SB 240/a CYFD TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINING

Sen Siah Correa Hemphill

Actions: [4] SCC/SHPAC/SFC-SCC-germane-SHPAC [6] DP/a-SFC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 Senate Bill 240 (SB 240) appropriates one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to the Children, Youth and Families Department for trauma-informed training for all staff and foster families.
 

  Senate Bill 240 (SB 240) appropriates one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) from the General Fund (GF) to the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) for expenditure in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 through FY 2027 for trauma-informed training for all staff and foster families.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2027 reverts to the GF.  

 
According to a 2016 issue briefing from the Center for Health Care Strategies, experiencing trauma, especially during childhood, significantly increases the risk of serious health problems including chronic lung, heart, and liver disease as well as depression, sexually transmitted diseases, tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug abuse throughout life. Childhood trauma is also linked to increases in social service costs. 
Working with patients who have experienced trauma puts both clinical and non-clinical staff at risk of secondary traumatic stress, defined as the “emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another.” Secondary traumatic stress can lead to chronic fatigue, disturbing thoughts, poor concentration, emotional detachment and exhaustion, avoidance, absenteeism, and physical illness. 
According to experts, trauma-informed care must involve both organizational and clinical practices that recognize the complex impact trauma has on both patients and providers. The underlying values for this approach include patient empowerment; choice; collaboration; safety and trust.  These same experts urge changing organizational practices before adoption of trauma-informed clinical practices. Important factors in an organizational trauma-informed approach include: senior leaders leading and communicating about the transformation process; engaging patients in organizational planning; training clinical and non-clinical staff in these changes and practices; and maintaining/creating a safe environment
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services has a Trauma-Informed Approach training with several modules, available online as does the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/childrens_mental_health/atc-whitepaper-040616.pdf
https://www.dshs.wa.gov/bha/trauma-informed-approach-training 
https://www.dfps.texas.gov/training/trauma_informed_care/
 

 2/5/2024
 The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee amended SB 240 (SHPAC SB 240A) by expanding those who may qualify for trauma-informed training under this bill to include contracted providers of preventive services.