Groves, & Bair-Merritt (2013)
Futures Without Violence
Offers a set of concise and practical recommendations to help guide program staff and advocates in their daily work with mothers and families. The recommendations are drawn from a review of core components of evidence-based therapeutic intervention models for children exposed to intimate partner violence.
Birth Parents With Trauma Histories in the Child Welfare System: A Guide for Child Welfare Workers (PDF - 243 KB)
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2011)
Highlights the importance of understanding the consequences that trauma histories can have for birth parents and the subsequent potential impact on parenting abilities.
Complex Trauma: Facts for Service Providers Working with Homeless Youth and Young Adults The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2014)
Offers professionals information on how to support teens and young adults who are homeless and may have suffered multiple traumas.
Complex Trauma: Facts for Shelter Staff Working with Homeless Children and Families
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2014)
Provides guidance to shelter staff in how best to support the homeless children and families with whom they work.
| Series Title | Factsheets |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 532KB) Order (Free) |
| Year Published | 2016 |
Five Ways Trauma-informed Care Supports Children’s Development
Child Trends
Highlights five ways Trauma-informed Care (TIC), which encompasses a variety of approaches to working with children exposed to traumatic events, supports children's healthy development.
Reducing the Trauma of Investigation, Removal, and Out-of-Home Placement
Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services, Portland State University & Oregon Department of Human Services
Presents a collection of documents that explores the impact of trauma on children involved in child abuse and neglect cases and strategies for reducing trauma by supporting children and adolescents during investigation, removal, and out-of-home placement.
That Wall Is Around My Heart: Family Centered Practice
Friedman
Journal of Family Strengths, 11(1), 2011
Presents a clinical case study that demonstrates the continuing impact of childhood trauma on the interpersonal patterns of behavior within the family. The author explores effective ways for family-based service program staff to address those interpersonal patterns using a family-centered approach.
Trauma and Parenting: A Practice Brief (PDF - 160 KB)
ACS-NYU Children's Trauma Institute (2012)
Explores the role of trauma in the lives of parents who are involved in the child welfare system.
Trauma-informed Care Tip Sheets
Safe Start Center
Provides a list of trauma-informed care tip sheets for various agencies and professionals working with children who have been exposed to violence.
| Series Title | Issue Briefs |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 443KB) Order (Free) |
| Year Published | 2015 |
Understanding Trauma and its Impact on Child Clients
Klain (2014)
ABA Child Law Practice, 33(9)
State and local examples
Children and Trauma: An Evaluation of the Bronx Child and Adolescent Witness Support Program (PDF - 139 KB)
Green (2009)
Examines the effectiveness of a program in the Bronx, New York that provides mental health assessment and intervention services immediately following a child's exposure to violent crime and offers individual, family, and group therapy and referrals to help children and their families overcome trauma.
Real Life Heroes Pilot Study: Evaluation of a Treatment Model for Children With Traumatic Stress
Kagan, Douglas, Hornik, & Kratz
Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 1(1), 2008
View Abstract
Describes a program in Albany, New York, in which practitioners help traumatized children and families enhance safety and understand the impact of trauma, attachment, affect modulation, coping skills, and trauma processing. Results indicate a reduction in child and parent self-reports of trauma symptoms. Also see the practitioner's manual.