Trauma ScreenTIME Child Welfare Course
Latest Trauma ScreenTIME course aims to expand trauma screening among child welfare-involved youth
The Trauma ScreenTIME Child Welfare Course is a free, online training course on how to screen children for trauma.
This course was developed by the Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI) in collaboration with families and national experts based on current research and best practices. It is appropriate for anyone who works in or with the child welfare system, including caseworkers, clinical staff members, residential program staff members, and others - no clinical background required!
The course provides staff with the knowledge to confidently and effectively screen youth for trauma and connect families with supports and services to help them recover from the effects of trauma exposure.
The importance of trauma screening in child welfare
Despite the high prevalence of trauma exposure among children and youth involved in the child welfare system (CWS), there is still significant variation in the implementation and practice of trauma screening across state child welfare systems.
A 2024 study co-authored by CHDI's Jason Lang and colleagues from Yale and Penn State University found that "early identification of trauma-related symptoms may help connect children more promptly to trauma-informed evidence-based interventions, which may avert or mitigate the long-term sequelae of child maltreatment and CWS involvement." Read more about the study
The Trauma ScreenTIME Child Welfare Course is now available to child-serving providers nationwide at NO cost!
This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886487827-8730) for 4.5 continuing education contact hours.
Register for Child Welfare Course
Trauma ScreenTIME Courses
Trauma ScreenTIME has developed multiple courses to meet the needs of child-serving professionals in schools, early childhood, child welfare, and pediatric primary care settings, as well as our general Core course for those in other child-serving settings. A course for juvenile justice settings is in development.
ScreenTIME Infographic
Learn more about the role of trauma screening in this interactive infographic.
Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)
Learn more about our work to advance trauma-informed EBPs for children.
Child Trauma Screen (CTS)
Download the brief Child Trauma Screen (CTS) for child-serving settings.