About the Trauma Informed Care Movement

SaintA is in the forefront of therapeutic practices called Trauma Informed Care that apply what neuroscience has taught us about how the brain develops, functions and recovers from trauma to help children overcome adverse experiences and thrive.

Read: How Brains are Built: The Core Story of Brain Development

This adversity can include abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, divorce, alcohol and/or drug abuse of a parent, incarceration of and mental illness in a parent. A seminal study of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) conducted in San Diego shows their effects are widespread and can last throughout — and even shorten — a life. An ACEs study conducted in Wisconsin had very similar outcomes.

As a result, all our services to children and families are based on Trauma Informed Care.

At SaintA, we believe there are Seven Esential Ingredients that can help us understand what Trauma Informed Care is, and how to implement it: Prevalence, Impact, Perspective Shift, Regulation, Relationship, Reason to Be, and Caregiver Capacity.

We are one of a handful of agencies nationwide certified through the Houston-based ChildTrauma Academy in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT™), and one of a select group of organizations worldwide with NMT™ Flagship status. NMT™ is a biologically informed way to assess when trauma occurred in development and create ways to mitigate its effects.

Assessment is critical, because the brain develops in stages, and knowing at what point in a child’s life trauma or maltreatment occurred — even in utero — can help determine what part of the brain was affected and therefore guide effective intervention. Buffering factors, such as a caring person in the child’s life, also are considered.

From this information, we can assess the child’s strengths and weaknesses and create interventions individualized to his or her needs to improve social, emotional, cognitive and physical functioning.

Helpful Resources — Trauma Informed Care

• Upcoming Trauma Informed Care Trainings
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
• ChildTrauma Academy
• National Child Trauma Stress Network
• Trauma Sensitive Schools Toolkit
• Compassion Curve Tip Sheet – Supporting During Distance Learning

For more information on SaintA’s Trauma Informed Care initiatives, or to inquire about training or consultation, please fill out this easy Inquiry Form.

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