Integrating trauma-informed care and collective impact: Perspectives of service providers working with cross-system youth

Objective: Organizations have adopted trauma-informed care (TIC) to guide service provision for vulnerable populations. There is little research, however, on TIC in cross-system collaborations. The collective impact (CI) framework offers insight into cross-system collaboration, but there are few studies on CI, and none have examined it in relationship to TIC. This paper proposes the use of an aligned TIC and CI framework and presents findings from a qualitative study as an illustrative example. Method: We conducted focus groups and interviews with 35 homeless services, child welfare, and school social work providers working with cross-system youth (i.e., youth involved in multiple social systems). We used inductive and deductive approaches to analyze data and identify how providers incorporate TIC and CI in their practice to serve cross-system youth. Results: Findings emphasized the widespread adoption of TIC among social service organizations, as well as providers’ aspirational conceptions of CI. Providers also stressed the importance of trust in cross-system collaboration and the need for sufficient resources. Conclusions: Providers felt a need for CI but also identified constraints that limited the alignment of TIC and CI in practice. Findings hold implications for practice and policy to address trauma through multisystem collaboration.