By Krista Goldstine-Cole, EdD, co-principal investigator, Into the Black Box study of developmental adversity, Billings, Montana - April 25, 2023
A team of researchers at the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences has launched Into the Black Box, an extensive and ground-breaking study of how some adult learners turn information about developmental adversity—the traumas, adversities, and significant stressors that are sufficient to alter the brain, body, or developmental trajectory—into transformative action.
Over the past ten years, community organizations, philanthropy and government have called for workforce development or training as a first and necessary step to achieve trauma-informed practice as well as wholesale systems change. To date, no studies or evaluations have been published examining whether developmental adversity education works as imagined, and if so, for which learners, according to co-principal investigator Krista Goldstine-Cole.
The survey portion of this study is now open online, and researchers are seeking 1,000 respondents.
“It’s a big number,” Goldstine-Cole says. “But we are hoping to hear from the broadest possible group of people. We want to capture variation in who learners are, how and why they are learning, and what they have been learning about—adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), neurobiology, epigenetics, ACEs, and resilience (NEAR) science, trauma-informed practice, toxic stress, and adjacent topics.
"We also want variation in how long people have been involved in developmental adversity education. We want to hear from people in a range of professions as well as those who are learning about developmental adversity (DA) in the context of community,” Goldstine-Cole added.
"The potential to generate greater momentum in the trauma-informed movement."
Jesse Kohler, executive director of the Campaign for Trauma Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) believes the study findings “have the potential to generate greater momentum in the trauma informed movement and build greater capacity to address the root causes of health and social issues throughout our society.”
“We want to understand “the spark” of DA education,” said co-principal investigator, Siwen Zhang Minero, EdD.
“Through interviews, we have found that some—but not all—learners really catch fire when they start to learn the science of developmental adversity. A few years ago, we did a video project where we asked innovators in the field how their thinking had changed over time. It taught me that learning about developmental adversity can be a source of personal and professional transformation. We want to open up that black box and see how often this kind of transformation happens, for whom, and under what circumstances,” Minero said.
The confidential survey takes 30-40 minutes to complete and can be found at: https://umt.co1.qualtrics.com/...m/SV_3Cy41XUM3x4YQXs.
While the questionnaire can be completed on a small screen, using a tablet or computer will ensure greater access for participants who use screen readers or other accessibility tools. Participation is limited to individuals over the age of 18, who have engaged in some form of developmental adversity learning, and who live or practice in the US.
"Developmental adversity education has grown hand-in-glove with the broader PACE movement," Goldstine-Cole said.
"...there is an urgent need to equip our early learning and care providers, educators, and school personnel with foundational knowledge..."
Scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control, Kaiser Permanente, the Oregon Health Sciences Center and elsewhere have found that preventing developmental adversity and interrupting the progression of adversity over the life span holds the potential to reduce healthcare, social services, special education, incarceration, and other costs by over $100 billion.
DA education has increasingly been tied to crisis recovery as well. For example, Dr. Diana Ramos, California’s newly appointed surgeon general notes on California.gov "As we begin to recover from the trauma of the pandemic, there is an urgent need to equip our early learning and care providers, educators, and school personnel with foundational knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma- informed principles.”
Goldstine-Cole and Minero met at the Harvard Graduate School of Education while earning doctorates in human development. The two joined the University of Montana in January 2023, and with support from Susan Miller and ANSR and have formed the Developmental Adversity Resilience and Transformation (DART) lab with co-director, James Caringi, PhD.
Into the Black Box is DART’s first study.
Contact Info
Name: Krista Goldstine-Cole, EdD
Email: krista.goldstine-cole@umontana.edu
Org: University of Montana School of Public & Community Health Sciences
Developmental Adversity, Resilience & Transformation Lab
Address: 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: 360-584-6187
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