Are We Trauma-Informed? Tools to Measure Progress in a Program, School, or Organization [chdi.org]

By Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc., October 1, 2019

Interest in trauma-informed approaches across child-serving systems has surged in the past two decades. This interest has largely been in response to research showing that most children experience at least one potentially traumatic event by the age of 17 years¹, together with the strong relation between childhood trauma exposure and problems with health, mental health, and other concerns across the life span.² Trauma-informed approaches integrate understanding of trauma throughout a program, organization, or system to enhance the quality and scope of services for those affected by trauma.³ However, there is a lack of research on how to measure and evaluate a trauma-informed approach. How do staff measure the extent to which a program, school, or organization is trauma-informed? How do managers/leaders know whether the trauma-informed efforts of their programs, schools, or organizations are effective in promoting thriving among children, families, and staff?

 Defining Key Components of a Trauma-Informed Approach

Although there is variation in how a “trauma-informed approach” is defined, one review⁴identified 15 common components that can be organized into three categories. In order to determine whether an initiative is trauma-informed, it is important to assess these components:

1. Workforce development involves promoting knowledge of trauma (for instance, through staff trainings and a healthy workforce).
2. Trauma-focused services include screening and access to trauma-focused interventions. 
3. Organizational environment and practices include policies and practices that promote trauma-related communication and collaboration.

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