Improving Implementation of a School-Based Program for Traumatized Students: Identifying Factors that Promote Teacher Support and Collaboration

A systematic review of school‐based interventions and their outcomes for youth exposed to traumatic events

“…This will help stakeholders determine that a problem, such as trauma, needs school‐based attention and that the interventions implemented will provide a positive impact on their students both academically and behaviorally (Baweja et al, ). Providing psychoeducation, in relation to identification of trauma symptoms, provision of trauma‐informed care, and self‐care, is useful in reinforcing the need for psychological services for trauma while also providing pertinent information about how to work with students with experiences of trauma (Perry & Daniels, ), and such training has been reported by teachers as something they need more of (Baweja et al, ). While this may not result in immediate implementation of interventions, it will provide a framework on the need for psychosocial services, especially trauma‐informed practices, within the school.…”

“…Another important factor in implementing sustainable intervention, is constant communication and collaboration with school staff members. In their study, Baweja et al () found that including teachers in decision‐making, such as during the scheduling of intervention time, and communicating directly, consistently, and effectively about the intervention (e.g., reminders, information about what the session entailed without breaking confidentiality) helped make the clinician seem accessible and built teacher support. Also, by being in communication with teachers, practitioners can also provide tips and skills on how to work with students who are struggling in the classroom, thus promoting generalizability of the intervention across settings.…”

Trauma-Informed Schools: Introduction to the Special Issue

“…Two articles in this issue examine factors related to the sustainment and deadoption of the trauma-informed treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Intervention in Schools (CBITS; Stein et al, 2003), from the perspective of teachers (Baweja et al, 2015) and clinicians (Nadeem & Ringle, 2016). Baweja et al (2015) interviewed teachers and clinicians about teacherperceived facilitators and barriers to CBITS implementation. Their findings highlight the importance of creating a shared understanding of the problem being addressed to achieve teacher buy-in.…”

A Cross-Site Partnership to Examine Implementation and Sustainability of a School-Based Trauma Program

“…21 To address the need for schoolfocused implementation research and further our understanding of the factors that drive and impede the use of evidence-based practices in schoolsettings, this study expands the use of Mendel's model to examine the implementation of a group-based trauma intervention, the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) in the unique service setting of schools. While prior studies of CBITS implementation have focused on specific implementation factors such as buy-in from important stakeholders (ie, teachers, clinicians, and leadership), [26][27][28] to our knowledge, this is the first study to apply a comprehensive framework with a community partnered approach to the implementation of CBITS.…”