National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

How to access this program?

Visit https://www.nctsn.org/

What is the program? 

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) was created by Congress in 2000 as part of the Children’s Health Act to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events. This unique network of frontline providers, family members, researchers, and national partners is committed to changing the course of children’s lives by improving their care and moving scientific gains quickly into practice across the U.S. The NCTSN is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and coordinated by the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS), which guides NCTSN collaborative efforts. 

Who is the program for? 

Resources provided by the NCTSN is helpful for any educator on a campus including teachers, school counselors, administrators, and student support staff. The NCTSN also provides resources that are relevant for families and community members.  

How is this program implemented? 

The Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators, developed in 2008, provides school administrators, teachers, staff, and concerned parents with basic information about working with traumatized children in the school system. 

Relevant webinars NTCSN offers on Trauma Informed Care: 

• Understanding the Intersection between Cyberbullying and Trauma - https://tinyurl.com/yyvft9em  
• Psychological First Aid for Schools - https://tinyurl.com/y4qb6eyr   
• Secondary Traumatic Stress for Educators - https://tinyurl.com/y3q5zrwa 
• Trauma-Informed IEPs: Differential Diagnosis and Trauma-informed Assessment in Schools - https://tinyurl.com/y2adbzu5  
• Implementing EBP in School Interventions - https://tinyurl.com/yXnynhn2 
• Schools and Trauma - https://tinyurl.com/y3ltp7co 
• Sudden Death on a School Campus: Impact and Response - https://tinyurl.com/yyd8drha  
• Sticks and Stones Will Break my Bones and Words CAN Hurt Me - https://tinyurl.com/y53lcoXo 
• Engaging Schools: Developing School/Mental Health Partnerships - https://tinyurl.com/y5q47735 
• Schools and Grief: Helping Students Cope with Death - https://tinyurl.com/y4aycqfl 
• Response and Recovery after School Violence - https://tinyurl.com/y5bemjXz  
• Invisible Wounds: The Impact of Community Violence on Children and Youth in Schools - https://tinyurl.com/yXju8mph   

What is the practice that is supported? 

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) a trauma informed approach in general is the ability for all parties to recognize and respond to the impacts of trauma on children, staff, caregivers, and service providers. Given the impacts and prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) like experiencing violence, schools play an important role in providing systems of support for children who have experienced trauma. The purpose of a trauma informed approach is to create a school-wide environment that addresses the needs of students, staff, administrators, and families who may be at-risk of experiencing symptoms related to trauma.   

What outcomes does the practice produce? 

• Improve student behavior and attendance 
• Improve student attitudes towards teaching, learning, and school climate 
• Increase school staff knowledge about addressing trauma and  
• Decrease trauma related symptoms in students 

What is the evidence? 

Tabone, J. K., Rishel, C. W., Hartnett, H. P., & Szafran, K. F. (2020). Examining the effectiveness of early intervention to create trauma-informed school environments. Children and Youth Services Review, 113, 104998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104998 

In this study, evaluators analyzed the effectiveness of a trauma informed early intervention program aimed at reducing the symptoms of trauma among elementary aged students. Classrooms receiving the intervention program and classrooms in the control group (94 total classes) were compared using a baseline observation before implementation and a follow-up observation at the end of the school year. The results of the study showed that classes receiving the trauma-informed intervention had a significant increase in emotional support by the end of the school year while the control groups had no increase in the same domain. Classes receiving the intervention also saw improvement in instructional support and classroom organization while the control groups saw a decline or no change in both of those domains.  

McIntyre, E. M., Baker, C. N., & Overstreet, S. (2019). Evaluating foundational professional development training for trauma-informed approaches in schools. Psychological Services, 16, 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000312 

This study examined the extent of knowledge growth of teachers after attending a 2-day foundational professional development training on trauma-informed approaches within their school settings. Using a pre and posttest design, the results showed that teacher’s knowledge of trauma-informed approaches increased significantly after the training. The results showed that 70% of the 183 teachers in the study had mastered the content after the training compared to 20% before the training. The results also showed that knowledge growth in training was also positively associated with a teacher’s acceptability of trauma-informed approaches and their perception of systems fit. 

Dorado, J., Martinez, M., McArthur, L., & Leibovitz, T. (2016). Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS): A Whole-School, Multi-level, Prevention and Intervention Program for Creating Trauma-Informed, Safe and Supportive Schools. School Mental Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-016-9177-0 

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a tiered trauma-informed program at elementary and middle school campuses. The evaluation examined the change in knowledge for teachers and staff, student engagement, and the impact of intensive treatments for students referred. The results showed that after educator training and the trauma-informed program being on campus for at least one school year, educators’ knowledge in five domains increased, including how to help traumatized children learn in school. Student engagement also improved which was shown by an increase in the percentage of time students were on task and a decrease in student misbehavior. That results also showed that students receiving intensive interventions had significant improvements in their ability to adjust to trauma.  

What are the costs associated with implementing this program? 

Please contact the program for the most recent costs and commitments, as these may change. 

What resources are helpful for understanding this program? 

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network website: https://www.nctsn.org/ 

Rating: Research-Informed 

Secondary components: Early Mental Health Prevention and Intervention; Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention