IN THE PROFESSION
The Assessment Process
In the Spring of 2021 , the NCJFCJ conducted a virtual trauma assessment for Fulton County Juvenile Court . The trauma assessment included stakeholders and partners in the community in order to be informed on methods that can be used to become more trauma-informed and trauma-responsive to the community . The purpose of the Court ’ s trauma assessment was to aid in its understanding of how the courts interactions could be improved while improving the trauma-responsive process of justice . The process utilized a multi-method approach , including online surveys , focus groups with 15 unique stakeholder groups conducted via Zoom , and observations of virtual court hearings .
The assessment informed the Court regarding our processes , including the extent to which professionals understand the traumatic effects on children , youth and adults involved in the system , how court professionals understand and address secondary traumatic stress , and how trauma is identified within the system .
What ’ s Next ?
The assessment identified opportunities for improving our trauma-responsive practices . First and foremost , our work will be guided by the adaptation of a universal precaution model court wide . This model assumes that the Court , all stakeholders , and all youth and their families have a history of exposure to a traumatic life event or experience , either prior to becoming court-involved and / or during court involvement . Adopting this approach can have significant implications for crafting our Court policy and practice with respect to prevention , assessment , treatment , and training about trauma .
Pursuant to the recommendations of the assessment , the Court will develop materials to assist children and their caregivers in understanding the Court process ; implement training on secondary traumatic stress as well as coordinate employee resources to address this ; update Court practices that address hearing continuances , and the timing of issuing orders ; and use bench cards to guide thorough discussions on key child wellbeing topics during hearings .
As the Court continues to implement best practices , the Fulton County Juvenile Court Judges , Court staff , and administration must engage in an accountability , rehabilitative and reunifying practice that includes a juvenile justice and child welfare practice which is culturally sensitive to childhood trauma . Being trauma-responsive includes taking universal precautions to address the uncertain number of persons with trauma who become court involved , across all domains of environment , practice , policies and individual persons . As the Juvenile Court continues on the path of advancing trauma-informed and traumaresponsive methods there will be focus on the implementation of strategies designed to reduce stress , improve comprehension , lessen anxiety , and reduce the risk of exacerbating trauma symptoms .
As a result of the trauma assessment , Fulton County Juvenile Court updated to our strategic plan which has afforded the Court the opportunity to intentionally embed the work associated with becoming a trauma informed and responsive court , to the way in which the Court envisions serving our community . Core values that are the foundation of our Court now include being trauma informed . Responding appropriately through this lens is going to require a mental shift in how judges , attorneys , and court staff see court participants .
Juvenile Courts impact the lives and families of some of the most vulnerable children in our communities . Courts have a responsibility to consider the trauma of the children and families who appear before the Court , and to make efforts to acknowledge their trauma and mitigate further trauma caused by being involved with the Court .
While Fulton County Juvenile Court is still in the process of implementing all the recommendations from the trauma assessment , the Court is actively moving in the direction of fulfilling the mission of the Court by being trauma-informed and trauma-responsive . __________________________________
1United States Department of Justice , Attorney General ' s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence , Report of the Attorney General ' s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence . [ Washington , D . C .] : OJJDP , 2012 . Available at https :// www . justice . gov / defendingchildhood / cev-rpt-full . pdf
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National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges , Regarding Trauma Informed Juvenile and Family Courts , 2015 . Available at https :// www . ncjfcj . org / wp-content / uploads / 2019 / 08 / regarding-traumainformed-juvenile-and-family-courts . pdf .
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . SAMHSA ’ s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach . HHS Publication No . ( SMA ) 14-4884 . Rockville , MD : Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , 2014 . Available at https :// store . samhsa . gov / sites / default / files / d7 / priv / sma14-4884 . pdf . 4United States Department of Justice , Attorney General ' s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence . 5MacArthur Foundation , Juvenile Justice in a Developmental Framework : A 2015 Status Report . Chicago , IL ; John D . and Catherine T . MacArthur Foundation , 2015 . Available at https :// www . macfound . org / media / files / macarthur _ foundation _ 2015 _ status _ report . pdf 6See The National Child Traumatic Stress Network , Essential Elements of a Trauma-Informed Juvenile Justice System . Available at https :// www . nctsn . org / sites / default / files / resources // essential _ elements _ trauma _ informed _ juvenile _ justice _ system . pdf See also Stoffel , E ., Korthase , A ., & Gueller , M ., Assessing Trauma for Juvenile and Family Court Judges : From Development to Implementation , 2013- 2017 . Reno , NV : National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges , 2019 . Available at https :// www . ncjfcj . org / wp-content / uploads / 2019 / 07 / NCJFCJ _ Assessing _ Trauma _ Final . pdf
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