Examining Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Among School Professionals: A Baseline District-Wide Organizational Assessment
- 1Department of Nursing, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, USA
- 2Department of Social Work, University of North Texas, Denton, USA
Abstract
Children’s exposure to trauma can significantly affect their learning and behavior in school. Trauma-informed systems, including schools, can support youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences by creating safe environments that avoid retraumatization and restore academic, health, and developmental trajectories. The purpose of this study was to obtain a baseline organizational assessment of a large Texas school district’s readiness to implement trauma-informed care (TIC). The study followed the first step in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s guidelines for implementing TIC: determining organizational readiness. An exploratory cross-sectional design was employed, using the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care instrument to measure the district’s readiness by assessing staff attitudes toward TIC, their confidence in implementing TIC, and perceived organizational support for adoption among school professionals. Descriptive statistics were examined, and inferential testing included omnibus one-way ANOVA, paired t tests, and post hoc Bonferroni pairwise comparisons. The final sample consisted of 211 participants (N = 211), who included teachers, counselors, administrators, and nurses. Of these, 56% had reported prior TIC training (n = 119), and 44% had not (n = 92). Results showed that the On-the-Job Behavior subscale scored highest, with respondents endorsing empathy-focused staff behavior over control-focused behavior. The Personal Support subscale scored higher than the System Support subscale for staff who reported prior TIC training, indicating confidence and support for implementing TIC. Significant group differences between trained and untrained participants suggest that trauma-informed training in this sample was effective. Continued TIC training, as mandated by the state, shows promising results in helping school professionals develop readiness to understand trauma and its contribution to behavioral issues in U.S. schools. Future research with the same district will employ a qualitative design to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing TIC in school settings. Developing a trauma-informed school environment and implementing TIC can contribute meaningfully to the growing body of implementation science and the evidence base in trauma research.
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BibTeX
@article{ackers2026examining,
title = {{Examining Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Among School Professionals: A Baseline District-Wide Organizational Assessment}},
author = {Suzanne M. Ackers and Jessica Grace},
journal = {Journal of Child \& Adolescent Trauma},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s40653-026-00955-7},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-026-00955-7},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Examining Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Among School Professionals: A Baseline District-Wide Organizational Assessment
AU - Suzanne M. Ackers
AU - Jessica Grace
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/04
JO - Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma
DO - 10.1007/s40653-026-00955-7
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-026-00955-7
AB - Children’s exposure to trauma can significantly affect their learning and behavior in school. Trauma-informed systems, including schools, can support youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences by creating safe environments that avoid retraumatization and restore academic, health, and developmental trajectories. The purpose of this study was to obtain a baseline organizational assessment of a large Texas school district’s readiness to implement trauma-informed care (TIC). The study followed the first step in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s guidelines for implementing TIC: determining organizational readiness. An exploratory cross-sectional design was employed, using the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care instrument to measure the district’s readiness by assessing staff attitudes toward TIC, their confidence in implementing TIC, and perceived organizational support for adoption among school professionals. Descriptive statistics were examined, and inferential testing included omnibus one-way ANOVA, paired t tests, and post hoc Bonferroni pairwise comparisons. The final sample consisted of 211 participants (N = 211), who included teachers, counselors, administrators, and nurses. Of these, 56% had reported prior TIC training (n = 119), and 44% had not (n = 92). Results showed that the On-the-Job Behavior subscale scored highest, with respondents endorsing empathy-focused staff behavior over control-focused behavior. The Personal Support subscale scored higher than the System Support subscale for staff who reported prior TIC training, indicating confidence and support for implementing TIC. Significant group differences between trained and untrained participants suggest that trauma-informed training in this sample was effective. Continued TIC training, as mandated by the state, shows promising results in helping school professionals develop readiness to understand trauma and its contribution to behavioral issues in U.S. schools. Future research with the same district will employ a qualitative design to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing TIC in school settings. Developing a trauma-informed school environment and implementing TIC can contribute meaningfully to the growing body of implementation science and the evidence base in trauma research.
SN - 1936-1521
SN - 1936-153X
ER -