The need for inclusion of psychological trauma in the professional curriculum: A call to action.

Abstract

An appreciable disparity exists between the need for services by professionals with expertise in psychological trauma and the availability of these services. Despite the establishment of a solid base of scientific literature on trauma and the growing attunement of society and the media to the adverse psychological impact of traumatic events, this area has yet to be decisively incorporated into the core curriculum of graduate training in psychology and other professions. This paper provides an overview of the prevalence, scope, and impact of trauma in the general population and the current lack of adequate resources to address the psychological difficulties engendered by traumatic experiences. Existing models of trauma training are discussed, and strategies for expanding the availability of trauma training are recommended.

Integrating a Trauma-Informed Care Perspective in Baccalaureate Social Work Education: Guiding Principles

“…We echo the statement made by Courtois and Gold (2009): "the territory of trauma practice can only be adequately mastered if training in trauma is grounded in the fundamental and generalist curriculum of a profession" (p. 18). We call for the field of social work to start viewing the study of trauma as spanning both generalist and advanced domains of social work practice.…”

“…Courtois and Gold (2009) recommend presenting trauma in undergraduate curricula as "a normal and frequent occurrence in human history and as an influential, but as yet not fully recognized, factor in human development" (p. 18). They further recommend highlighting how traumatic experiences can engender strength and resiliency (posttraumatic growth).…”

“…Consequently, there is a growing sentiment that the inclusion of traumafocused content should be presented in helping professional degree programs (Courtois & Gold, 2009;Marlowe & Adamson, 2011;Strand et al, 2014). Yet, Courtois (2002) notes that the specialized study of traumatic stress has yet to be fully included in social science educational programs.…”

“…Given the complex nature of trauma treatment and the numerous issues that can arise concerning client-safety, trauma-based educational programming is most commonly found at the graduate level (Courtois & Gold, 2009). Indeed, a growing number of MSW programs have begun integrating trauma content into their curriculum (Abrams & Shapiro, 2014;Bussey, 2008;Strand, Abramovitz, Layne, Robinson, & Way, 2014).…”

Practicing What We Teach: Trauma-Informed Educational Practice

“…- Ko et al (2008, p. 398) In hindsight, it is perhaps not surprising that Courtois's (2002) call more than a decade ago to integrate trauma in the clinical training curriculum has been followed by petitions to include instruction on vicarious trauma and self-care in order to ameliorate the risks associated both with engaging in trauma work and with exposure during clinical training (Courtois & Gold, 2009;Dane, 2002;Newell & MacNeil, 2010;Newell & Nelson-Gardell, Practicing What We Teach 263 2014;O'Halloran & O'Halloran, 2001). In the past two decades, clinical observations and empirical reports have established that indirect exposure to traumatic material is associated with high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among social workers (Bride, 2007) and those working with child maltreatment (Bride, Jones, & MacMaster, 2007), and that listening to trauma narratives also can increase the risk of vicarious traumatization (Figley, 2002;Pearlman & MacIan, 1995).…”