Trauma-responsive child welfare services: A mixed methods study assessing safety, stability, and permanency

Abstract Trauma-informed or trauma-responsive programing has spread across many service sectors including child welfare. However, only a few evaluations of such child welfare programs have been published. The current mixed methods study assessed a trauma-responsive child welfare program implemented within a private agency located in the Midwest region of the United States. The intervention combined specialized training, assessment, case planning, and case consultation into a trauma-responsive case management model. Quantitative data, gathered through a quasi-experimental design (N = 598), revealed that program participation was associated with improved permanency but not with enhanced child safety. Qualitative data, gathered from staff interviews (N = 10), helped to contextualize quantitative results, highlighting staff experiences and impressions of the program. Implications of results are discussed.