Pilot Evaluation of Safe First Steps: Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices in a Hispanic School Community

TL;DR

This study evaluates a program to implement trauma-informed practices in a Hispanic school community, finding some success but also identifying key barriers.

Contribution

The study provides a pilot evaluation of Safe First Steps, a trauma-informed initiative in a majority-Hispanic school setting.

Findings

Improvements were observed in five of SAMHSA’s six trauma-informed principles.

Cultural Humility showed no improvement, and barriers included heavy teacher workload and lack of family engagement.

The initiative is considered promising for trauma-informed care in minority-serving schools.

Abstract

Minority youth are disproportionately exposed to traumatic experiences but face barriers in accessing treatment. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has identified six key principles for creating a trauma-informed environment, but these principles have been inconsistently implemented in schools serving diverse communities. The current study is a pilot evaluation of Safe First Steps, an initiative to implement trauma-informed practices based on SAMHSA’s key principles, in a majority-Hispanic school population. 63 staff members from a school in Chicago participated in a training initiative, followed by group consultation meetings over two years. Data were collected concerning educators’ progress in implementation of trauma-informed principles and barriers experienced. Improvements were found in five of SAMHSA’s principles, although no improvement was made in Cultural Humility. Heavy teacher workload, lack of family engagement, family stressors, and newcomer status were the most frequently-reported barriers. Findings support Safe First Steps as a promising framework for implementing trauma-informed care in schools serving minority youth. Results underscore the importance of support from families, school administrators, legislators, and community members.