Empowering transition age youth through trauma-informed, strengths-based, youth-centered, and anti-racist practices: Implementation of a virtual breakthrough series collaborative

Trauma-informed care necessitates a focus on change at all levels of a system and a shift in organizational culture. While there has been significant progress in implementing trauma-informed interventions and practices in child-serving settings, several needs and gaps still exist. Based on existing frameworks, a trauma-informed approach needs to incorporate several key components, including strengths-based, youth centered, and anti-racist practices; yet these are not consistently applied in practice settings. A Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC), an implementation and quality improvement methodology, was used to support a comprehensive, trauma-informed approach with transition age youth (TAY), to address the gap between research and practice with this population. A virtual BSC approach was utilized for this project in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included a total of 34 staff and youth from 5 agency teams across the U.S. that focused on implementing various components of trauma-informed care with TAY in their settings. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected on participant experiences, provider-level feedback, and outcomes. Findings indicated an increase in use of several trauma-informed, strengths-based, youth-centered, and anti-racist practices as reported by teams over the course of the BSC, with greatest improvements in supporting and empowering TAY and building and nurturing positive self-identity. Providers also reported increased awareness and knowledge about the broader components of trauma-informed care and overall satisfaction with the BSC process. Certain key elements of the BSC were more effective in supporting implementation: connecting with other teams, sharing ideas and strategies, support from BSC faculty, and using small tests of change. Implications suggest the BSC is a useful approach for supporting implementation of a range of trauma-informed practices and organizational culture change. A critical aspect of trauma-informed practice with TAY requires engaging, empowering, and partnering with youth as a key aspect of practice change.