The Traumatic Stress Institute fosters the transformation of organizations and service systems to trauma-informed care (TIC) through the delivery of whole-system consultation, professional training, coaching, and research.

The Klingberg Traumatic Stress Institute and the Foster Care Department launched an exciting new training intiative entitled: Trauma Informed Foster Care- Why are These Kids Doing These Crazy Things and How Can I Help Them while Preserving My Sanity? This is a six session monthly training program based on the Risking Connection (copy write, Sidran) curriculum and the Restorative Approach (copy write, Klingberg). It includes modules covering:

  1. Trauma and Healing
    How do people change?
    Understanding the effect of trauma and how children can heal
    The relationship is the heart of change
    What about us? Our part of the relationship and vicarious traumatization
  2. Why Do These Kids Do These Crazy Things?
    How can we understand the behavior we see?
    What does that mean to us? How does this help me know what to do next?
    Shame, taking responsibility and our kids
    Understanding our own adaptive behaviors 
  3. The Legacy of Trauma
    The kids expect to be hurt- how can I create a new pattern?
    What is it like to never feel safe?
    How can I help my child with his biology?
    Kids who don’t know how to notice and survive their feelings
    How can I model and teach feelings skills?
    Where do I get the stamina for all this?
  4. So What Should I Actually Do Day-to-Day?
    Children act better when they feel better
    Behavior guidelines for every day life and in times of crisis
    Restorative tasks- learning and making amends
    Emphasizing the relationship
    What about my feelings?
  5. Promoting Healthy Sexuality and Responding to Problem Sexual Behaviors
    How can we help these children develop a healthy sexual life?
    How do we understand problem sexual behaviors, and how can we help the child find other ways to meet their needs?
    Increasing my comfort with human sexuality
  6. Taking Care of Ourselves While Doing this Difficult Work
    Vicarious traumatization
    Our feelings in the work
    The effects on our biological family
    Transforming the pain
    What can I do to stay energized and hopeful?

 The feed back from the first module included:

“eloquently addressed so I could understand it.”

“very informative and made easy to relate to”

“facilitator was very knowledgeable and presented material well”

“very relevant”

We are excited about offering these new tools to our dedicated and caring foster parents.

css.php