Trauma-Informed Care in Child Welfare: An Imperative for Residential Childcare Workers

Denise Michelle Brend,Ginny Sprang

doi:10.7202/1072595ar

Abstract

Context: Rates of traumatization among residential child welfare professionals are alarmingly high. The well-being of these professionals is associated both with their intention to stay in their jobs and outcomes of children in their care. Several risk factors threaten the well-being of child welfare professionals, including primary and secondary exposure to experiences with the potential to provoke posttraumatic stress reactions. Objectives: This manuscript details experiences empirically shown to have potential negative impacts on professional well-being, discusses why these impacts are of particular concern for residential childcare workers, and describes the types of organizational cultures and climates that appear to mitigate these negative impacts. Implications: Trauma-informed care at the organizational level is proposed both as a means to reduce harm to child-welfare professionals and promote the rehabilitation of children within the child welfare system.

Highlights

The well-being of residential childcare workers (RCWs)1 is associated with professional turnover, intention to leave, and the outcomes of children and youth in their care
This manuscript details experiences empirically shown to have potential negative impacts on RCW well-being; discusses why these impacts are pertinent among RCWs and the children and youth they serve; describes promising organizational strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts; proposes the implementation of Trauma Informed Care (TIC) at the organizational level as a double-pronged strategy to promote the recovery of children and youth within the child welfare system, and to reduce harm to the well-being child-welfare professionals
Intention to leave child welfare practice contributes to workforce instability in the child welfare system, which has been associated with shorter lengths of placements, more placements in the future, and other negative impacts for children in care (Hébert et al, 2016; Strolin-Goltzman et al, 2010; Tremblay et al, 2016)

Summary

Introduction

The well-being of residential childcare workers (RCWs) is associated with professional turnover, intention to leave, and the outcomes of children and youth in their care. Residential childcare workers (RCWs) are routinely exposed to children’s experiences of maltreatment and neglect (Caringi & Hardiman, 2011; Cornille & Meyers, 1999; Pryce et al, 2007; Regehr et al, 2005) Such exposure to potentially traumatic experiences can influence professional intent to leave, and reduce RCWs capacity to fully engage in helping relationships with the children in their care (Middleton & Potter, 2015; Pryce et al, 2007). Preventing and reducing the potentially harmful impacts of exposure to traumatic experiences among RCWs is of central importance towards promoting strong helping relationships, reducing voluntary turnover, and strengthening outcomes for children in residential care

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion