Safe4Child

Trauma-informed approaches to support staff working with children and adolescents exhibiting behaviours that challenge

Abstract

Behaviours that challenge, such as verbal insults, threats, and physical assaults, are a common occurrence for frontline staff working in child and adolescent psychiatric settings and residential care homes for children and youth. Rates of trauma among service users are high in these settings, indicating a need for a trauma-informed approach to managing behaviours that challenge. The aim of the EU-project Safe4Child is to develop a training programme that enables students and frontline staff in the fields of child mental health and child welfare to adopt a trauma-informed perspective and reduce restrictive practices, such as coercion and seclusion. The program is developed based on a needs-based analysis, including qualitative interviews and piloting with students and practitioners in Finland, Ireland, Bulgaria, and Germany. The use of virtual reality (VR) headsets as part of the training provides learners with an immersive experience that transforms abstract concepts into hands-on experience.