Trauma in adolescence often presents differently than it does in adulthood, such as demonstrating irritability instead of avoidance or aggression instead of hypervigilance. Traumatized adolescents who become rageful are often unable to identify the precipitants of their anger and can create intense conflict and demonstrate aggression at home and at school with dire consequences. This training seeks to identify trauma-reactive anger in adolescents, discuss the intersection between adolescent neurodevelopment and complex trauma and understand the risks that many of these adolescents face in schools, court systems, and other important systems. We will end this training by discussing assessment strategies and promising treatment protocols.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Determine how to identify and assess trauma in adolescents.
- Identify the intersection between neurodevelopment and short- and long-term trauma.
- Develop ways of educating adolescents, their families, and other important people in their life (such as school personnel) about trauma.
- Implement promising Treatment Protocols to help adolescents identify and manage their trauma symptoms.
Syllabus:
Objective #1: Identifying and Assessing Trauma in Adolescents
- Define trauma and differentiate it from non-traumatic experiences
- Recognize symptoms of PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder, and Complex Developmental Stress Disorder
- Assess types of trauma including recurring, solitary, witnessed, and loss-related trauma
- Use assessment tools such as ACEs and evaluate for recurring developmental trauma
Objective #2: Neurodevelopment and Trauma Intersections
- Examine how trauma impacts brain systems affecting memory, learning, and emotional regulation
- Understand trauma’s effects on adolescent identity development and attachment patterns
- Explore hostile attribution biases and how trauma leads to misinterpretation of neutral situations
- Recognize shame, fury, hypervigilance, and impulsivity as trauma responses
Objective #3: Educating Adolescents, Families, and Systems About Trauma
- Introduce the Trauma Coping Model emphasizing trauma’s influence on defensive behaviors
- Discuss developmental compromises due to early-life trauma
- Educate caregivers and school personnel on trauma-informed strategies
- Normalize trauma reactions and teach emotional regulation skills
Objective #4: Treatment Protocols for Trauma-Impacted Adolescents
- Introduce TARGET (Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy) framework
- Teach FREEDOM Skills: Focus, Recognize Triggers, Emotion, Evaluate, Decide, Options, Mobilize
- Implement strategies like STAIR (Skills Training in Affect and Interpersonal Regulation) and DBT
- Focus on grounding, mindfulness, and emotion regulation
- Address hyperarousal, cognitive distortions, and trauma narrative exposure carefully
- Apply other treatment models like Prolonged Exposure for Adolescents, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Trauma-Focused CBT
Objective #5: Clinical Practice and Case Application
- Review a case study of a trauma-impacted adolescent exhibiting violence
- Assess cultural factors and complex trauma histories in treatment planning
- Build secure therapeutic relationships through attunement, trust-building, and reflective practice
- Set goals including realistic threat appraisal, emotional stability, relationship building, and meaning-making
Social workers completing this course receive 2 General Skill Building asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 2 General Skill Building continuing education training.
Instructor: Dr. Jillian Graves, PhD, LMSW
Recording Date: August 17, 2024
CEUS On-Demand, LLC, provider #2274, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/7/2026 - 08/6/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2hrs General continuing education credits.
CEUs On-Demand, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CEUs On-Demand, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
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Request for Special Accommodations: Learners can request special accommodations by contacting the administrative team at admin@ceus-ondemand.com