Syllabus
Master of Social Work
SSWO 650 Trauma Informed Theory and Practice (Spring 2021)
Credits - 3
Description
This course will prepare students to become practitioners and leaders versed in Adverse Childhood Experiences, resiliency, historical and intergenerational trauma, and trauma-informed theory. Students will explore these trauma-informed principles and apply them on micro and macro levels through a focus on implementation science for trauma-informed organizational and individual practice change. This course provides a strong foundation that complements clinical electives such as Advanced Trauma Practices.
Note about TI Certificate: You can declare the TI Certificate by submitting your intent to complete SSWO 650 and SSWO 613 and a TI project. See course for more details.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
School of Social Work Program Outcomes:
Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:
- Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
- Engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
- Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engage in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe and analyze the historical underpinnings of trauma-informed theory and the “consumer/patient” movement
- Define and delineate the core principles of trauma-informed care and apply these to micro, macro, and mezzo practice.
- Analyze the relationship of individual, family, and community-level trauma to historical legacies of oppression, current issues of power and privilege, and principles of universal human rights.
- Examine the role of research in understanding the impact of childhood trauma on physical health outcomes and its implications for policy and practice level changes using models of change.
- Critically assess organizational trauma and the parallel process using the trauma triangle framework.
- Critically assess their own practice and that of their organizations using a trauma-informed paradigm in a case presentation with peers.
EPAS Standards
EPAS 1: Students will review the principle of safety and demonstrate in classroom discussions examples of ethical and professional behavior in their field placements that relate to physical, emotional, psychological and moral safety.
EPAS 3: Students will apply trauma-informed theory to human and social rights and demonstrate in their change process assignment how organizations support these rights.
EPAS 4 & 5: Students will assess their field placements using a trauma-informed agency tool to gather practice-informed research and make practice and policy recommendations to their organizations.
Assignments
Week 1 ACEs Reflection Paper
In this 1-2 page reflection paper, please discuss how the videos and the readings build on each other by using ACEs to inform how systems adopt a trauma-informed approach of “what happened” instead of “what’s wrong”.
Week 2 Self Care Plan and Reflection
For this assignment, you will fill out the self-care worksheet and submit a 2-3 page reflection.
Week 5 TI Proposal (Concept Paper)
Submit a two-page concept paper for a Trauma-informed change project proposal. You will present this paper in a discussion post for consultation purposes. Prior to submitting the paper please consult with the instructor for direction and input.
Week 7 Final TI Proposal
For this final assignment, you will build on your concept paper, TI Proposal, submitted earlier.
You will analyze a policy, practice, or procedure from a trauma-informed perspective. You will use this analysis to produce a finished proposal for the organization to help it become trauma-informed, in 4-7 pages.
Grading Policy
The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignments | Points | Percent of Total Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Discussions | 40 pts (5 pts each) | 40% |
| Week 1 ACEs Reflection Paper, Week 2 Self-Care and Reflection, and Week 5 TI Proposal | 30 pts (10 pts each) | 30% |
| TI Principles (Miro Board Activity) | 5 pts | 5% |
| THRIVE Agency Assessment | 5 pts | 5% |
| Final TI Proposal | 20 pts | 20% |
| Total | 100 pts | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Wednesday through 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. Unless otherwise specified, all discussion comments and assignments are due the last day of the week. Initial responses to discussion prompts are due by the end of Saturday unless otherwise noted.
ALL TIMES ARE IN THE EASTERN STANDARD TIME ZONE, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Course Weeks
Week 1: Wednesday, January 6 – Tuesday, January 12
Week 2: Wednesday, January 13 – Tuesday, January 19
Week 3: Wednesday, January 20 – Tuesday, January 26
Week 4: Wednesday, January 27 – Tuesday, February 2
Week 5: Wednesday, February 3 – Tuesday, February 9
Week 6: Wednesday, February 10 – Tuesday, February 16
Week 7: Wednesday, February 17 – Tuesday, February 23
Week 8: Wednesday, February 24 – Sunday, February 28
Week 1 Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences
Assigned Reading and Multimedia:
- Course Introduction [Video]
- Week 1 Lecture [Video and PDF]
- The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences, nationally, by state, and by race or ethnicity. (2018, Feb 20).
- Slopen, N., Shonkoff, J. P., Albert, M. A., Yoshikawa, H., Jacobs, A., Stoltz, R., & Williams, D. R. (2016). Racial disparities in child adversity in the U.S.: Interactions with family immigration history and income. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 50(1), 47.
