Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT)
About This Program
Target Population: Professionals working in the child welfare system
Program Overview
The CWTTT is a training toolkit that is comprised of a Trainer's guide, a Slidekit (i.e., PowerPoint slides to be used in the training), a Participant Manual, Supplemental Handouts, Recommended Reading and Resources, and a Comprehensive Guide. The CWTTT is designed to teach knowledge, skills, and values about working with children in the child welfare system who have experienced trauma. The CWTTT teaches strategies that child welfare professionals can use to effectively address trauma among the families they serve and to enhance child, family, and provider resilience.
Program Goals
The goals of the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT) are:
- Educate child welfare professionals about the impact of trauma on the development and behavior of children
- Educate child welfare professionals about when and how to intervene directly in a trauma-sensitive manner and through strategic referrals
- Ensure that children in the child welfare system will have access to timely, quality, and effective trauma-focused interventions and a case planning process that supports resilience in long-term healing and recovery
- Support the Child and Family Services Review goals of safety, permanency, and well-being by increasing the knowledge and skills of child welfare workers so that they can effectively serve children and families in the child welfare system who have experienced trauma
Logic Model
The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT).
Essential Components
The essential components of Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT) include:
- Based on the seven Essential Elements of a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System:
- Maximize physical and psychological safety for children and families
- Identify trauma-related needs of children and families
- Enhance child well-being and resilience
- Enhance family well-being and resilience
- Enhance the well-being and resilience of those working in the system
- Partner with youth and families
- Partner with agencies and systems that interact with children and families
- Provide a thorough introduction to trauma and how trauma can impact children of different ages and cultures
- Teach specific strategies to address the effects of trauma in children and families that are based on the seven Essential Elements of a Trauma-Informed Child Welfare System
- Use case vignettes, videos, group activities, group discussions and written action planning activities to help participants integrate the material and apply it to their work with children and families
Program Delivery
Recommended Intensity:
The toolkit teaches trauma-informed practices that can be used on an ongoing basis by the child welfare professionals that are trained. See the Education and Training Resources section below for details on training delivery.
Recommended Duration:
The toolkit teaches trauma-informed practices that can be used on an ongoing basis by the child welfare professionals that are trained.
Delivery Setting
This program is typically conducted in a(n):
- Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
Homework
Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT) includes a homework component:
Participants are asked to write down three Action Steps for each Essential Element which they will put into practice.
Resources Needed to Run Program
The typical resources for implementing the program are:
Ideally, this training would be co-facilitated by a child welfare professional with field experience, and a mental health professional with knowledge of childhood traumatic stress; however, it can be delivered by one trainer as needed. A training room large enough for 30-40 participants and five or six tables is needed. The CWTTT is required and there is a Materials Checklist included in the Trainer's Guide which includes the following items not provided in the toolkit: laptop and LCD projector, flip charts, markers, masking tape, speakers, blank paper, pens and pencils. There are additional videos recommended in the manual.
Manuals and Training
Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications
Facilitators of the CWTTT should be familiar with the field of child welfare and have a solid understanding of childhood traumatic stress. Previous training experience is highly recommended.
Manual Information
There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.
Training Information
There is training available for this program.
Training Contacts:
- Alison Hendricks
ahendricksconsulting@gmail.com - National Center for Child Traumatic Stress
learn.nctsn.org/enrol/index.php?id=25
training@nctsn.org
Training Type/Location:
Training is typically provided onsite. Train the trainer sessions are occasionally provided on a regional basis by experienced CWTTT Trainers.
Number of days/hours:
This training is approximately 13 hours, and can be delivered over two 8-hour days (with breaks included). There are Sample Agendas included in the Trainer's Guide that provide guidelines for delivering the training in an alternate format, including four half-day sessions, seven two-hour sessions, or as stand-alone modules.
Additional Resources:
There currently are additional qualified resources for training:
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has training materials that can be downloaded for free through their NCTSN Learning Center at http://learn.nctsn.org/enrol/index.php?id=25.
Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research
Kramer, T., Sigel, B., Conners-Burrow, N., Savary, P., & Tempel, A. (2013). A statewide introduction of trauma-informed care in a child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(1), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.10.014
Type of Study:
One-group pretest-posttest study
Number of Participants:
102
Population:
- Age — Not specified
- Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
- Gender — Not specified
- Status — Participants were Department of Child and Family Services supervisors and area directors.
Location/Institution: Arkansas
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of this study is to evaluate initial stages of a trauma-informed training program for the Arkansas Division of Child and Family Services utilizing the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT) including the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit Comprehensive Guide and the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit Supplemental Materials Handouts. Subjects included directors and supervisors. Measures utilized include the Trauma-Informed Knowledge Scale, the Trauma-Informed Practice scale, and the Trauma Assessment. Pretraining and posttraining evaluations demonstrated significant improvements in participants' knowledge of trauma-informed practices. At three-month follow-up, directors and supervisors indicated that use of trauma-informed practices increased significantly and that such changes were correlated with pretraining versus posttraining improvement in knowledge. Most participants were able to partially implement action steps established at the time of training; however, a number of barriers were cited as preventing full implementation including time constraints, heavy caseloads, lack of staff, and limited resources. Limitations include lack of randomization, lack of control group, and limited length of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.
Conners-Burrow, N., Kramer, T., Sigel, B., Helpenstill, K., Sievers, C., & McKelevy, L. (2013). Trauma-informed care in a child welfare system: Moving it to the front line. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(11), 1830-1835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.08.013
Type of Study:
One group pretest-posttest study
Number of Participants:
490
Population:
- Age — Not specified
- Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
- Gender — Not specified
- Status — Participants were child welfare front-line staff members.
Location/Institution: Arkansas
Summary:
(To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
This study evaluates an initiative in Arkansas to train child welfare front-line staff members in trauma-informed care practices utilizing The Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit (CWTTT). This study evaluated the impact of the training on knowledge and use of trauma-informed care practices among three types of child welfare staff (caseworkers, program assistants and other front-line staff). Of the 490 participants, 474 completed the pretest and 442 completed the posttest, resulting in 438 matched pretest-posttests (some could not be matched due to identification errors). A total of 182 staff members were randomly selected for the three-month follow-up, and 170 participated in the follow-up, with 161 providing sufficient data to include in analysis. A longer interview was completed by 68 staff members. Measures utilized include the Direct Support for Children scales and the Trauma-Informed Systems scales. Results indicate that this training process was highly successful in improving knowledge of trauma-informed care practices, especially among staff with the least formal education and training. In addition, there was a significant increase in staff use of trauma-informed care practices at the three-month follow-up, with little difference observed across the three types of child welfare staff. Limitations include lack of randomization, lack of a control group, and limited length of follow-up.
Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.
Additional References
Child Welfare Collaborative Group, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and the California Social Work Education Center. (2013). Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit: Trainer's guide (2nd ed.). National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.
Contact Information
- Agency/Affiliation: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress
- Website: www.nctsn.org/products/child-welfare-trauma-training-toolkit-2008
- Email: training@nctsn.org
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: June 2017
Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: July 2016
Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: July 2016
