Resources

This resource shows the website page that was removed from the NCTSN website in June 2025. This page was developed over the course of three years by a large group of dedicated NCTSN members who maintained the need to move beyond dominant culture definitions in seeking to understand the trauma inflicted upon children, families, and communities by White Supremacy Culture and racism. It uplifts and centers quotes, language, research, experiences, and expertise of People of Color.

This paper and the associated principles were developed through the NCTSN Anti-Racist Summit Initiative. The paper is premised on the fact that systems and organizations must shift beyond performative action toward becoming antiracist and trauma-informed. This resource offers actionable principles and strategies that organizations can implement to make this move toward fundamental transformation. Our nation is at a critical precipice for reimagining how to improve access to and quality of the services for children, families, and communities throughout the United States (US) who have been traumatized by the current and historical impacts of anti-Black racism, as well as to dismantle the white supremacy culture that continues to uphold this racism. The goal of this resource is to light a fire in the bellies of systems, their leaders, and their agents to adopt conscious efforts and actions that promote equity, healing, and justice. This cannot be achieved by inspiring systems to simply think differently about individuals negotiating racism in their daily lives - they must act differently. (Published in 2022)

This list of principles is a companion document to the Being Anti-Racist is Central to Trauma- Informed Care: Principles of an Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed Organization resource, which includes further explanation and strategies for how organizations can put these principles into action. Published in 2022

This resource tells the story of what the NCTSN has learned through the first Anti-Racist Summit Initiative, what they are still learning, and how the NCTSN can support organizations to become anti-racist. This report outlines the journey of the NCTSN Anti-Racism Summit starting with the background; discussing the process; what occurred before, during, and after the summit; its impact; participant experiences; lessons learned; and next steps. (Published in 2023)

This NCTSN Position Statement affirms the importance of addressing the impact of historical trauma, including slavery, in the lives of African Americans in the U.S. Current-day racial injustice in law enforcement, prisons, and other institutions are part of the history of oppression and racism that can affect the trauma experience, treatment, and recovery of African Americans. Trauma-informed practice and culturally responsive care are core values of the NCTSN. These compel us to acknowledge historical events, biases, and population demographics in understanding health disparities and disproportionality. As such, historical trauma is recognized and understood as a significant part of the trauma history for a child, a family, and a culture. (Published in 2016)

This NCTSN Position Statement acknowledges that the experiences of Indigenous children have resulted in profound loss and complex trauma. Prior to the passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978, Indigenous children were systematically removed from the care and custody of their parents, their families, and their communities. These removals destroyed cultural connections and resulted in a catastrophic number of children's lives being lost. In our work in the NCTSN, we have learned that connecting children to their culture is a protective factor that boosts self-confidence and self-worth, offers a sense of identity and belonging, and connects them with their community, all of which lay the foundation for health and wellbeing. As a Network whose mission is to enable children and families to recover from trauma and to build safe and meaningful lives and communities, the NCTSN is dedicated to doing all that we can to support Indigenous Sovereign Nations in the protection of their children and families. (Published in 2023)

The NCTSN Trauma-Informed Organizational Assessment (TIOA) was developed in 2019. In 2023, two TIOA implementation leaders who were also trained as TIOA coaches, collaborated with the NCCTS TIOA team as consultants to enhance centering anti-racism more explicitly within TIOA efforts. This partnership led to the development of the following values of anti-racist, trauma-informed practice (AR-TIP): 1) Embodiment of Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed Practice; 2) Collaborative Journey; and 3) Relational Nature of the Work. This resource describes the importance of using AR-TIP as core to the TIOA.