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Professional Area-Specific Resources

These resources are specific to individual professional fields, such as child welfare, education, or the judicial system. Please explore the links below and let us know if you have any suggestions for additional resources.

If you have any suggestions or comments, you can contact us at: CCWT@mass.gov

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Becoming Trauma Informed: A Guide for Child Serving Programs & Organizations
Becoming Trauma Informed: A Guide for Child Serving Programs & Organizations

Professionals working with children can use Michigan’s guide to assess the degree to which their organization incorporates trauma-informed principles into its practices and/or develop a plan for becoming a TIR organization.

SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (2014)
SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (2014)

This guide is foundational for any professional working in a child-serving organization or agency. SAMHSA’s concept paper lays out the three “E’s” of trauma (Event, Experience of Event, and Effect), 6 key principles of a trauma-informed approach guidance for implementing a TIR approach in 10 different domains.

Advancing Health Equity and Racial Justice in Children’s Behavioral Health (2019)
Advancing Health Equity and Racial Justice in Children’s Behavioral Health (2019)

Connecticut designed this toolkit for those seeking to reduce racial injustice and health disparities within organizations, services, and communities. Although the title references “health equity,” the document can be used by any professional interested in how cultural competency can transform their practice.

Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach for LGBTQ Youth: A Two-Part Resource for Schools and Agencies
Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach for LGBTQ Youth: A Two-Part Resource for Schools and Agencies

Child-serving professionals from all sectors can use this resource to learn more about the prevalence of trauma among LGBTQ youth and the benefits of adopting a TIR approach in schools and youth-serving organizations.

NCTSN’s Transforming Trauma in LGBTQ Youth
NCTSN’s Transforming Trauma in LGBTQ Youth

Professionals from all sectors will find this series from NCTSN’s Learning Center useful for concrete strategies and recommendations for working with LGBTQ youth who have experienced trauma, including how to increase access to services, create a safe environment for care, and work with families and schools.

Environmental Components for Trauma-Informed Care
Environmental Components for Trauma-Informed Care

Child-serving professionals wanting to ensure their organization’s physical environment and staff interactions are TIR will find this checklist very useful. The document also includes a specific checklist for residential settings.

ACEs Connection’s Resource Collection
ACEs Connection’s Resource Collection

For those wanting more resources, this webpage contains a wide array of guides, toolkits, presentations, podcasts, and videos that address TIR care in various sectors and for different cohorts of youth. The resource list is updated periodically by ACEs Connection staff.

Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Developing a Trauma-informed Child Welfare System (2015)
Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Developing a Trauma-informed Child Welfare System (2015)

This report provides a broad overview of trauma and protective factors among youth in contact with child welfare systems. Organizations who wish to become TIR can use this guide for more information on screening and assessment, workforce development, training & support, data collection/systems, EBTs, funding, and more.

Trauma-informed Practice with Young People in Foster Care (2012)
Trauma-informed Practice with Young People in Foster Care (2012)

Organizations working with youth in foster care can use this guide to understand what TIR practices in foster care involve and how they can be implemented to promote positive development for adolescents.

Boston Public Health Commission: Trauma-informed Early Care and Education Breakthrough Series Collaborative: A Toolkit for Teachers, Caregivers, and Staff (2016)
Boston Public Health Commission: Trauma-informed Early Care and Education Breakthrough Series Collaborative: A Toolkit for Teachers, Caregivers, and Staff (2016)

Based on the collaborative work of teachers, administrators, parents, and child trauma experts, this comprehensive toolkit covers ways to create TIR spaces for children to thrive as well as provides concrete examples of challenges and successes organizations face when becoming TIR.

NCTSN’s Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators (2008)
NCTSN’s Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators (2008)

Educators will find this guide helpful to understand the psychological and behavioral impact of trauma for students at different developmental stages (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school) and tips for educators to cope with compassion fatigue (secondary traumatic stress).

Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System (2010)
Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System (2010)

Child welfare professionals that work with immigrant or refugee families can use this guide to assess and address traumatic stressors. When working with immigrant families, use this guide to build concrete strategies to integrate TIR care within existing policies/procedures, incorporate cultural competence in community partnerships, etc.

NCTSN’s Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (2020)
NCTSN’s Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (2020)

Caseworkers, supervisors, and all other professionals of the child welfare workforce can use this training toolkit to implement TIR knowledge and skills in their daily interactions, professional services, and organizational culture. This toolkit includes training of varied lengths adapted to specific roles/positions.

