Advancing trauma-informed care in intellectual and developmental disability services: A pilot study of a digital training with direct service providers

Abstract

Background: As trauma-informed care advances in the service delivery system for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, additional resources are needed to foster staff development. This article describes the development and pilot evaluation of a digital training on trauma-informed care among direct service providers (DSPs) in the disability service industry. Method: Following an AB design, a mixed methods approach was used to analyse the responses of 24 DSPs to an online survey at baseline and at follow-up. Results: The training was associated with increased staff knowledge in some domains and greater alignment with trauma-informed care. Staff expressed a strong likelihood of using trauma-informed care in practice and identified organisational assets and barriers to implementation. Conclusions: Digital trainings can facilitate staff development and the advancement of trauma-informed care. Although additional efforts are warranted, this study fills a gap in the literature regarding staff training and trauma-informed care.