Sector-Specific Resources for Trauma-Informed and Responsive (TIR) Organizations

The Framework for Trauma-Informed and Responsive Organizations is a 20-page document laying out five Guiding Principles for establishing a Trauma-Informed and Responsive (TIR) approach in an organization as well as five Domains in which the Guiding Principles should be applied.

This report provides a broad overview of trauma and protective factors among youth in contact with child welfare systems. Organizations who wish to become TIR can use this guide for more information on: screening and assessment, workforce development, training & support, data collection/systems, EBTs, funding and more.

Organizations working with youth in foster care can use this guide to better understand what TIR practices in foster care involve and how they can be implemented to promote positive development for adolescents.

Child welfare professionals working with immigrant or refugee families can use this guide to assess and address traumatic stressors when working with immigrant families, build concrete strategies to integrate TIR care within existing policies/procedures, incorporate cultural competence in community partnerships, etc.

Caseworkers, supervisors, and all other professionals of the child welfare workforce can use this training toolkit to implement TIR knowledge and skills in their daily interactions, professional services, and organizational culture. This toolkit includes trainings of varied lengths adapted to specific roles/positions.

This 5-page organizational assessment tool will help professionals in youth residential settings assess, plan, prepare, implement and utilize technology to make their organization TIR.

Though originally written for professionals in the field of public housing, this report provides a TIR approach to community building. It explains how community trauma hinders community building efforts, how to overcome these challenges, and offers strategies for TIR community building.

Professionals working in youth development programs (e.g. mentoring programs, sports) will find this report useful to understand the importance of applying a trauma-informed approach to the design and operation of youth development programs. This report identifies three key components for implementing a TIR approach.

Sports coaches working with youth will find this 5-page document useful to recognize and support youth who have experienced trauma. The tip sheet provides coaches with concrete practices to adopt, a TIR coaching plan, examples of “strength-based” (rather than “deficit-based”) comments, when outside help is needed.

Based on the collaborative work of teachers, administrators, parents, and child trauma experts, this comprehensive toolkit covers ways to create TIR spaces for children to thrive as well as provides concrete examples of challenges and successes organizations face when becoming TIR.

This guide discusses interventions and programs that can be integrated into the classroom to support children and families who have experienced trauma; therapeutic programs adapted to the early care and education context; models to increase partnership between EEC and community service providers.

This video series provides the perspectives of parents, Head Start staff, health care professionals, and others on the issues of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and resilience. The series includes two videos: one for a general audience (21 min) and one for Head Start staff (7 min).

Early childhood mental health consultants as well as Early Head Start and Head Start staff will find this tutorial useful to understand childhood trauma, recognize the developmental context of trauma in early childhood, and extend their own knowledge for intervention through consultation.

Educators can use the 4 “building blocks” of Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) to promote positive experiences in their classrooms. Namely, educators can learn about fostering Relationships; Safe, equitable, stable environments; Social and civic engagement; and Opportunities for social emotional growth.

Home Visitors will find the 4 “building blocks” of Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) useful to understand how promoting Relationships; Safe, equitable, stable environments; Social and civic engagement; and Opportunities for social emotional growth can help the families they serve.

Educators will find this guide useful to understand the psychological and behavioral impact of trauma for students at different developmental stages (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school) as well as tips for educators to cope with compassion fatigue (secondary traumatic stress).

In addition to information about trauma in school-age children, this guide provides examples of what a TIR classroom looks like—with examples between “traditional” approaches to a student’s behavior and TIR approaches. Educators and administrators will also find this guide useful to revise school discipline.

Educators can use this resource to understand the interplay of race and trauma and how it affects their students. In addition to tips about what educators can do, this guide provides useful information on the effects of racial trauma by age groups.

School leaders can use this four-phase training package to help their school become TIR. Each phase includes tools and resources for implementation, such as online modules, action guides, activity packets, or PowerPoint presentations.

This resource from the Trauma and Learning Policy Institute provides an in-depth approach TIR classrooms, including an overview of the educational consequences of exposure to family violence and ways to support traumatized children in schools. Of note, this guide describes the “Flexible Framework” used in MA schools.

