Learning Lecture (Trauma)

Welcome to Towards Improving Quality: Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Trauma in the Context of Child Welfare Evaluations.

Presented by Susan Esqulin, Ph.D. and Denise Johnson, Ph.D.

This two-day training will discuss ACEs in the context of acute and complex trauma for both children and parents.

In this course, participants will learn:

• how behavior exhibited by individuals with histories of trauma and complex trauma may be misunderstood diagnostically. 
• identify the kinds of psychologically malignant messages that are received by children as a result of ACEs.
• define racial trauma and explain how racially adaptive strategies are misunderstood.
• demonstrate how systemic/institutional racism and poverty impact families in the child welfare system.
• demonstrate how contact with the child protection system can be traumatic for children and parents.
• design questions for forensic interviews that assist in assessing various forms of trauma and its impact.
• compile questions to be addressed when assessing the validity of psychological testing and evaluations.

Course Materials and Handouts

• ACE Questionnaire.pdf Download ACE Questionnaire.pdf
• Case Vignette.docx Download Case Vignette.docx
  • The case vignette is to be used as a training resource during the course "Towards Improving Quality: Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Trauma in the Context of Child Welfare Evaluations."
• Child & Youth Resilience Measure-Revised CYRM-R [5pt, simple].pdf Download Child & Youth Resilience Measure-Revised CYRM-R [5pt, simple].pdf
  • Jefferies, P., McGarrigle, L., & Ungar, M. (2018). The CYRM-R: a Rasch-validated revision of the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Journal of Evidence Informed Social Work, 1-24. 
• CYW Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) Teen Self-Report.pdf Download CYW Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) Teen Self-Report.pdf
  • https://centerforyouthwellness.org/aceq-pdf/ Links to an external site.
• List of References.pdf Download List of References.pdf

Course Videos

• Video 1: If Microaggressions Happened to White People Links to an external site.
• Video 2 - Children Screaming for help as CPS takes them for profit.mp4 Download Video 2 - Children Screaming for help as CPS takes them for profit.mp4Play media comment.