Review of NCTSN's Trauma-Informed Parenting: Supplemental Resources

Gail Kennedy, our own director of programs here at ACEsConnection, shared this fantastic resource with me last week. It's called: Trauma-Informed Parenting: Supplemental Resources and is available through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) .

It was originally called Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma and as part of a workshop for resource parents in the child welfare system. Resource parents, I believe, are foster parents, adoptive parents and those doing what's been called therapeutic parenting. 

Because it was such a great resource, facilitators and clinicians were distributing it to wider and wider groups - not only resource parents. It's attached below.

I've had a chance to read and review it for us at Parenting with ACEs.

What's Included

The sub-sections are in-depth but not too long. They are well-titled and self-explanatory. Here's the list of the ones included (with length): 

• The Essential Elements of Trauma-Informed Parenting 
  • 2 pages
• Child Traumatic Stress: A Primer for Parents
  • 3 pages
• Understanding Brain Development in Young Children
  • 7 pages 
  • This is comprehensive and has excellent references allowing people to dive deeper into research.
• The Invisible Suitcase: Meeting the Needs of Traumatized Children
  • All sub-sections are good but this one is excellent, informative and sensitive.
  • 3 pages
• Managing Emotional "Hot Spots":Tips for Parents
  • 3 pages
    • Unfortunately, only the hot spots of the child/ren are discussed.
• The Importance of Touch: Caring for Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma
  • 1 page
• Tuning Into Your Child's Emotions: Tips for Parents
  • 2 pages
• Developing Your Advocacy Skills
  • 4 pages
  • Helpful information but not geared towards all parents.
• Tips for Being Fabulous Trauma-Informed Parent
  • 4 pages
    • This section could be used as a stand-alone. It's comprehensive, accessible and the easiest to read as it has lots of visuals as well as text.  If pressed for time, go to this part.

For parents without ACEs, it's one of the best resources I have seen for describing traumatic stress. It explains how adversity impacts children, in general terms. However, it includes nothing about ACEs or parenting with ACEs. 

What's Missing

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • There's no mention of the ACE study or ACEs science.
    • There is great information about brain development and the impact of trauma which includes neglect but basically leaves out household dysfunction.
• Trauma-informed Treatments Considered Effective 
  • Trauma-focused treatments with effectiveness established are referred to but not included, listed, explained or detailed. I'd love to know what they are and who deemed they effective and how.
  • What's considered evidence-based isn't always useful or appealing to people (child or adult) needing trauma treatment. I know MANY an adults who have sought (and are still seeking) treatments for trauma that are effective AT ALL.
    • Many traditional trauma treatments have had limited effectiveness for some and even been harmful to others, including ones once considered evidence based. This topic deserves to be covered in detail.
    • Integrating ACEs science more into the medical model when treating both physical and emotional health issues will likely improve outcomes. When treatments said to be trauma informed are informed by the trauma survivors being treated, everyone will benefit. However, this is not yet done formally, routinely or at all outside of anecdotally. This issue isn't specific to NCTSN though. However, if there are established to be effective trauma treatments, this is informational to all parents and practitioners.   
• Language Geared to All Parents.
  • It is clear that this document was first used for foster families. There are few stories or mentions of children with trauma and neglect outside of foster care. 
• Emphasis on Self-Care for Parents
  • It is mentioned. That's wonderful. Many publications ignore this topic entirely. However, children and parents with ACEs or parents of chldren wtih ACEs need MORE self-care and will have a harder time prioritizing because of ACEs. This needs to be addressed directly and focused on in depth.
    • How can people of all ages practice, manage and afford self-care? What's self-care day to day, at home and on a budget?
    • How can self-care be done when children are anxiously attached or distressed?   
• Images and Space
  • The document is long, single spaced and dense.  I love words and don't usually mind mostly text documents (like this blog). But I craved images so I know others will as well.   
• Stories from Real-Life Families  
  • It's accessible and informative research, which is WONDERFUL. It's not all that warm and friendly though. It doesn't include day to day life or the voices of parents who are parenting in meaningful ways. It can sound a little like a professional speaking down or at parent rather than relating with. It's not overbearing to the point of being unable to read but it's off-putting at times.
• Impact of Parenting with ACEs.
  • There is nothing about parents who come to parenting with ACEs or trauma or traumatic stress. The guide was written first for a targeted and specific group, resource parents but it's implied that this this group doesn't have a trauma history which is unlikely.
    • Disclosure: I'm a high ACE scoring adoptive parent who learned about healing and attachment while researching the impact of neglect and trauma on infants in orphanages. I know it's possible to be both. Plus, neglect wasn't discussed in any of my own trauma treatment nor was attachment. Attachment parenting provided me a wonderful parenting style and approach and an amazing healing framework as well. There's an opportunity for multi-generational health and healing. However, the role of inter-generational trauma in families is not addressed. 

While there's a lot to add and include and expand upon, this is a fantastic resource as is.

It's always easier to review and critique work than to create it and I know that. In the next revision I hope this is made even more accessible in tone and has ACE information included.

Still, as it is, it's a document worth reading and sharing, personally and professionally. 

I recommend signing up at the National Child Traumatic Stress Network  to access their extensive database. Like our Network here at ACEs, one must sign up to be part of the network, but it's free there as it is here. The section called the Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC) Online is the one most relevant to us in the Parenting with ACEs Group but the entire site is excellent. 

Here's to all of the individuals and organizations who care about children and trauma survivors. 

Here's to trauma-informed parents and trauma-informed parenting.

Here's to using ACEs science to educate and encourage self-healing in people and communities.

As Jane Stevens reminded me earlier today, via email: