Trauma Toolbox

We recognize the widespread burden secondary trauma and workplace stress is having on the workforce and families that staff work with and determined that the gathering of resources in one convenient place may be helpful. This resource is known as the Trauma Toolbox.

After information gathering sessions and focus groups were held with child welfare staff, the OCYF Trauma team began to evaluate the massive amount of information on trauma’s effects and intervention. Throughout 2023-2024, OCYF staff, as part of their internship, were asked to determine helpful links, as well as written and visual information that would allow child welfare staff to access important information when the incident is occurring, increasing confidence to have open dialogue, and offering technical assistance.

Once the work began, it was clear that the Trauma Toolbox would be helpful, not only for child welfare staff, but to other helping professionals, and the families and children served. The Trauma Toolbox contains information to help normalize trauma reactions, understand behaviors, and offer information to seek further assistance in healing when this is appropriate.

Why is this important to child welfare staff?

There are no boundaries to trauma, it affects most of the children and youth that are served by child welfare staff. Child welfare workers are at very high risk of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and experience primary trauma in their work. (nctsn.org) The trauma and STS experienced by clients and staff can affect organizations and organizational culture may be altered.

“If left unaddressed, STS can have a negative impact on the ability of individuals and organizations to help children and families. On the individual level, symptoms can echo those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—people can become hypervigilant, experience intrusive thoughts, avoid reminders of past clients, or feel numb or detached. Staff experiencing such symptoms may become short-tempered with clients or colleagues, sometimes in response to things that seem benign to others or avoid answering calls from or asking detailed questions of new clients whose experiences may remind them of former clients’ trauma stories.” (NCTSN, pg 1)

Vicarious trauma, or changes in one’s worldview may also occur because of STS. They may become hopeless or negative about the possibility for change. Organizations may become reactive or avoidant. Communication and collaboration may break down and staff may experience a lack of psychological safety in their workplace (NCTSN).

In the toolkit