Developmentally-Informed Trauma Practices in Early Childhood (WestEd DITP)

What You Will Learn

WestEd DITP is based on current research, evidence-based and emerging practices. Professional development is tailored specifically to the needs of the early childhood community and is designed for participants to:

• Learn about the impact of risk and trauma on infants, toddlers, young children, and their families
• Understand how to use strategies that build resilience, health and well-being, and sensitivity in responding to young children who may have experienced trauma
• Learn how to ensure organizations and systems are responsive to the needs of children affected by trauma, and that workplace practices are in place to support the wellness of staff
• Understand how to integrate and apply concepts into leadership and supervision within programs, agencies, and systems

Who Will Benefit

• Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Providers
• Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants
• Early Interventionists
• Pediatricians and other primary care providers
• Child Welfare staff
• Family Court teams
• Resource Caregivers
• Home visiting program staff and administrators
• Early learning and care program administrators, teachers, and staff
• Family child care owners/providers
• Early Head Start/Head Start staff
• License-exempt providers (family, friend, and neighbor)
• Military programs serving young children (child care, mental health, preschool, family services)
• Resource and referral agencies
• Advocacy organizations

Service Details

DITP offers full-day (or two half-day) trainings followed by facilitated Communities of Practice that support application of learning for sustainable change in practice over time.

Training can be customized for different contexts and audiences. There are 6 available modules with such topics as:

• Introduction to Developmentally-Informed Trauma Practices
• Strategies to Support Children Who Have Experienced Trauma
• Engaging and Supporting Families Who Have Experienced Trauma
• Self-Care in the Context of Trauma Informed Practices
• Reflective Practice in the Context of Trauma Informed Practices
• Race and Equity in the Context of Trauma Informed Practices

What Makes This Service Unique

Addressing the impact of early childhood trauma is a pervasive challenge in the United States.

According to the American Psychological Association, approximately half the children in this country experience some type of trauma during their childhood. Infants, toddlers, young children and their families need professionals and systems who understand risks and trauma and the impact it has on children’s physical, cognitive, and social and emotional development. Many who work with young children and their families need additional knowledge, skills, and tools to responsively meet their needs.

WestEd’s Developmentally-Informed Trauma Practices addresses this challenge by supporting the infant-family and early childhood workforce to be:

• Informed about risk, resilience, trauma and its effects
• Aware and sensitive to those effects
• Equipped with the skills and knowledge to offer responsive programs for children from prenatal through 8 years old impacted by trauma in any form

Cost

A proposal and cost estimate is provided based on the individualized needs and priorities of the agency or program.

Learn More

For more information, including pricing, contact WestEd’s DITP team at tip@WestEd.org.