Organizational Self-Assessment for Trauma-Informed Care Practices in Youth Residential Settings
Organizational Self-Assessment for Trauma-Informed Care Practices in Youth Residential Settings

This 5-page organizational assessment tool will help professionals in youth residential settings assess, plan, prepare, implement and utilize technology to make their organization TIR.

Child Trends’ Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Policies and Strategies for Early Care and Education (2017)
Child Trends’ Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Policies and Strategies for Early Care and Education (2017)

This guide discusses interventions and programs that can be integrated into the classroom to support children and families who have experienced trauma; therapeutic programs adapted to the early care and education context; models to increase partnership between EEC and community service providers.

Understanding Stress and Resilience in Young Children: Video Series (2020)
Understanding Stress and Resilience in Young Children: Video Series (2020)

This video series provides the perspectives of parents, Head Start staff, health care professionals, and others on the issues of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and resilience. The series includes two videos: one for a general audience (21 min) and one for Head Start staff (7 min).

Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Tutorial 7–Recognizing and addressing trauma in infants, young children, and their families
Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Tutorial 7–Recognizing and addressing trauma in infants, young children, and their families

Early childhood mental health consultants, in addition to Early Head Start and Head Start staff, will find this tutorial helpful to understand childhood trauma, recognize the developmental context of trauma in early childhood, and extend their knowledge for intervention through consultation.

Unlocking the Door to Learning: Trauma-informed Classrooms & Transformational Schools (2014)
Unlocking the Door to Learning: Trauma-informed Classrooms & Transformational Schools (2014)

In addition to information about trauma in school-age children, this guide provides examples of what a TIR classroom looks like—with examples of “traditional” approaches to a student’s behavior and TIR approaches. Educators and administrators will also find this guide helpful to revise school discipline.

NCTSN’s Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators (2017)
NCTSN’s Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators (2017)

Educators can use this resource to understand the interplay of race and trauma and how it affects their students. In addition to tips about what educators can do, this guide provides helpful information on the effects of racial trauma by age groups.

Trauma-sensitive Schools Training Package (2018) by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments
Trauma-sensitive Schools Training Package (2018) by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments

School leaders can use this four-phase training package to help their school become TIR. Each phase includes tools and resources for implementation, such as online modules, action guides, activity packets, or PowerPoint presentations.

Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Supportive School Environments for Children Traumatized by Family Violence (2005)
Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Supportive School Environments for Children Traumatized by Family Violence (2005)

This resource from the Trauma and Learning Policy Institute provides an in-depth approach to TIR classrooms, including an overview of the educational consequences of exposure to family violence and ways to support traumatized children in schools. Of note, this guide describes the “Flexible Framework” used in MA schools.

SAMHSA’s Implementation Guide for Behavioral Health Program Administrators
SAMHSA’s Implementation Guide for Behavioral Health Program Administrators

Behavioral health providers and administrators can learn about TIR approaches to program delivery, staff development, organizational policies & procedures, administrative practices, and organizational structure. The guide also discusses the ethics of TIR care, the implementation of TIR supervising, and vicarious trauma.

NCTSN’s Consultation in Pediatric Settings (2010)
NCTSN’s Consultation in Pediatric Settings (2010)

Mental health providers will find this 1h30 webinar helpful to understand the ways mental health providers can work with pediatric medical providers to ensure traumatized children receive care. Primary care providers are essential allies in efforts to identify and respond to young children affected by trauma.

Creating Safe Health Care Environments for Patients and Staff (2018)
Creating Safe Health Care Environments for Patients and Staff (2018)

Health care professionals wanting to create safe environments for staff and patients will find this one-pager useful for improving the physical, social, and emotional safety of primary care facilities.

18 Recommendations for Integrating Trauma Informed Approaches into Pediatric Care (2018)
18 Recommendations for Integrating Trauma Informed Approaches into Pediatric Care (2018)

Boston Medical Center’s guide gives recommendations for implementing TIR measures with all patients, regardless of whether the practitioner is aware of a specific trauma history. It discusses changes to make to build environments, workforce training, patient empowerment, and staff awareness.

Key Ingredients for Successful Trauma-informed Care Implementation (2016)
Key Ingredients for Successful Trauma-informed Care Implementation (2016)

Professionals can use this brief as a method for overcoming many of the challenges inherent to measuring and evaluating the implementation of TIR care. In particular, it discusses workforce training and wellness, facility environment, practice delivery and patient engagement/satisfaction, and health outcomes.

