MN applies ‘trauma layer’ to early-childhood intervention work

This week is National School Social Work Week, and in Minnesota, there are efforts to enhance support for students and families in early-childhood education.

Within the St. Paul Public Schools system, social workers are using what is known as a “trauma-informed approach” in serving families with children age five and younger.

Susan Williams, a social worker in the district’s birth-to-three early intervention program, said it means factoring in whether they already have been exposed to what researchers call Adverse Childhood Experiences. She noted it goes beyond abuse and neglect.

“We also are involved with families facing homelessness, and chemical dependency of a caregiver, or chronic and persistent mental illness of a caregiver,” Williams outlined. “These are typically the families that we get called upon to support.”

Williams added considering such factors early on is important, because it helps assess how the child is doing socially and emotionally, as well as the family’s needs. It coincides with primary relationships being forged as a child’s brain develops. The district’s work has inspired a support group for other early-childhood social workers in Minnesota.

Tricia Sedlacek, another social worker in the district, will discuss St. Paul’s approach at a national conference this spring. She noted the process also involves “reflective practices,” where key staff members discuss a child’s surrounding environment.

“What does it feel like to be this child in the context of these relationships? What does it feel like to be this caregiver in the context of their relationship?” Sedlacek explained.

Allison Litzenberg, another early childhood social worker, emphasized they try to follow the family’s lead in establishing a productive environment for each child.

“In birth-to-three, we make a plan with the family, called an Individualized Family Service Plan, and those goals and objectives largely come from the caregivers, so we look at what their priorities are,” Litzenberg emphasized.