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Resilience, Leadership &
Learning Institute
Strengthening Healthy Relationships
Using Trauma-Responsive Approaches
According to data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System
Each year in New York State, over 65,000 children are abused or neglected.
This number has remained relatively static for more than a decade. While access to and mandating of trauma-informed approach trainings for service providers has increased steadily.
Why are we not seeing a reduction in the number of indicated cases of child abuse?
Our belief is that too often services are delivered and provided to families in a manner that serves as a barrier to engagement. Most trainings provide education about theory. Trainings are often information dissemination sessions that are about the children and families that will be the recipients of services.
The Resilience Leadership and Learning Institute is a project of Prevent Child Abuse NY. The work of the Institute will be dedicated to strengthening concrete skills of professionals which help unlock the operationalization of authentic trauma-informed, strength-based approaches. The goal is to ground professionals in how to strengthen the protective factors of the children and families they work with and contribute to organizational culture change that strengthens the protective factors of all staff.
Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can help children and adults thrive and potentially lower risk for conditions like depression, asthma, cancer, and diabetes in adulthood.
​Prevent Child Abuse NY (PCA-NY) believes there is a missing prerequisite piece that would help unlock the daily operationalization of the training information that is learned by participants. Service providers need a strong foundation in an understanding of the effects of trauma, an understanding of self and more meaningful empathy training before they are able to establish relationships with children and families that are authentically grounded in strength-based theory. They also need more than just theory – providers need specific everyday actions outlined as part of the training. They need an opportunity to problem solve real life situations they encounter by examining what they can do to reduce family stress while strengthening parenting skills.
PCA-NY is the only statewide organization actively implementing the Protective Factors Framework (PFF)1 systematically across the State as a tool to build and strengthen the skill sets of children and family service providers across sectors. The Framework is the foundation for the work we are engaged in to ground communities in primary prevention efforts and provide them with tangible everyday action steps relevant to their roles/professions.
PCA-NY has been working to increase awareness and understanding of the lifelong implications of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how these effects can be mitigated by intentionally building resilience in children and families. PCA-NY works to change the service delivery of programs that support children and families that will result in an increase in cooperative family engagement. We cannot continue to tell families, “You need to do better.” We cannot continue to tell providers, “You need to do better.” We must focus intentional effort on building the capacity and skill sets of both populations.
1. The Protective Factors Framework is a research-informed, strengths-based approach that prevents child abuse and neglect by focusing on the well-being of all families and helping families identify and build on their own protective factors. It was introduced by the Center for the Study of Social Policy in 2003 and a standardized certified train the trainer curriculum was developed by the National Alliance for Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds.
Training Offerings:
Protective Factors Overview
As knowledge and understanding around the Adverse Childhood Experience Study grows, so does the need for tangible action steps to build resilience. To do this, we all must recognize that we have the opportunity and shared responsibility to build resilience of children and families. This 90-minute training begins with a brief review of the ACE Study, discusses the importance of intentional resilience strengthening and engages participants in perspective shift work to equip them with every day action steps that are grounded in the Protective Factors Framework.
Bringing the Protective Factors to Life in Your Work
This 2-full day training is a deeper dive that explores the Protective Factors Framework.
Protective Factors Responsive Leadership
We are committed to support a change the service delivery of programs that support children and families that will result in an increase in cooperative family engagement. We cannot continue to tell families, “You need to do better.” We cannot continue to tell providers, “You need to do better.” We must focus intentional effort on building the capacity and skill sets of both populations.
This training curriculum is designed to build and strengthen leaders to ground them – and their organizations - an authentic perspective shift that will result in changes in the service delivery of services. This curriculum includes content on becoming a Protective Factor-responsive organization and include discussion on the skills and actions required of leadership. Exposure and understanding of the Protective Factors Framework is a pre-requisite.
Foundations in Healthy Sexual Development
The multi-modal training focuses on supporting the development of healthy relationships and secure attachments – the prerequisites for healthy sexual development. As this training is designed for infant and toddler providers, the majority of the training targets the actions of caregivers and the interactions with infants and toddlers – how those actions and interactions effect healthy relationship development.
Understanding Sexual Development of Young Children
This 60-minute training provides a brief overview of healthy secure attachments between caregivers and young children, an introduction to developmentally expected behaviors of young children and the importance of caregiver response to these behaviors. The training includes safety messages to teach young children and also includes education about what behaviors should cause concern.
Consultative Curriculum Development
Through a consultative model, we work to develop new curricula or presentations that support the professional development of an organization’s staff, specifically addressing identified areas where there is a need or opportunity for growth and support.
Leadership/Executive Coaching
One-on-one sessions are provided to leadership to support a change in organizational culture that is authentically trauma-responsive and supportive to all staff.