Creating Safe Health Care Environments for Patients and Staff (2018)
Creating Safe Health Care Environments for Patients and Staff (2018)

Health care professionals wanting to create safe environments for staff and patients will find this one-pager useful for improving the physical, social, and emotional safety of primary care facilities.

NCTSN’s Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress Toolkit for Health Care Providers (2014)
NCTSN’s Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress Toolkit for Health Care Providers (2014)

This compendium of tools guides medical professionals in effectively assessing and treating medically traumatic stress (emotional & physical) in children and families. It is anchored by the D-E-F Protocol for trauma-informed care to respond to Distress, offer Emotional support, and ensure Family-centered TIR care.

Introductory Trauma-Informed Care Videos
Introductory Trauma-Informed Care Videos

These short videos developed by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) shed light on why health care providers across the nation are embracing a trauma-informed approach to care. They are ideal for use in meetings, employee training, and presentations. Available in English and Spanish.

NCTSN’s Trauma: What Child Welfare Attorneys Should Know (2017)
NCTSN’s Trauma: What Child Welfare Attorneys Should Know (2017)

Child welfare attorneys can use this guide to learn more about how trauma impacts the youth they work with and resources for incorporating TIR practices into legal representation, such as tips on how to avoid triggering clients with prior trauma or how to advocate for them during placement decisions & transitions.

NCTSN’s Trauma-informed Legal Advocacy: A Resource for Juvenile Defense Attorneys (2018)
NCTSN’s Trauma-informed Legal Advocacy: A Resource for Juvenile Defense Attorneys (2018)

Juvenile defense attorneys can use this guide to learn about TIR legal advocacy, the effects of trauma on the attorney-client relationship, how to increase clients’ physical & psychological safety, help reduce potential reactions to triggers, or understand how trauma assessments are in the best interest of the client.

NCTSN’s Trauma-informed Juvenile Court Self-assessment (2019)
NCTSN’s Trauma-informed Juvenile Court Self-assessment (2019)

Any juvenile justice professional can use this guide to implement a TIR approach into the day-to-day operations of the juvenile justice system. This guide provides concrete steps to implement a TIR approach in four phases: exploration, preparation, implementation, and sustainment.

NCTSN’s Newcomer Immigrant Youth in Juvenile Justice Court Proceedings: A Trauma-informed Approach (2019)
NCTSN’s Newcomer Immigrant Youth in Juvenile Justice Court Proceedings: A Trauma-informed Approach (2019)

Juvenile court judges will find this two-page “bench card” helpful to understand the possible traumatic experiences immigrant youth face before, during, and after migration. Specifically, this two-pager includes ways judges can ask questions to make culturally sensitive decisions & support youth with adequate services.

Trauma-informed Courts: How to Create One and Why You Should (2019)
Trauma-informed Courts: How to Create One and Why You Should (2019)

Judges wanting to make their courtroom TIR will find this opinion piece helpful to understand the benefits of creating a trauma-informed court, as well as a few practical measures on how to do so. It emphasizes the importance of the environment of the courtroom itself as something that must be TIR.

NCTSN’s Creating a Trauma-Informed Law Enforcement System (2008)
NCTSN’s Creating a Trauma-Informed Law Enforcement System (2008)

This brief demonstrates the effectiveness of partnerships between law enforcement and communities to integrate a TIR approach to police interactions within the community. It showcases examples of successful community policing programs adopted throughout the United States.

Trauma-Informed Policing: A Special Set of Tools for Law Enforcement
Trauma-Informed Policing: A Special Set of Tools for Law Enforcement

This short and clear PowerPoint presentation discusses different types of trauma, how trauma can manifest itself, and tips for how law enforcement can support people who have experienced trauma. It also addresses how officers can cope with repeated exposure to traumatized individuals and traumatic incidents.

NCTSN’s Cops, Kids, and Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Training Video
NCTSN’s Cops, Kids, and Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Training Video

This 21-minute training video is helpful for police officers responding to domestic violence disputes where children are present. After watching it, officers will be equipped to help children feel safer regardless of how they react to the DV incident and subsequent police intervention.

Trauma Informed Community Building: A Model for Strengthening Community in Trauma Affected Neighborhoods (2014)
Trauma Informed Community Building: A Model for Strengthening Community in Trauma Affected Neighborhoods (2014)

Though originally written for public housing professionals, this report provides a TIR approach to community building. It explains how community trauma hinders community-building efforts, how to overcome these challenges, and offers strategies for TIR community building.

