Trauma-Informed Care Resources*
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
A holistic, person-centered approach to treatment that understands and incorporates the biological, psychological, neurological, and social impact of trauma on an individual.
Why do foster parents need to be trained in trauma-informed care? Per Bethany Christian’s website: “Trauma training gives foster parents tools to both understand what trauma looks like from a child’s perspective and also manage trauma that may be present in a child placed in their care.” This is key to the child’s healing and sense of identity.
It is also important for a foster parent, or anyone working with refugee kids, to understand that the child’s traumatic experiences may trigger the adult’s trauma past. Understanding your own trauma past will help you better deal with this if it occurs.
In addition to training that might be available through the agency you foster with, other programs include:
Texas Christian University – TBRI program: “TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection.” Many online resources for self-paced learning, including a digital series:
- Learn about TBRI Training
- Rent the training: for 90 days ($50) or download to own ($100)
Back 2 Back Ministries: “Trauma Competent Care Training: Combining forces with Texas Christian University’s world-renowned Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development and leaning on more than 20 years of working directly with some of the toughest situations the world has to offer, Back2Back’s Trauma Care training has influenced governments, NGO’s, schools, and caregivers from more the 50 countries.” 1, 2, and 3-day trainings available. Learn more.
Safe Hands Thinking Minds: Dr. Karen Treisman, UK-based but many resources, links, videos on the website.
The Simple Guide to Child Trauma: What it is and How to Help: Book by Betsy de Thierry, available on Amazon.
Arts for a Better Future Workshops: Cross-cultural arts engagement learning to enable you to be a catalyst and co-creator for local, indigenous creativity; and learn to use the EthnoArts Field Manual to help communities you know and care about draw on their artistic resources to respond to spiritual, social, and physical needs. Learn how to use local arts to help with trauma and other needs in the 1-week workshop.
*Information provided was gathered from the organizations’ websites and does not represent any endorsement of their programs.