Trauma-Informed Approach in Youth Work

We define "highly vulnerable" youth as those facing at least two major life challenges, with at least one being chronic, systemic, or particularly difficult to overcome. Examples include extreme poverty, abuse, or severe family instability. 

Supporting them effectively requires a youth work practice that is informed by the current understanding of trauma. This course on trauma-informed approach in youth work focuses on understanding trauma, stress responses, psychological first aid, and building resilience. There will be a strong emphasis on practical tools, self-awareness, and safe youth work practices.

About the Project

Youth workers, educators, and helping professionals are increasingly encountering young people who have experienced highly stressful or even traumatic life events.

While youth work is not therapy, youth workers are often the first safe adult a young person turns to. A trauma-informed approach helps them create a more inclusive practice that is more accessible for such young people and provides a safer learning environment, all without the need for diagnosing or providing therapy.

Given this context, cross-sectoral cooperation and the safeguarding aspects of youth work are also crucial, as youth workers must often collaborate with other professionals in a supporting role.

This 5-day training course provides a research-informed, experiential, nature-connected approach to trauma-informed youth work. It includes learning about:

• Mental Health as a positive resource
• Stress and stress responses
• Trauma and its relation to our nervous system
• Adverse childhood experiences and protective factors
• Psychological first aid
• Emotion-regulation
• Relationship-based support
• Secondary traumatization and resilience 
• Boundaries, self-reflection, and self-care, roles in youth work, and cross-sectoral cooperation

Objectives

Participants will:

• Widen their understanding of mental health as a positive resource and practice mental health-related skills
• Learn about emotion self-regulation and practice it
• Understand trauma and its effects on young people
• Learn how youth work can act as a protective factor
• Develop trauma-informed communication and relational skills
• Learn about Psychological First Aid in crisis situations
• Clarify professional boundaries 
• Learn about creating psychological safety 
• Strengthen resilience in themselves and their teams
• Learn about safeguarding and how it is linked to a trauma-informed approach

Participant Profile

Youth workers, social workers, and other professionals—whether paid or voluntary—who have an ongoing relationship with young people. This includes those working in youth centers, foster homes, youth welfare services, out-of-school education programs, and similar initiatives. 

Participants should have a good level of English and be able to engage in discussions about the course topics. Ideally, but not necessarily, they work with vulnerable youth. 

This course is designed as a capacity-building program for professionals working with youth in a non-therapeutic setting. It is not intended to serve as a therapeutic intervention. Given that we will be addressing potentially emotionally challenging topics related to trauma-informed work, we require participants to have a stable mental health state. We welcome applicants who have not been affected by a major trauma event in the past 6 months and feel prepared to engage with this sensitive content.

Facilitators

Mónika Rózsa: Child and Adolescent Clinical and Mental Health Psychologist.
Árpád Bárnai: trainer and youth worker at Élményakadémia. Since 2006, he has been working with disadvantaged youth, including those living in foster care and segregated communities.

For more details please check the infopack here.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact:
zsofi.racz@elmenyakademia.hu

Infopack: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG4qlKFb8E/zvH14PZipMkkb7pSQwFnbA/edit?utm_content=DAG4qlKFb8E&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton