Abstract
Purpose. This study examined the outcomes and effects that trauma-informed care (TIC) training had on the attitudes and knowledge of frontline parks and recreation staff who worked in urban after-school programs with children who may have histories of trauma.Theoretical Framework. Lewinian psychology and the theories of attachment, self-efficacy, social-ecology, and social-capital were used to understand the role the parks and recreation profession might play in addressing societal issues such as trauma through investments in TIC training.Methodology. A mixed methods case study design was used to analyze survey results and interview data in a concurrent parallel manner. A total of 64 surveys were collected via the ARTIC-35 scale, which was administered to staff who worked in or operated an after-school program. Qualitative data were collected from 10 parks and recreation staff members who worked in an urban parks and recreation after-school program and had participated in a 2016 citywide TIC training.Findings and Conclusions. The ARTIC-35 scale showed no significant differences between the attitudes of those who had or had not completed the training. However, the qualitative interviews identified three themes that supported favorable TIC attitudes and knowledge post-training: (a) naturally trauma-informed, (b) support for TIC, and (c) future TIC investments. Parks and recreation professionals are naturally trauma-informed given the trust and safety children experience in the program; however, staffs' TIC attitudes might be compromised by resources that are misaligned with the needs of participants and by under-investments in staff.Recommendations. Seven future TIC training considerations specific to parks and recreation urban after-school programs and to the profession could be expanded on: (a) identify a training evaluation scale, (b) investigate training content and application, (c) consider urban program operating models to meet the needs of staff who work with children with histories of trauma, (d) identify core TIC competencies of staff, (e) evaluate ways to address vicarious trauma as a means to control for staff burnout, (f) consider leadership and policy implications for positioning the profession as an essential service, and (g) evaluate the role of part-time and/or new staff and their possible contributions to overall program effectiveness.