From “What’s Wrong with You?” to “What Happened to You?” Trauma-Informed Care Training and Implementation Experiences of School Personnel

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can influence physical, cognitive and social development, impacting life outcomes including the child’s capacity to learn and become socially integrated. While steady relations to reliable, understanding adults may enhance child resilience and mitigate long-term effects on well-being, the difficulties of children with ACEs pose a challenge for school personnel. Psychoeducational trauma-informed care (TIC) interventions at school may strengthen teacher preparation and buffer the deleterious outcomes of ACEs, but the evidence base for these interventions is limited. Thus, the current study qualitatively acquired school personnel’s (N = 48) experiences and reflections on a TIC training-and-implementation intervention, and its day-to-day utility in a school context. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes, labeled “knowledge that transformed perceptions”, “the resource that makes a difference”, and “the spectrum of capacity”. Knowledge gains, changed practices, and motivation boosts were discussed, along with mixed attitudes toward TIC applicability, frustration from having limited information regarding individual students’ circumstances, and a need of more follow-up support to practicing TIC. Importantly, our analysis revealed several challenges to implementation, attributed mainly to organizational and structural factors, including conflicting tasks and goals, time pressure, lack of prioritization, and compassion fatigue. Thus, along with what seems to be much needed organizational adjustments and prioritizations, supporting a sense of agency in school personnel appears central for TIC implementation. Future research should explore individual beliefs about mechanisms of change and long-term outcomes of the training program, for teachers and children.