Advancing Trauma-Informed Systems Change in a Family Drug Treatment Court Context

Abstract

A growing body of literature documents the importance of trauma-informed and trauma-specific services and systems change in both addiction treatment and child welfare fields. The overall aim of this qualitative study was to explore barriers, benefits, and facilitating factors associated with a trauma-informed systems assessment and improvement initiative conducted in the context of a family drug treatment court (FDTC). Semistructured in-depth interviews with 12 key informants and historical analyses of project documents over a 4-year time span were conducted. Results underscore the relevance of trauma-informed systems change in collaborative contexts designed to address the complex needs of children and families.

Keywords:

• addiction treatment
• assessment
• child welfare
• collaboration
• family drug treatment court
• systems change
• trauma-informed

Acknowledgments

Planning for this research was supported in part by the Institute for Collaborative Response for Victims of Family Violence, San Jose State University.