Trauma-Informed Care: Working with Children, Families, and Service Providers in Child Welfare Services
Credit Available - See CEs/Contact Hours tab below.
Total Credits: 5.25 NYSED LMSW & LCSW CEs/Contact Hours, 5.25 NYSED LMHC CEs/Contact Hours, 5.25 NYSED LMFT CEs/Contact Hours, 5.25 NYSED LCAT CEs/Contact Hours, 5.25 NYSED PSY CEs/Contact Hours
- Average Rating:
- 21
- Categories:
- Certificate Program: Online Trauma-Informed Organization: Basics for All Staff | Trauma and PTSD | Trauma-Informed Organization: Elective Courses | Children and Adolescents
- Trainer:
- Shelley Hitzel, LMSW
- Duration:
- 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Original Recording Date:
- Sep 30, 2022
Tags: Self-Study ITTIC
Description
Hybrid: Recorded video-based online activity and reading-based online activity.
This course is an elective course in the Online Trauma-Informed Organization Certificate Program: Basics for All Staff that was created by the University at Buffalo School of Social Work’s Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC).
This elective module offers a foundation of information to support the workforce in implementing Trauma-Informed change and integrating related knowledge and skills into their interactions, service delivery, and organizational culture. The module spans a variety of relevant topics including historical context, overviews of related public policy, information on complex and intergenerational trauma, ethical considerations, and practical guidance on best practices to apply each value/principle of a trauma-informed approach in child welfare settings. The module also includes case studies to assist with the effective transfer of learnings into daily practice.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize how trauma affects families in the child welfare system;
- Identify and understand how each component of the Trauma-Informed Care approach can be implemented into the child welfare system;
- Identify specific ways the child welfare system can benefit from implementing components of Trauma-Informed Care; and
- Recognize how trauma impacts professionals in the child welfare system.
Target Audience: This course is appropriate for social workers and all levels of human service staff that seek information on trauma and a Trauma-Informed approach in child- and family-strengthening systems and related settings.
CEs/Contact Hours
University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0001. Continuing education contact hours: 5.25 Self Study
University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0008. Continuing education contact hours: 5.25 Self Study
University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0007. Continuing education contact hours: 5.25 Self Study
University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists #CAT-0003. Continuing education contact hours: 5.25 Self Study
University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0062. Continuing education contact hours: 5.25 Self Study
Handouts
PowerPoint Slides (1.9 MB) | 22 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Required Reading 1 (542.4 KB) | 12 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Required Reading 2 (1.1 MB) | 8 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Required Reading 3 (1.3 MB) | 15 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Required Reading 4 (785.3 KB) | 4 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Required Reading 5 (590.8 KB) | 7 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Recommended (Optional) Child Welfare Reading 1 (868.9 KB) | 9 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Recommended (Optional) Child Welfare Reading 2 (985.8 KB) | 14 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Reference List (99.1 KB) | 1 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Trainer

Shelley Hitzel, LMSW Related Seminars and Products
Child Advocacy Center- Executive Director, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center/Child Advocacy Center of Niagara; Independent Contractor, Institute on Trauma and Trauma Informed Care, University at Buffalo, Buffalo Center for Social Research
Shelley Hitzel is a licensed master social worker, who holds a BA in Psychology with a Criminal Justice minor from Daemen College where her thesis focused on the relationship between emotional intelligence and perpetration of obsessive relational intrusions. In 2012 Shelley completed the University at Buffalo’s Trauma Counseling Certificate Program. She has been an employee of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center since 2008, beginning her career in inpatient behavioral health and the psychiatric emergency room. In 2010 she transitioned to the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara (CAC), a department of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, where she has held a number of advocate roles, becoming Executive Director of the agency in 2020. At the CAC she works alongside a multidisciplinary team providing investigative and support services to both child and adult survivors of trauma. Since 2015 she has been on staff as an independent consultant with the Institute on Trauma and Trauma Informed Care where she serves as the Project Coordinator for SAMHSA’s How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Response. Shelley has a passion for improving direct service delivery by increasing the knowledge and application of trauma informed care amongst agencies and professionals providing services to trauma survivors.
Course Outline
- Introduction to and overview of the child welfare system;
- Prevalence and scope of child welfare system involvement;
- Public policy;
- Considerations related to trauma, re-traumatization, resiliency, and the guiding values/principles of a trauma-informed approach in child welfare settings;
- Ethics;
- Case studies;
- Trauma-informed child welfare practices; and
- Complete the readings located in the Handouts section of this course.
Self-Study Equipment Requirements
Required Hardware
- A computer (desktop/laptop) or mobile device (smartphone/tablet).
- Speakers/headphones/earbuds
Internet Connection
- A stable Internet connection of 56K or greater is required. (However, please note that a 56K connection may degrade the quality of your experience.)
Any questions about these requirements or other technical questions can be directed to sw-ce@buffalo.edu.
Self-Study Course Access
Upon successful registration of the course, including receipt of payment, you will be able to access the course materials.
How do I test my system / access the online training?
To access the program, please log into your account. Click on the Launch Viewer button next to your program title.
How do I access the course materials
To download course materials, log into your account. Under the seminar name click on the Handouts button.
Completion Requirements
Self-Study - Video and Reading Completion Requirements
In order to receive a certificate of completion for this course participants must complete the following.
Please note all requirements can be found in your UBCE21 portal.
- Watch the video(s) in their entirety.
- Complete the self-study hours of required reading(s). These are the handouts labeled "required".
- After the training, take and pass the quiz with a score of 80% or higher. Participants have three chances to pass the quiz. You can access the quiz by clicking on the "Evaluation and Certificate" button for this course.
- After the training, complete the evaluation by clicking on the "Evaluation and Certificate" button for this course.
The certificate of completion will be immediately generated in your account upon completion of all course requirements. Certificates may be downloaded, printed, or left in your account.
Self-Study Cancellation Policy
Self-Study Courses: Participants have up to 72 hours from purchase to contact the Office of Continuing Education by email and request a refund.