Integrating a Trauma Informed Approach with Youth Development Programs (2018)
Integrating a Trauma Informed Approach with Youth Development Programs (2018)

Professionals working in youth development programs (e.g., mentoring programs, sports) will find this report helpful to understand the importance of applying a trauma-informed approach to the design and operation of youth development programs. This report identifies three key components for implementing a TIR approach.

Trauma Responsive Coaching
Trauma Responsive Coaching

Sports coaches working with youth will find this 5-page document helpful to recognize and support youth who have experienced trauma. The tip sheet provides coaches with concrete practices to adopt, a TIR coaching plan, examples of “strength-based” (rather than “deficit-based”) comments when outside help is needed.

Much to Do About Trauma: A Systematic Review of Existing Trauma-Informed Treatments on Youth Violence and Recidivism
Much to Do About Trauma: A Systematic Review of Existing Trauma-Informed Treatments on Youth Violence and Recidivism

This systematic review provides an overview of the use of trauma-informed treatment in juvenile justice settings and provides recommendations for practice and future research.

Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory
Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory

Surgeon General Advisory: This U.S. Surgeon General Advisory offers recommendations for supporting the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. Included in this Advisory are actionable strategies for young people and their families, schools and health care systems, technology and media companies, employers, community organizations, and governments alike.

Building Resilient Children: Final Report
Building Resilient Children: Final Report

This report outlines a pilot project that trained early childhood teachers in Massachusetts in techniques for recognizing trauma and racial inequity, coached them in behaviors and classroom structures that supported children, and empowered them to create change in early childhood education to build childhood resilience and advance racial equity.

Building Resilient Children: Final Report
Building Resilient Children: Final Report

This report outlines a pilot project that trained early childhood teachers in Massachusetts in techniques for recognizing trauma and racial inequity, coached them in behaviors and classroom structures that supported children, and empowered them to create change in early childhood education to build childhood resilience and advance racial equity.

Risk of premature death in adulthood influenced by patterns of early childhood adversity
Risk of premature death in adulthood influenced by patterns of early childhood adversity

In this study that spanned five-decades, researchers aimed to examine how the cumulative number and clustering patterns of ACEs were related to premature mortality. It was found that about half of the cohort experienced early life adversities that clustered into four distinct pat[1]terns, which were associated with different risk of premature mortality.

Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-Informed Care

Summary: To practically address trauma and promote resilience, pediatric clinicians need tools to assess childhood trauma and adversity experiences as well as practical guidance, resources, and interventions. In this clinical report, you will find practical advice for rendering trauma-informed care across varied medical settings.

Parents and Providers: Partnering with Healthcare Providers to Respond to Bullying
Parents and Providers: Partnering with Healthcare Providers to Respond to Bullying

The information discussed in this fact sheet is based on the comprehensive review of bullying research presented in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s report entitled Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and Practice.

Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation’s Classrooms
Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation’s Classrooms

This training toolkit is made up of two modules that address bullying in classrooms. Specifically, it is designed for trainers to assist teachers in cultivating meaningful relationships with students while creating a positive climate in the classroom.

Responding to Reports of Bullying | Supporting and Restoring Students’ Senses of Safety
Responding to Reports of Bullying | Supporting and Restoring Students’ Senses of Safety

This tipsheet is meant to be a guide for schools to develop plans that address harm experienced by students and create a safe environment to prevent future incidents.

NCTSN Bench Cards for the Trauma-Informed Judge
NCTSN Bench Cards for the Trauma-Informed Judge

Provides judges with useful questions and guidelines to help make decisions based on emerging scientific findings in the traumatic stress field. These bench cards assist judges and court-appointed professionals in doing mental health assessments of children.

Essential Components of Trauma-Informed Judicial Practice
Essential Components of Trauma-Informed Judicial Practice

This issue brief provides information, specific strategies, and resources that many treatment court judges have found beneficial.

The Trauma-Informed Judicial System- Creating Safe Spaces for Tribal Youth
The Trauma-Informed Judicial System- Creating Safe Spaces for Tribal Youth

This document consists of a trauma-informed self-review checklist. The checklist has been adapted by utilizing the nine key domains of a trauma-informed approach as identified by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice.

Establishing a Trauma-Informed Lawyer-Client Relationship
Establishing a Trauma-Informed Lawyer-Client Relationship

The second article in a two-part series presents strategies for building stronger, more trauma-informed attorney-client relationships with youth.