Educators can use the 4 “building blocks” of Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) to promote positive experiences in their classrooms. Namely, educators can learn about fostering Relationships; Safe, equitable, stable environments; Social and civic engagement; and Opportunities for social emotional growth.

Behavioral health providers and administrators can learn about TIR approaches to program delivery, staff development, organizational policies & procedures, administrative practices, and organizational structure. The guide also discusses the ethics of TIR care, the implementation of TIR supervising and vicarious trauma.

Mental health providers will find this 1h30 webinar useful to understand the ways mental health providers can work with pediatric medical providers to insure traumatized children receive care. Primary care providers are essential allies in efforts to identify and respond to young children affected by trauma.

Healthcare professionals wanting to create safe environments for staff and patients will find this one-pager useful for improving physical, social, and emotional safety of primary care facilities.

Boston Medical Center's guide gives recommendations for implementing TIR measures to be implemented with all patients, regardless of whether the practitioner is aware of a specific trauma history. It discusses changes that can be made to built environments, workforce training, patient empowerment, and staff awareness.

This brief offers a method for overcoming many of the challenges inherent to measuring and evaluating the implementation of TIR care. In particular, it discusses workforce training and wellness, facility environment, practice delivery, and patient engagement/satisfaction and health outcomes.

Healthcare professionals wanting to create safe environments for staff and patients will find this one-pager useful for improving physical, social, and emotional safety of primary care facilities.

This compendium of tools guides medical professionals in effectively assessing and treating medical traumatic stress (emotional & physical) in children and families. It is anchored by the D-E-F Protocol for trauma-informed care to respond to Distress, offer Emotional support, and ensure Family-centered TIR care.

These short videos developed by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) shed light on why health care providers across the nation are embracing a trauma-informed approach to care. They are ideal for use in meetings, employee trainings, and presentations. Available in English and Spanish.

Medical Providers will find the 4 “building blocks” of Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) useful to understand how promoting Relationships; Safe, equitable, stable environments; Social and civic engagement; and Opportunities for social emotional growth can support the families they serve.

Child welfare attorneys can use this guide to learn more about how trauma impacts the youth they work with as well resources for incorporating TIR practices into legal representation, such as tips on how to avoid triggering clients with prior trauma or how to advocate for them during placement decisions & transitions.

Juvenile defense attorneys can use this guide to learn about TIR legal advocacy, the effects of trauma on the attorney-client relationship, how to increase clients’ physical & psychological safety, help reduce potential reactions to triggers, or understand how trauma assessments are in the best interest of the client.

Any juvenile justice professional can use this guide to implement a TIR approach into the day-to-day operations of the juvenile justice system. This guide provides concrete steps to implement a TIR approach in four phases: exploration, preparation, implementation, and sustainment.

Juvenile court judges will find this two-page “bench card” useful to understand the possible traumatic experiences immigrant youth face before, during, and after migration. Specifically, this two-pager includes ways judges can ask questions to make culturally-sensitive decisions & support youth with adequate services.

Judges wanting to make their courtroom TIR will find this opinion piece useful to understand the benefits of creating a trauma-informed court, as well as a few practical measures on how to do so. It emphasizes the importance of the environment of the courtroom itself as something that must be TIR.

Prosecutors can use this report's concrete tips for being TIR in many areas of their work, including information sharing, collaboration, placement decisions, diversion, and more. This resource also describes the impact of trauma on defendants, victims, and witnesses, in particular on their memory and credibility.

This brief demonstrates the effectiveness of partnerships between law enforcement and communities to integrate a TIR approach to police interactions with the community. It showcases examples of successful community policing program adopted throughout the United States.

This short and clear PowerPoint presentation discusses different types of trauma, how trauma can manifest itself, and tips for how law enforcement can support people who have experienced trauma. It also addresses how officers can cope with repeated exposure to traumatized individuals and traumatic incidents.

This 21-minute training video is useful for police officers responding to domestic violence disputes where children are present. After watching it, officers will be equipped to help children feel safer regardless of how they react to the DV incident and subsequent police intervention.