Forest Ridge employs a Trauma Informed Care training facilitator who has received on-going training through the Child Welfare Academy. All staff at Forest Ridge have received Level 1 Trauma Informed Care training, and this training is provided to new staff as part of their base training program.
Staff learn about the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) assessment tool during this training, relating it to the youth we serve as well as their own childhood experiences. This helps staff recognize how to best help youth who have experienced trauma as well as how to recognize when their own experiences are contributing to their interactions with their co-workers and the youth we serve and what to do with this recognition.
Applying a trauma informed lens to every aspect of programming at Forest Ridge recognizes that trauma informed care is not simply one group or a set of tools to be utilized by only one department. The trauma informed lens is applied to all interactions and program components, and Forest Ridge's Trauma Informed Care training program teaches staff not to ask "what is wrong" with the youth, but rather "what has happened" to her.
Trauma informed care is an ongoing growth process, for both the youth working toward a healthier future and for the staff facilitating that journey. Our Child Welfare Academy Trauma Informed Care training facilitator has participated in a multiple-year training process to facilitate the ongoing training Forest Ridge staff continue to receive on this important approach to working with youth in this setting.