Integrating Trauma Informed Care and Solution Focused Strategies
Integrating Trauma Informed Care and Solution Focused Strategies

This guide focuses on the importance of taking trauma into account when interviewing children who have been traumatized. By using this guide, attorneys can more successfully understand their clients’ needs and therefore more ably advocate for them

NCTSN’s Being Anti-Racist is Central to Trauma-Informed Care: Principles of An Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed Organization
NCTSN’s Being Anti-Racist is Central to Trauma-Informed Care: Principles of An Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed Organization

Child-serving professionals in any sector can use this resource that offers actionable principles that organizations and child-serving systems can implement to move toward the fundamental transformation of becoming anti-racist and trauma-informed.

A holistic trauma-informed approach for every treatment court role: maximizing team members’ effectiveness in interpersonal interactions
A holistic trauma-informed approach for every treatment court role: maximizing team members’ effectiveness in interpersonal interactions

This webinar is about trauma-informed approaches for treatment courts.

GAINS Webinar: Fostering Trauma-Informed Practices in Your Courtroom: Approaches for Judges, Courts
GAINS Webinar: Fostering Trauma-Informed Practices in Your Courtroom: Approaches for Judges, Courts

This webinar discusses key concepts on the importance of adopting a trauma-informed approach in drug treatment courts and how to implement trauma-informed practices.

The Developmentally and Trauma-Informed Police Officer Webinar
The Developmentally and Trauma-Informed Police Officer Webinar

Held on July 30, 2019 and hosted by OJJDP in conjunction with the International Association of Chief’s of Police, this webinar offered key information about typical human development, coupled with information about signs/symptoms of acute traumatic exposure, and strategies for officers to intervene effectively on-scene.

Trauma-Informed Communication: What to Expect When Interacting with Victims of Sexual Assault and Trauma
Trauma-Informed Communication: What to Expect When Interacting with Victims of Sexual Assault and Trauma

Identifying the signs and symptoms of trauma is the first step for a responding officer in an effective initial interaction with victims of sexual assault. This brief can help build a supportive rapport with the victim which can impact the victim’s recovery and engagement in the investigation and prosecution.

Trauma-Informed Resource for Prosecution Involving Juveniles
Trauma-Informed Resource for Prosecution Involving Juveniles

NCTSN created this guide as a resource to help prosecutors take steps to build a more just justice system. Prosecutors are in the unique position of working for the community, charged with pursuing justice while working within a law enforcement system.

Trauma-Informed Prosecution Resource
Trauma-Informed Prosecution Resource

The purpose of this presentation is to give prosecutors a basic understanding of trauma and how it affects their cases. The presentation will give you the fundamentals of trauma and how it manifests in the mind and body. With this knowledge, the presentation seeks to connect the effects of trauma and how it affects witnesses, crime survivors, and those accused of crimes. The presentation will provide real-life examples of interactions prosecutors have with individuals throughout their case and how to approach those interactions in a trauma-informed manner.

Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI)
Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI)

The APA is offering the Cultural Formulation Interview (including the Informant Version) and the Supplementary Modules to the Core Cultural Formulation Interview for further research and clinical evaluation. They should be used in research and clinical settings as potentially useful tools to enhance clinical understanding and decision-making and not as the sole basis for making a clinical diagnosis.

Understanding Intergenerational Trauma
Understanding Intergenerational Trauma

This 1-page resource provides information on what is intergenerational trauma. It also provides insight into how intergenerational trauma can be identified.

Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards
Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards

The Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards (FTC Standards) represent the accumulated knowledge of over 25 years’ practice experience and scholarly research. The Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards (FTC Standards) have been written to reflect the practice shift toward person-centered, strengths-based, family-focused, and action-oriented practices.

How Trauma-Informed Courts Can Improve Outcomes for Children and Families
How Trauma-Informed Courts Can Improve Outcomes for Children and Families

Watch the full Learning Network session, “How Trauma-Informed Courts Can Improve Outcomes for Children and Families,”. The Pathways Learning Network convened on December 15 to hear how courts in Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee have implemented trauma-informed policies and programs to better support children and families.

Building a Trauma Informed Juvenile Court
Building a Trauma Informed Juvenile Court

In this webinar, learn how Metro Nashville Juvenile Court is creating a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and restorative court in which practices are streamlined to match the best available evidence-based community resources for each individual child. Learn how these practices are improving outcomes for children and youth.