By becoming Trauma-Informed and Responsive (TIR), adults working with children and youth and child-serving organizations can play a vital role in supporting the healthy development of all children.
Individuals and organizations working with children, youth and families have a unique opportunity to make a positive difference in their lives by:
- Realizing the widespread impact trauma can have on child development and behavior
- Recognizing and responding to the impact of traumatic stress on children, caregivers and service providers
- Actively working to avoid re-traumatizing children through their own actions or inactions
- Taking an active role in promoting healing and positive childhood experiences
The Massachusetts Childhood Trauma Task Force, which is led by the state Office of the Child Advocate, developed a Framework for Trauma-Informed and Responsive Organizations in 2020. This guide is meant to help child-serving individuals and organizations better understand the many different opportunities they have to foster healing and avoid amplifying traumatic stress. The Framework includes:
- Five Guiding Principles to help organizations become TIR
- Five Key Action Steps an organization can take to implement the Guiding Principles and make a positive difference for children, youth and families
Implementing this framework will require time, effort, support and financial resources. Some organizations have already adopted many of the practices in this framework, while for others, these ideas may be newer and require more effort to implement. Wherever you are at, the Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma is here to help:
- Learn more about trauma as well as healing and prevention strategies
- Review the Guiding Principles and Key Action Steps to better understand how you can make a difference
- Check out the Resources and Training materials on our site, and check back as we continue to add more resources over time.
- Get in touch if you would like additional information or would like to explore partnering with us to support your agency’s journey to support children in a trauma responsive way.