Trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are very prevalent in youth. Studies by V.J. Felitti et al. in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that half of the adult respondents to their survey had experienced at least one form of trauma or ACEs during their childhood.

ACEs include household dysfunctions like domestic abuse, substance and alcohol abuse in parents, parental separations, neglect, and other forms of physical, emotional, or mental abuse. Adults who experienced one of these forms of ACEs were at a higher risk of negative physical or mental health issues, lower rates of employment, and a shorter life expectancy, according to 2020 research from America's Promise Alliance. These were usually due to a greater propensity to engage in risk factors such as smoking, drinking, substance abuse, being severely obese, or attempting suicide. ACEs also caused a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and chronic bronchitis or emphysema in adults. Adults who had experienced three or more ACEs had even greater chances of these issues.

Youth who experience trauma or ACEs also deal with many issues in their childhood which could be precedents to the effects seen in their adult lives. Youth who experience trauma have difficulty thinking through consequences, utilizing reasoning skills, controlling impulses and emotions, and interpreting social interactions with peers. Youth who are engaged in traumatic experiences over long periods exert chemicals in their brains that change the way their brains develop. These chemicals also heighten their responses of “fight or flight” to any perceived threat.

The recent COVID pandemic significantly increased the amount of youth who experienced trauma and ACEs. Kids experienced isolation, academic decline, food insecurity, exposure to more household dysfunctions, and fear of illness and death to themselves and those around them. The pandemic added to the number of ACEs that were already present (if any) and caused generations of youth to potentially be afflicted with the previously stated physical and mental health risks in their adult lives. So how do we fix this?

The obvious starting point is to work with organizations that already support youth from impacted communities and have higher risks of experiencing trauma in their lives. Nonprofit youth development programs do just this. They target these youth specifically to give them the tools and support to become productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Not all youth development programs understand how to approach trauma and ACEs in their daily programming. Three main components need to be accepted by key levels of leadership in these nonprofit organizations to effectively utilize a trauma-informed approach.

1. Commitment to a trauma-informed care culture

Deciding to implement a trauma-informed approach in youth development programs cannot come from a single CEO or Board Chair and be pushed to the rest of the staff. The whole board and key leadership staff must have a sincere desire and interest in supporting all youth with this approach. It must be part of the organizational strategy, mission, and every aspect of engagement with youth. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests using a “Four R’s” framework when adding trauma-informed practices to an organization. This includes training staff to realize what trauma is and how it relates to youth and their families, recognizing that previous or existing trauma could be the cause of negative youth engagement or behaviors, responding with an individualized trauma-informed care approach, and resisting retraumatizing youth by eliminating stressful and toxic environments and experiences in the organization.

2. Trauma-informed training

Training is an important part of implementing a trauma-informed care culture. All levels of the organization need to understand the basics of trauma and its effects on youth. Staff will be able to support youth experiencing trauma more effectively by understanding that excessive fight, flight, or even freeze responses by these youth are caused by a deeper issue than the smaller disruptions that may occur. Staff can also learn ways to train youth on dealing with their trauma such as sharing problem-solving skills and stress management techniques.

3. Community resource connections

To effectively serve all youth in a holistic approach, youth development programs must have effective and frequent communications with the family and school faculty that connect with the child. Each entity has an impactful role in the guidance and support of the child. Strong connections between these three groups will ensure that youth will find success through a common and unified support system. Youth development programs also need to identify other local community resources that can offer support to youth and their families such as health and wellness clinics and counseling services. School administration is another great resource for identifying local support for these youth.

Nonprofit youth development organizations are poised to be a key factor in supporting all youth and especially those who have experienced forms of trauma. They already work with youth from impacted populations with higher percentages of experiencing trauma. The COVID pandemic increased that percentage to include almost all youth. Nonprofit youth development programs must instill a trauma-informed care culture now to make sure that the current generations of youth are not embedded with all the associated risk factors that come with adverse childhood experiences.

Bryan Jebo is a 2022 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. He has over 25 years of experience working with youth development programs in Los Angeles County. Bryan has worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor for the past 22 years and has been the Chief Operating Officer for the last four of those years. During his time at the Boys & Girls Club, he has helped provide youth from underserved communities with programs such as academic support including aligning high school youth with pathways to college or careers, physical and mental growth through athletics, emotional expression through fine arts, music, digital media, and dance, character development programming, and leadership opportunities. Bryan lives in Wilmington, California, with his wife and two teenage kids.

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