The Impact of Trauma-Informed Training for a Youth Residential Center on Staff Attitudes and Behavior

Children with behavioral issues in residential care settings have high rates of trauma, with a range of trauma experiences such as abuse and neglect, issues with attachment, and multiple disruptions in placements. Staff in these settings should have an understanding of trauma, its impact, and how to engage in trauma-informed practice.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a trauma-informed training, developed specifically based on the identified needs of a residential group care facility, had an impact on future staff attitudes and behaviors.

A 3-h training was delivered by the researchers. Three identical sessions were provided to all 48 staff, regardless of education and role, across a 3-day period. Prior to the training, staff were given a pretest survey measuring components of trauma-informed (TI) practice that indicated how often the staff members engaged in TI practice. Thirty days later, the same participants completed a posttest survey to gauge if the training had an impact on their subsequent attitudes and behavior.

There were improvements in many of the trauma-informed practice areas on the posttest survey. T-test analysis revealed five trauma-informed practice areas had improvements that were statistically significant from the pretest survey.

The findings present the opportunity for recommendations for trauma-informed training development and delivery, as well as providing implications for the field of social work.

This study demonstrates the feasibility of administering a trauma-informed training program and observing relatively rapid improvements in future attitudes and behavior among staff.