January - 2012
Butler County Pilot Study Project Details
When a child enters a foster or adoptive home following a history of abuse, neglect and trauma, that child will greatly impact the family. Often times, the foster or adoptive family is broadsided by shattered expectations – the experience is nothing like they expected. They are confronted by confusing emotions and feel unequipped for the journey. It is absolutely essential that we change the conversation we have with prospective parents so that we include trauma-informed language.
It is crucial that we develop an on-going conversation regarding trauma informed care with our foster and adoptive parents that guides and directs education and support for them throughout their journey as parents of children who have come from hard places. It is a process that each person who touches the life of a child with a history of trauma undertakes together – from homestudy assessors, to foster care/adoption support workers to foster and adoptive parents. Everyone needs to speak the same language.
GOALS OF STUDY:
1. To assess foster parent retention/reasons for leaving
2. To assess foster parent/adoptive parent satisfaction with trauma-informed pre-service training and trauma-informed support
3. To track placement stability
4. To create an evidence-based trauma-informed preparation, pre-service and support model
Definition of Trauma Informed Assessment and Preparation
The term, trauma informed assessment and preparation of foster and adoptive families, conveys a purposeful, therapeutic approach to the assessment and preparation process. The goal of “trauma informed assessment and preparation” is to evaluate, educate and equip “trauma competent” foster and adoptive parents who…
1) understand the impact of childhood trauma,
2) understand the unique needs of the survivor/child,
3) understand the impact on the family
4) understand the demands of relationship
5) understand the services needed
TRAINING FOR WORKERS AND ADOPTIVE AND FOSTER FAMILIES
SEQUENCED TRAINING TRACK FOR WORKERS
1. Trauma Toolkit ( 12 hours )
2. Assessing and Preparing Parents to Care for Children with a History of Trauma (6 hours)
3. Building Trauma-Competent Healing Parents: Three Essential Tasks and Nine Essential Skills (6 hours)
4. Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact the Adoptive/Foster Family Audience: workers and families together (6 hours)
SEQUENCED PREPARATION AND TRAINING TRACK PENDING FOSTER CARE/ ADOPTION LISCENSURE AND POST LISENSURE
1. T.I.A.P – homestudy interview linked with pre-service training. Trauma-informed language will be integrated into the Ohio 36 hour pre-service training (36 hours) and the TIAP interview will be conducted toward the end of the homestudy interviews.
2. Within the first six months following licensure , families will take the Resource Parenting Trauma Training from NCTSN ( 12 hours )
3. Within the second six months, families will take: Becoming a Trauma Competent Healing Parent: Three Ential Tasks and Nine Essential Skills (6 hours)
4. Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact the Adoptive/Foster Family Audience: workers and families together (6 hours)
October -2011
Building a Comprehensive Trauma Informed Training Program for Foster and Adoptive Parents through Trauma Informed Assessment, Preparation (T.I.A.P.) and Support
Butler County Pilot Study Project Details
When a child enters a foster or adoptive home following a history of abuse, neglect and trauma, that child will greatly impact the family. Often times, the foster or adoptive family is broadsided by shattered expectations – the experience is nothing like they expected. They are confronted by confusing emotions and feel unequipped for the journey. It is absolutely essential that we change the conversation we have with prospective parents so that we include trauma-informed language.
It is crucial that we develop an on-going conversation regarding trauma informed care with our foster and adoptive parents that guides and directs education and support for them throughout their journey as parents of children who have come from hard places. It is a process that each person who touches the life of a child with a history of trauma undertakes together – from homestudy assessors, to foster care/adoption support workers to foster and adoptive parents. Everyone needs to speak the same language.
