Installing trauma-informed care through the Tennessee Child Protective Services Academy.

Abstract

The Child Protective Services (CPS) Academy was designed to equip members of the child-welfare workforce with knowledge that would assist them with addressing trauma in the lives of children and families. In its design, the CPS Academy applied principles of trauma-informed care, integrating evidence-based research, and a variety of clinical strategies into a comprehensive training program. Over a 2-year period, 277 frontline workers completed training through the CPS Academy. Data were collected as part of a quality-improvement effort to gauge participant satisfaction with the training platform. Participants reported that all components of the training were beneficial and relevant to their work in child welfare. Participants also demonstrated statistically significant improvement in trauma knowledge after participation in the CPS Academy (z = −4.73, p < .001), regardless of their level of education or years of experience in child welfare, F(3, 196) = 1.85, p = .14, ηp2 = .03, 95% CI [0.00, 0.07]. Therefore, the content and structure of the CPS Academy can be implemented within large organizational systems to train child-welfare and CPS workforces efficiently and effectively.

Nationwide efforts for trauma-informed care implementation and workforce development in healthcare and related fields: a systematic review

“…Trauma-informed workforce initiatives within the child welfare system range from trauma education training programs in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas to multisystem approaches in South Carolina. 110,[113][114][115] Project Best, a statewide initiative in South Carolina, for example, relied on interprofessional collaboration to impact systems, resulting in improved trauma-informed practices and positive feedback about the community-based learning collaborative component. 110 In a multifaceted, statewide program spanning child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice in New Hampshire, the Partners for Change Project implemented case planning for youth who had been screened for trauma, multisystem collaboration, and evidence-based trauma treatments across systems, resulting in improvements in case planning, trauma screening, mental health referrals, and overall system performance.…”

Introduction to the special issue: Trauma-informed care for children and families.

“…Four articles discussed specific trauma-informed interventions for different aspects of the child welfare or mental health care systems. Kuhn and colleagues (2019) provide initial findings on a statewide Child Protective Services Academy program for staff across Tennessee. Participants completed a curriculum based on trauma-informed principles that consisted of education and training in specific practices that were evidence-based and trauma-informed.…”