Implementing trauma-informed care through social innovation in residential care facilities serving elementary school children

Abstract

Objectives: This article presents the theoretical basis, initial deployment strategies, and resulting preliminary findings of a program implemented in residential treatment centres (RCs) in child welfare. “Program Penguin” aimed to help workers develop trauma-informed attitudes and implement trauma-informed practices, make the workplace more responsive to the well-being of RC workers, and reduce the use of restraints and seclusion among school-aged children in RCs.
 
 Methods: Informed by the theories of complex trauma (National Child Traumatic Stress Network Complex Trauma Task Force, 2003), polyvicitimization (Finkelhor et al., 2007), Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC; Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2018) and Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2002), Program Penguin was developed and deployed using the social innovation approach (Fixsen et al. 2005). The key stages of social innovation will here be used to describe the implementation process.
 
 Results: Changes in practices were observed, RC worker attitudes towards trauma-informed care were assessed and showed strong effects between multiple covariables. RC worker support needs were identified, and a reduction in the use of restraints and seclusions was shown. Key strategies towards the development and maintenance of buy-in and meaningful change in practices are also described.
 
 Implications: Changes observed at all levels of this implementation suggest Programme Penguin is a promising approach, despite local issues that arose and the challenges inherent to program deployment within child protection settings. It appears a trauma-informed program using positive behavioural approaches and leveraging existing organizational strengths may impact intervention strategies, worker attitudes, and the use of restraints and seclusions against children in RCs.

Cognitive flexibility moderates the association between maltreatment and emotion regulation in residential care children of the middle childhood period

“…The results of this study show the importance of proper evaluation of children’s emotion regulation competencies as well as executive functioning at intake, as many children will display difficulties in both cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation, and these skills are associated with children’s functioning and rehabilitation. They also support the implementation of programs such as the Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency framework (Brend et al, 2020). This program was developed for poly-victimized children and their caregivers (parents and educators) and is currently being implemented in Quebec Child Protection Residential Care units (Brend et al, 2020).…”

“…They also support the implementation of programs such as the Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency framework (Brend et al, 2020). This program was developed for poly-victimized children and their caregivers (parents and educators) and is currently being implemented in Quebec Child Protection Residential Care units (Brend et al, 2020). Because this program is designed in a modular manner, activities targeting cognitive flexibility could be added to the Self-Regulation module for children who display poor cognitive flexibility.…”

National Guidelines for Trauma-Aware Education in Australia

“…(b) that include boarding accommodations where staff need to understand the impact of trauma and to help learners with transition to boarding school, homesickness, racism, cultural needs, and the capacity to feel safe, to emotionally regulate, and to build relationships with others (Lloyd and Pwerl, 2020). (c) that offer alternative or specialist education programs supporting learners who are not attending mainstream schools due to disengagement or behavioral concerns and who require the support of trauma-aware education programs (Brend et al, 2020). (d) servicing learners from refugee backgrounds whose families may have fled their home country due to persecution and may have experienced concerns including violence, family separation, exploitation, military recruitment, and trafficking (Baak et al, 2020;Lamb, 2020).…”

ARCCH Model of Resilience: A Flexible Multisystemic Resilience Framework

“…The ARC Framework was first applied in statewide clinical settings for children and youth impacted by trauma [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], child welfare or juvenile justice residential settings [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], and education settings [ 23 ]. Most investigations targeted the mental health (i.e., trauma symptoms such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) of predominantly White children and adolescents.…”