- Larkin, H., Felitti, V. J., & Anda, R. F. (2013;2014;). Social work and adverse childhood experiences research: Implications for practice and health policy. Social Work in Public Health, 29(1), 1-16.
- The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma-Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement
- Vincent Fellitti: How childhood trauma can make you a sick adult. [Video]
- Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime. [Video] (15:50 mins, CC and interactive transcript on page)
- Trauma-Informed Care Champions: From Treaters to Healers [Video]
- CBS All Access 60 minutes: Treating childhood trauma. [Video]
- The “life-changing” story Oprah reports this week. [Video]
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 1 Assignment
- ACEs Reflection Paper
Week 2 Organizational Trauma and Trauma-Informed Self-Care and Safety Planning
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Week 2 Lecture [Video]
- Bloom, S., Farragher, B. (2013). Ch. 1, 2 & 3 Restoring Sanctuary. Oxford University Press.
- SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
- Part 1 Ch. 1, pp. 3-32, in SAMHSA, (2014), A Treatment Improvement Protocol: Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 2 Assignment
- Self Care Plan and Reflection
Week 3 Trauma-Informed Principles
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Week 3 Lecture [Video and PDF]
- Purkey, E., Patel, R., & Phillips, S. P. (2018). Trauma-informed care: Better care for everyone. Canadian family physician/Medecin de famille canadien, 64(3), 170–172.
- Sweeney, A., Filson, B., Kennedy, A., Collinson, L., & Gillard, S. (2018). A paradigm shift: relationships in trauma-informed mental health services. BJPsych Advances, 24(5), 319–333.
- Morgan, A. A., Thomas, M. E., & Brossoie, N. (2020). Trauma-informed care (TIC) as a framework for addressing the opioid epidemic in Appalachia: An exploratory interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 44(3), 156–169.
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 3 Assignment
- TI Principles
Week 4 Assessing Organizations for Trauma-Informed Competencies
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Why Trauma Matters and How to Assess Organizations [PDF]
- THRIVE Assessment:
- Agency Assessment (to be completed for the assignment and discussion)
- Family Assessment (to be reviewed and not completed)
- Youth Assessment (to be reviewed and not completed)
- Part 2 Ch. 1 & 2, pp. 159-211, in SAMHSA, (2014), A Treatment Improvement Protocol: Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 4 Assignment
- THRIVE Agency Assessment
Week 5 Applying Trauma-Informed Principles: Project Proposal
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Week 5 Lecture [Video]
- Bloom, S., Farragher, B. (2013). Ch. 4, 5 & 6 in Restoring Sanctuary. Oxford University Press.
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 5 Assignment
- TI Proposal
Week 6 Using Trauma-Informed Toolkits for Change
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Week 6 Lecture [Video and PDF]
- Toolkits to review LGBTQ+
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 7 Trauma-Informed Social Work and Legislation
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Advanced Social Work Practice in Social Work (CSWE)
- Bowen, E.A., Murshid, N. (2016). Trauma-informed social policy: A conceptual framework for policy analysis and advocacy. Perspectives from the Social Sciences, 106(2), 223-229.
- Bowen, E. A., & Irish, A. (2020). Trauma and principles of trauma-informed care in the U.S. federal legislative response to the opioid epidemic: A policy mapping analysis. Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice and policy, 10.1037/tra0000568. Advance online publication.
- Hecht, A. A., Biehl, E., Buzogany, S., & Neff, R. A. (2018). Using a trauma-informed policy approach to create a resilient urban food system. Public Health Nutrition, 21(10), 1961-1970. doi:10.1017/S1368980018000198
- Purtle, J., & Lewis, M. (2017). Mapping “Trauma-Informed” legislative proposals in U.S. Congress. Administration and policy in mental health, 44(6), 867–876.
Whole-Class Discussion
Week 7 Assignment
- Final TI Proposal Submission
Week 8 Trauma Stewardship Discussion
Assigned Reading and Multimedia
- Beyond the Cliff | Laura van Dernoot Lipsky | TEDx Washington Corrections Center for Women (transcript)
- Lipsky, L. v. D., & Burk, C. (2009). Trauma stewardship: An everyday guide to caring for self while caring for others. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. The Library has 3 copies for simultaneous access.
Whole-Class Discussion (Book Club)
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Social Work Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/social-work/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
Essential Academic and Technical Standards
Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Confidentiality Statement
Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Attendance Policy
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.