For young people from vulnerable backgrounds, these challenges are even greater. They face a higher risk of traumatic experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or unstable home environments, often stemming from poverty, discrimination, or limited opportunities.
A Toolkit to Address This Challenge
Youth professionals play a crucial role in supporting these young people but often lack the tools and resources to act in a trauma-sensitive way. Whether working with children from disadvantaged families, refugees from conflict areas, or communities affected by natural disasters, it’s clear there is a need for a shared understanding of trauma and trauma-sensitive practices. To address this need, MobileSchool.org (Belgium), Minor-Ndako (Belgium), Save the Children (Romania), and SolidarityNow (Greece) joined forces.
With co-funding from the European Union, the toolkit "Facing Trauma: Trauma-Sensitive Support for Children and Youth" was developed. This toolkit is designed to help youth workers understand, recognise, and respond to trauma in diverse contexts. It provides a clear and accessible framework, complemented by practical strategies to support children and adolescents struggling with trauma.
The toolkit Includes:
- 10 educational posters exploring themes like trauma, stress, and self-care in an engaging way.
- A comprehensive manual featuring over 60 trauma-sensitive games and activities.
- A podcast with audio stories and instructions.
- Online training programmes to deepen understanding of trauma and equip professionals with tools for trauma-informed approaches.
These materials are interactive, easy to use, tailored to different age groups, and freely available.
Want to get started with the material yourself?
All materials are freely available and accessible to youth workers worldwide through our website: https://www.street-smart.be/facing-trauma.
