This paper tests the relationship between maternal depression, parental quality, and child outcomes. It finds that experiencing adversity as a child is a factor in current maternal depression, which in turn affects parental engagement and sensitivity to children’s distress, but not non-distress. Thus, different interventions should be used for mothers who have experienced trauma depending on whether the goal is identifying and responding to distress signals or increasing parental sensitivity to their children overall.

Thursday, May 10 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day 2018. This year’s theme, Partnering for Health and Hope Following Trauma, will focus on the importance of an integrated approach to caring for the mental health needs of children, youth, and young adults who have experienced trauma, as well as their families. Though often not behavioral health professionals, workforce system staff play an integral role in a youth’s well-being and growth. It is critical to recognize the signs of trauma as well as deliver services and supports in a way that aims to heal and avoid retraumatization. Join the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration’s Division of Youth Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for this joint webinar. Together, participants will learn how behavioral health and workforce agencies can collaborate to develop strategies to benefit the well-being of youth served. The webinar will be May 2, 2018 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EDT.

This document by the American Institute for Research offers a process and curriculum for adopting organizational trauma-informed care to support organizations serving vulnerable children, adults, and families to become trauma-informed. The framework outlined includes a four-phased approach that can be applied to organizations and systems of various size and structure. Phases cover: the exploration of organizational needs; installation of the infrastructure needed to communicate, monitor, and evaluate progress; implementation of customized training and coaching to support trauma-informed care; and full adoption and sustainability of practices.

Many TANF program recipients have been exposed to trauma in the form of violence and adversity in the family and community setting. TANF participants often have work-limiting health issues linked to expose to trauma, and those issues can provide physical barriers to employment by limiting work prospects and income. This research brief by Drexel University’s Center for Hunger-Free Communities outlines the Building Wealth and Health Network program that combines financial empowerment, trauma-informed peer support, and matched financial savings to support TANF participants and their families. The program recommends that public assistance programs incorporate trauma-informed approaches to public assistance and on-the-job training; investment in programs that support the caregivers’ physical, mental, and economic health to promote well-being of both the child and caregiver; and finally, focus on behavioral health services to support families, career readiness, and self-sufficiency before WorkFirst participation.

In this three-part video podcast series, Paul Rada from the Truman Medical Center Behavioral Health unit in Kansas City, Missouri presents information and strategies for TANF programs to better serve participants experiencing toxic stress. This resource is intended to aid TANF program administrators and staff in: 

• Understanding the concepts of toxic stress and trauma‐informed care (TIC)
• Distinguishing between toxic stress, trauma, PTSD, and specific related interventions
• Explaining and applying toxic stress and TIC principles within TANF serving systems—specifically as they relate to improving employment outcomes and achieving program goals
• Identifying administrative areas within TANF programs that can be assessed for TIC integration, as well as opportunities for cultural/organizational change which integrates TIC principles
• Understanding methods for TANF participants to assess levels of toxic stress and apply appropriate coping strategies.

This report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University highlights three principles that, in light of recent advances in the science of brain development of children, can guide policy change that most supports healthy brain development. The three evidence-based principles include supporting responsive relationships for children and adults, strengthening core life skills, and reducing sources of stress in the lives of children and families. Policymakers can use these principles at all levels to improve outcomes for children, which improves adult outcomes and economic productivity.

While low-income parents face challenges, many manage to raise children with socio-emotional competence. This policy report from the National Center for Children in Poverty describes what can be learned from these resilient parents, and analyzes programs and policies that promote parents’ and children’s resiliency. The authors find that policies such as increasing access to health and mental health care, providing training in evidence-based parenting skills, and strengthening key safety net programs all contribute to strengthening resiliency in both parents and children.

This guide provides human services leaders at the local, State, Tribal, and Territorial levels with information and resources on recent advances in our understanding of trauma, toxic stress, and executive functioning. It especially highlights what these advances mean for program design and service delivery. The guide helps professionals learn about trauma-informed care and helps those currently engaged in trauma-informed work to improve their practice. These resources provide an overview of key concepts related to trauma and a guide to resources from a range of HHS federal agencies and respected sources outside government. These materials are both a “front door” to the topic of trauma and a “road map” to relevant resources.

In this edition of the Social IMPACT Research Center at Heartland Alliance’s annual poverty report, the research team analyzes the ways in which poverty, violence, and trauma are interrelated in Illinois. The report finds that poverty and violence often have the same root causes, and unaddressed trauma in communities that experience poverty and violence serves to exacerbate both of these social issues.