In any given year, approximately one million children come to the attention of the US child welfare system. Many are victims of abuse or neglect, live with caregivers who are impaired, and/or deal with school and community violence as a fact of life. Identification and early intervention are crucial to helping children traumatized by maltreatment and other stresses. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed tools and materials for building skills and increasing knowledge about childhood trauma to help child welfare administrators, caseworkers, frontline staff, mental health personnel, and caregivers understand and respond to the needs of traumatized children. In addition to the NCTSN resources highlighted below, Child Welfare Professionals can learn more about creating trauma-informed Child Welfare Systems in the Trauma-Informed Care section of this website.
Supports caseworkers, supervisors, and all other levels of the child welfare workforce in implementing trauma-informed knowledge and skills in their daily interactions, professional services and organizational culture. The third edition of the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT) incorp
Increases understanding of the impact that parents’ own unresolved trauma can have on their capacity to engage with child welfare personnel, negotiate different aspects of the child welfare system, and safely parent their children.
Is a centralized resource for providers and resource parents who are using or interested in using Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: A Workshop for Resource Parents in their communities.
Describes how young children, school-age children, and adolescents react to traumatic events and offers suggestions on how parents and caregivers can help and support them.
Defines child traumatic stress. This fact sheet gives an overview of trauma, describes traumatic stress symptoms, and ways children may be impacted.
Offers information regarding child sex trafficking to child welfare professionals.
Is a collection of organizational assessment tools and processes, developed by the NYU Center for Child Welfare Practice Innovation, that supported the evaluation and implementation of trauma-informed practices within public and private agencies that provides child welfare services (e.g., child p
Provides an understanding of why it is important to talk to children about race-based hate, how to recognize signs of traumatic stress and its impact, how to begin a conversation with youth about anti-AAPI hate, and what can be done in response.
Offers child-serving providers information about child neglect and trauma.
Identifies the core competencies that STS-informed supervisors in any discipline should have. This fact sheet defines terms, outlines benchmarks for each competency, and offers supervisors guidance on ways...
Offers guidance to help those working with youth involved in multiple systems (YIMS) and their families to use a traumatic stress perspective and provide trauma-informed care.
Is designed for those working with youth involved in multiple systems using the Crossover Youth Practice Model. This supplement is a brief version of A Trauma-Informed Guide for Working with Youth Involved in Multiple Systems developed specifically for staff...