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Trauma Informed Social Work: Learning and Student Competencies

Ellen DeVoe, Kathleen Flinton, Rachel John Boston University School of Social Work. Trauma Informed Social Work: Learning and Student Competencies. Who We Are. Background. Prevalence of trauma and violence Social work roles in practice, community, and policy settings

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Trauma Informed Social Work: Learning and Student Competencies

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  1. Ellen DeVoe, Kathleen Flinton, Rachel John Boston University School of Social Work Trauma Informed Social Work: Learning and Student Competencies

  2. Who We Are

  3. Background • Prevalence of trauma and violence • Social work roles in practice, community, and policy settings • Need for trauma-responsive and trauma-informed teaching, supervision and care • High demand for trauma coursework in MSW program

  4. Considering trauma matters (SW) • 66-85% of college students report trauma histories Slide developed by Millan AbiNader, 2018; Source: Butler, Carello, & Maguin, 2017

  5. Considering trauma matters ≥4 ACE ≥2 ACEs ≥1 ACE Slide developed by Millan AbiNader, 2018; Source: Butler, Carello, & Maguin, 2017

  6. Assessment Mini-Grant Aims • Understand student drivers of interest in trauma • How can we best respond to student demand for trauma-relevant coursework? • Raise visibility of linkages between coursework (competencies) and field work (signature pedagogy) • Ensure high quality and trauma-informed pedagogy in trauma courses • How can we develop teacher training and mentorship to support our colleagues who teach trauma courses? • Should we advocate for a fully trauma-informed curriculum? • Critically assess ‘trauma-informed’ practice and pedagogy • What is missing from trauma-informed approaches? • How can we address gaps?

  7. Trauma Program at BUSSW • Graduate level MSW program • Courses • Advanced electives in early childhood, adolescent, and adult trauma • Advanced seminar in trauma practice • Clinical and Macro tracks • Trauma & Violence Specialization • 14 years running on campus – “Hot Topic” • Over 1,700 students completed trauma courses since inception • Continued evolution year by year • Always filled and often oversubscribed • Large Online MSW program • Building “Trauma Team” for teaching and program consistency

  8. How We Teach Trauma

  9. “Trauma-Informed” Pedagogies & Practice • What is “Trauma-Informed? What happened to you? Understand potentially pervasive impact of trauma Differential vulnerability to trauma, violence, and aftermath Structural trauma perpetuated by systems (racism, gender, class) Beginning foundation of self-care skill set • Paired with base foundation of skill set for management of vicarious trauma/trauma exposure among students

  10. Expect this course to bother you Given the nature of our chosen focus, trauma, that is, we expect some of the material to be disturbing to you (just as it is for us). We also understand that each one of us responds differently to trauma material both in the moment and over the longer term. Our commitment to you is to foster and support a respectful and safe environment for every participant in the course.

  11. Tensions: Managing an Exposure Model • Goal: balance academic rigor, professional competence and student ‘safety’ • Snowflakes • Survivor issues • “Trigger warnings” • Expect this course/work to bother you mindset • Walking students through an exposure process • Parallel process • We teach how we treat • Focus on development of professional equipped to practice in the field

  12. Kathleen Flinton LICSW 2018

  13. Methods • MSW Curriculum Scan • Identify courses with trauma-relevant material • Review course evaluations for all trauma courses • Develop student learning outcome tools for trauma courses • Conduct Focus Groups with MSW students (Charles River, Online) • Participate on national taskforce for social work trauma competencies (Council on Social Work Education) • National scan of trauma-informed curricula, centers, programs

  14. What we learned • Inadequacy of “Trauma-Informed” platform to address social justice aims of social work • Legitimate competing curricular priorities • Uneven expertise in field agencies • Student demand continues to expand

  15. In-Progress and Next Steps • Move beyond “trauma-informed” • Develop qualified trauma practitioners with skill set from clinical to structural from clinical to structural • Piloted “Platform” course • Expand trauma offerings in online program • Develop formal training and mentorship for teaching trauma (for both SSW and nationally) • Offer community-based supports to Boston grassroots organizations • Trauma and Social Justice Center

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