Browsing by Author "Klain, E. J., & White, A. R."
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Item Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices in Child Welfare(ABA Center on Children and the Law, 2013) Klain, E. J., & White, A. R.According to the 2012 Report of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, 46 million children living in the United States will have their lives affected by violence, crime, abuse, or psychological trauma this year.1 The Task Force recommends that every professional or advocate serving children exposed to violence and psychological trauma learn and provide trauma-informed care and traumafocused services. Child welfare system stakeholders, and the children and families they serve, can greatly benefit from integrating trauma knowledge into their policies and practices and thereby improve outcomes for abused and neglected children.Item Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices in Child Welfare(American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law, 2013) Klain, E. J., & White, A. R.Children in care are more likely to have been exposed to multiple forms of traumatic experiences, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect, family and/or community violence, trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation, bullying, or loss of loved ones. In addition to the circumstances of abuse or neglect that led to their removal, children may be subject to further stresses after entering the system, including separation from family, friends, and community, as well as the uncertainty of their future. A growing body of scientific literature indicates the success of trauma-informed child welfare systems in treating child traumatic stress. Trauma-informed systems are structured with an understanding of the causes and effects of traumatic experiences, along with practices intended to support recovery rather than exacerbate vulnerabilities. Trauma-informed practices include educating all stakeholders engaged with children and families, systematically screening children entering care, and dedicating resources to the provision of trauma-specific interventions. Trauma-specific interventions go beyond treating the symptoms of trauma, such as mental health disorders, and focus on the interplay between trauma and its consequences. This approach includes providing children with a sense of control and hope, and requires the involvement of all stakeholders working with the child, including caseworkers, lawyers, judges, providers, birth parents, and caregivers (foster parents and kinship caregivers). Such trauma-informed practices present an excellent opportunity for improving child welfare outcomes. This brief will highlight the effects of trauma on child wellbeing and provide practice recommendations and examples of specific initiatives to guide transformation of the system.