Development and Performance of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment

Theories of change in trauma-informed care emphasize the need go beyond individual transformation and act upon the organization-level. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment (TIOA), implemented within an implementation framework, is intended to assist with organization-level change. This paper explores properties of the measure, which evaluates 87 practices across nine domains. The TIOA uniquely incorporates the assessment of practices related to race and culture as well as partnerships with youth and families. In a sample of 23 child-serving organizations (N = 1,224), the TIOA demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha >0.93) and good or moderate test-retest reliability. The TIOA was usable by staff in a range of settings and few differences were seen in characteristics such as role in the organization or race. The TIOA provides actionable, organization-level recommendations to help identify strengths and areas for improvement, ultimately supporting environments where staff, children, and families thrive.