What is Connecticut’s Trauma-Informed Approach, CONCEPT

This Casey Family Programs blogpost illustrates the lessons learned in the integration of a trauma-informed approach into the policies, programs, and practices at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. The blogpost discusses the origins of CONCEPT – the Connecticut Collaborative on Effective Practices for Trauma – which received a $3.2 million federal grant to implement this comprehensive approach to address child welfare and safety, permanency, and well-being. The blogpost also covers the generation of statewide stakeholder support, the trauma screening and referral process, evidence-based approaches implementation, institutionalizing trauma-informed approaches at the staff level, and the impact of this approach among child welfare professionals and the families they serve.