Professional Tools and Resources for Trauma-Informed Care

The following resources provide information and guidance on supporting children who have experienced trauma.

Trauma Guide

This webpage contains two resources. The Trauma Toolbox for Primary Care is a six part series focused on adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and the process of asking families about exposure to ACES. Helping Foster and Adoptive Families Cope With Trauma: A Guide for Pediatricians was created to help strengthen the abilities of pediatricians in relation to identifying trauma, educating families, and empower families.

PATTeR Video Case Vignette Series

The Pediatric Approach to Trauma, Treatment and Resilience (PATTeR) video case vignette series below demonstrate an effective workflow for screening, referral, and follow-up for trauma. The series is broken into three videos; 1) Attachment, Resilience, and Trauma; 2) Shared Power and Difficult Conversations; and 3) Talking to Teens About Trauma. Each full video is further broken down in shorter clips for teaching points.

Video 1: Attachment, Resilience and Trauma

In this video you will see how the pediatrician engages with his 9-year-old patient Jake and his mom and demonstrates predictable compassionate availability, allowing the family to feel safe to express their distress and helping them regulate that distress. The pediatrician models surveillance, screening, and resilience by asking open ended questions and starting from a resiliency approach.

Section 1 – Engagement
Section 2 – Attachment
Section 3 – Surveillance
Section 4 – Screening
Section 5 – Resilience
Section 6 – Trauma reactions
Section 7 – Naming feelings
Section 8 – Setting up the framework

Video 2: Shared Power and Difficult Conversations

In this video the pediatrician reengages with his 9-year-old patient Jake and his mom and demonstrates how nonverbal communication can help regulate and help promote healing. The pediatrician explains the concept of the “invisible suitcase” and refers to a trauma informed mental health provider for therapy.

Section 1 – Reengagement
Section 2 – Nonverbal communication
Section 3 – Matching affect
Section 4 – Invisible suitcase
Section 5 – Regulating emotions
Section 6 – Referral
Section 7 – Wrapping up

Video 3: Talking to Teens About Trauma

In this video the pediatrician engages with his teen patient, demonstrates the steps in talking with teens about trauma and explains the importance of displaying acceptance, curiosity, and empathy.

Section 1 – Steps in talking to teens
Section 2 – Acceptance
Section 3 – Curiosity
Section 4 – Empathy

PATTeR Child Health Advice for Trauma (CHAT) Manual

PATTeR CHAT is is designed to be a resource for those who have completed the AAP Trauma and Resilience ECHO series.

PATTeR CHAT resources are intended to be used as reminders of curricular material, tools that can be adapted for office or clinic use, and handouts to share with colleagues or patients. This is not intended to be a review or summary of the course and is not intended to substitute for participation in the PATTeR program. The resources are organized by the lessons of PATTeR Level 1 and 2.

To download a copy of Level 1 PATTeR Child Health Advice for Trauma (CHAT), please click here.

To download a copy of Level 2 PATTeR Child Health Advice for Trauma (CHAT), please click here.

Provider Infographics

Download and share the infographic below to help pediatricians and pediatric healthcare providers understand why ACE scores are not effective clinically and what to do instead.

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This project is supported by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category II, Pediatric Approach to Trauma, Treatment and Resilience project, grant #1U79SM080001-01. ​