Development and Evaluation of the Trauma-Informed System Change Instrument: Factorial Validity and Implications for Use

Abstract

In this paper, we present the process of developing and evaluating an instrument designed to measure the extent to which a complex community system has changed as a result of a community initiative, and for purposes of this research, doing this within the content area of developing local trauma-informed child welfare systems in specific communities in Michigan. The instrument was designed for the Southwest Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center's (CTAC) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-funded initiative to bring a trauma-informed perspective to professionals working with children in child welfare. The Trauma Informed System Change Instrument was developed with the input of experts in trauma-informed system change. Two parts of the instrument were analyzed separately using confirmatory factor analysis. A two factor model was fit for Community Characteristics and a three factor model for Individual Characteristics. Although adequate factorial validity was obtained for the instrument, specific items on the instrument that were problematic in fitting the model were identified, and suggestions for revising the instrument for improved functionality are offered, as are other potential uses of the instrument.

Trauma-Informed Care in the Massachusetts Child Trauma Project

“…Results from t tests examining changes in individual practices and agency policy and practices on the TISCI (Richardson et al, 2012) showed significant improvements at both the clinician and the agency levels. Mean scores for individual practices were higher at follow-up ( M = 13.50, SD = 0.97) compared to baseline ( M = 11.46, SD = 2.04), t (16) = 5.95, p = .001, as were mean scores for agency practices, M = 86.82, SD = 16.97 compared to M = 80.17, SD = 15.53, t (16) = 3.07, p = .007.…”

“…Individual practice assesses the extent that individuals practice consistently in a trauma-informed manner. The TISCI's internal consistency is adequate (Cronbach's a ¼ .53; Richardson et al, 2012).…”

“…To evaluate TIC implementation among clinicians, we used the Trauma Informed System Change Instrument (TISCI; Richardson, Coryn, Henry, Black-Pond, & Unrau, 2012). The TISCI has 19 items answered on a 5-point scale (1 = not at all true ; 5 = completely true ).…”

Implementing Trauma-Informed Practice in Juvenile Justice Systems: What can Courts Learn from Child Welfare Interventions?

“…In turn, trauma-informed practice, in the context of juvenile justice, proffers objective consideration of a child's social, emotional, and developmental life-course in formulating appropriate adjudication and sentencing guidelines. Unlike traditional legal models which are often highly punitive, trauma-informed practice seeks to encourage recognition of the role trauma plays in shaping child behavior, whilst prioritizing approaches most likely to attenuate and help mend the underlying processes that have led to the maladaptive or criminal behavior (Henry et al 2011;Richardson et al 2012).…”

Student perspectives on how trauma experiences manifest in the classroom: Engaging court-involved youth in the development of a trauma-informed teaching curriculum

“…Still, the perceptions and educational experiences of youth living in residential care remains unchartered territory, and can be useful in understanding how to address the challenges faced by traumatized students in the classroom. Indeed, adults who lack trauma-informed knowledge can easily misinterpret the experiences of traumatized youth and its impact on behavior (Richardson et al, 2012). School personnel may incorrectly assume that youth trauma responses are an indicator of other mental health disorders (Cook et al, 2005; Massachusetts Advocates for Children, 2005), as symptoms of both often appear similar (Griffin et al, 2011).…”