GOALS OF STUDY:
1. To assess foster parent retention/reasons for leaving
2. To assess foster parent/adoptive parent satisfaction with trauma-informed pre-service training and trauma-informed support
3. To track placement stability
4. To create an evidence-based trauma-informed preparation, pre-service and support model
Definition of Trauma Informed Assessment and Preparation
The term, trauma informed assessment and preparation of foster and adoptive families, conveys a purposeful, therapeutic approach to the assessment and preparation process. The goal of “trauma informed assessment and preparation” is to evaluate, educate and equip “trauma competent” foster and adoptive parents who…
1) understand the impact of childhood trauma,
2) understand the unique needs of the survivor/child,
3) understand the impact on the family
4) understand the demands of relationship
5) understand the services needed
TRAINING FOR WORKERS AND ADOPTIVE AND FOSTER FAMILIES
SEQUENCED TRAINING TRACK FOR WORKERS
1. Trauma Toolkit ( 12 hours )
2. Assessing and Preparing Parents to Care for Children with a History of Trauma (6 hours)
3. Building Trauma-Competent Healing Parents: Three Essential Tasks and Nine Essential Skills (6 hours)
4. Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact the Adoptive/Foster Family Audience: workers and families together (6 hours)
SEQUENCED PREPARATION AND TRAINING TRACK PENDING FOSTER CARE/ ADOPTION LISCENSURE AND POST LISENSURE
1. T.I.A.P – homestudy interview linked with pre-service training. Trauma-informed language will be integrated into the Ohio 36 hour pre-service training (36 hours) and the TIAP interview will be conducted toward the end of the homestudy interviews.
2. Within the first six months following licensure , families will take the Resource Parenting Trauma Training from NCTSN ( 12 hours )
3. Within the second six months, families will take: Becoming a Trauma Competent Healing Parent: Three Ential Tasks and Nine Essential Skills (6 hours)
4. Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact the Adoptive/Foster Family Audience: workers and families together (6 hours)
October -2011
Building a Comprehensive Trauma Informed Training Program for Foster and Adoptive Parents through Trauma Informed Assessment, Preparation (T.I.A.P.) and Support
When a child enters a foster or adoptive home following a history of abuse, neglect and trauma, that child will greatly impact the family.
Often times, the foster or adoptive family is broadsided by shattered expectations - the experience is nothing like they expected. They are confronted by confusing emotions and feel unequipped for the journey.
It is absolutely essential that we change the conversation we have with prospective parents so that we include trauma-informed language. It is crucial that we develop an on-going conversation regarding trauma informed care with our foster and adoptive parents that guides and directs education and support for them throughout their journey as parents of children who have come from hard places.
The Trauma-Informed Training Series for Adoption and Foster Care Professionals and the Families They Serve The following is a brief description of trauma-informed workshops:
FOR STAFF
Workshop One:
Workshop One:
Assessing and Preparing Families to Care for Children with a History of Trauma (6 hours)
This workshop addresses a key need – narrowing the gap between the expectations of the foster/adopt family and the reality of the experiences they encounter. The goal of this workshop is to provide another layer of assessment skills and preparation for the foster/adoption assessor and to provide additional strategies for supporting families after finalization. It addresses such things as managing parental expectations, what families need to know about caring for children with a history of trauma, including sexual abuse and how to incorporate trauma-informed language into the agency culture.
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| Children from an orphanage in Central Asia. |
Workshop Two: Building Trauma-Competent Healing Parents: Three Tasks and Eight Essential Skills (6 hours)
This workshop is the next step in continuing a trauma-informed program with foster and adoptive parents. It addresses what families need to know to succeed as parents with traumatized children and how to work with seasoned foster parents on changing the agency culture and language around trauma informed care. Participants will share in the development of their own post-placement assessment and support tools and leave the workshop with tools in hand to support families through their journey.
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| Three young ladies from an orphanage in Central Asia. |
FOR PARENTS
Workshop Three: Becoming a Trauma Competent Healing Parent: Three Skills and Eight Essential Tasks - This workshop is similiar in content to the one listed above, but the focus is on skill building for parents.
FOR PARENTS AND STAFF
Workshop Four: Wounded Children, Healing Homes: Understanding the Impact of Traumatized Children on the Adoptive or Foster Family
When a child with a history of trauma joins the family, it is transformational for that family. Most often, this transformation is positive for all in the family. Occasionally, the transformation is not and the issues and challenges in maintaining the child in the home feel insurmountable.
This interactive workshop address key issues: what does a traumatized child look like? What are behavioral challenges most often felt by parents? What does happen to the foster/adoptive family? How can workers be prepared to support and guide families from the pain to the other side. This workshop tackles tough and realistic issues faced by families but not often recognized by the professionals who work with them.
For more information, please contact Jayne at jayeschool@aol.com or 937-689-0985
