Pilot Evaluation of Safe First Steps: Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices in a Hispanic School Community

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Minority youth experience high rates of trauma and face treatment access barriers.
• Trauma-informed care principles (SAMHSA) are inconsistently applied in schools.
• Diverse student populations require tailored approaches to mental health support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot the Safe First Steps initiative for implementing trauma-informed practices.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative in a majority-Hispanic school.
• To identify implementation progress and experienced barriers.

Main Methods:

• Pilot evaluation of the Safe First Steps initiative.
• Training for 63 school staff members followed by two years of group consultation.
• Data collection on implementation progress and barriers.

Main Results:

• Improvements observed in five of SAMHSA's trauma-informed principles.
• No significant improvement noted in Cultural Humility.
• Key barriers included teacher workload, lack of family engagement, family stressors, and newcomer status.

Conclusions:

• Safe First Steps shows promise for trauma-informed care in schools serving minority youth.
• Addressing barriers like workload and family stressors is crucial for successful implementation.
• Community, administrative, and familial support are vital for sustaining trauma-informed practices.