Creating a trauma-informed workforce from the perspectives of youth and alumni of care

Too often, foster youth are defined by the problem behaviors they exhibit, without an understanding of the complex trauma that rests underneath the surface. There are 415,129 U.S. youth in foster care and about 45,000... [ view full abstract ]

Too often, foster youth are defined by the problem behaviors they exhibit, without an understanding of the complex trauma that rests underneath the surface.

There are 415,129 U.S. youth in foster care and about 45,000 Japanese youth living in out-of-home placements - most in large, group home facilities. Youth in these two countries suffer from complicated emotions and trauma related to their past abuse and neglect, as well as from an astounding lack of quality mental health services available to them. In both countries, foster youth have considerably worse outcomes than youth who grow up in traditional home settings. To combat these outcomes, International Foster Care Alliance (IFCA) seeks to create a venue for foster care alumni, professionals, and caregivers to collaborate on how to better serve foster youth globally.

Through an interactive workshop, IFCA and Dr. Amy Salazar will share information about the rising use of trauma-informed trainings for professionals who support foster youth. In a twist on the usual style of presentation, our research expert will be joined by experts of a different kind: alumni of the Japanese and American foster care systems who have special insights into the policies and practices that most impact young people. Alumni of care from the U.S. and Japan will share their first hand experiences of foster care, under the framework of mental health and trauma, and facilitate activities and discussion with workshop participants on the value of adding youth perspective into mental health service provision. Ultimately, this workshop will argue that training a workforce to be trauma-informed is not enough. In order to best support this vulnerable population, mental health service providers and social workers should be educated on the unique challenges and barriers foster youth face so that they can become healthy members of a global community.