A Grassroots Prototype for Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System Change.

CHILD welfare; ATTITUDE (Psychology); CAREGIVERS; CHANGE; DECISION making; HEALTH care teams; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; MATHEMATICAL models; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL referrals; MEDICAL screening; POST-traumatic stress disorder; QUESTIONNAIRES; RESEARCH; SCALE analysis (Psychology); SOCIAL workers; T-test (Statistics); EVIDENCE-based medicine; THEORY; PROFESSIONAL practice; HUMAN services programs; PRE-tests & post-tests; DESCRIPTIVE statistics

The development of trauma-informed child welfare systems (TICWSs) that advance individual agency practice to target transformation of the system as a whole has been conceptualized but not documented. A grassroots effort to build a TICWS with key participants (e.g., Department of Human Services, Community Mental Health, Family Court, schools) in nine Michigan communities provides a field tested model for implementation. This article described what emerged as the core elements for a TICWS, which includes (1) development and support of a project champion, (2) trauma identification, (3) comprehensive assessment of traumatic impact, (4) evidence based trauma treatment, (5) establishing a common trauma language, and (6) trauma-informed decisionmaking. Several new instruments for assessing a TICWS are identified. Lessons learned are highlighted for consideration of communities seeking to develop TICWSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Child Welfare is the property of Child Welfare League of America and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)