Integration of trauma-informed practice for the Namibian child welfare system : a rapid review

Abstract

Children entering or involved with the Child Welfare System (CWS) face considerable emotional trauma, from removal from the family home to being placed in alternative care. There is no guarantee that children exposed to these traumatic experiences will be dealt with sensitively by social workers. In order to address this gap, trauma-informed practice (TIP) can be considered to build stronger relationships and decrease the trauma associated with the CWS. The TIP approach addresses the lack of effective systematic coordination between the CWS and the mental health service providers. Some benefits of the TIP are that it improves the well-being of children as well as changing the way social workers respond to children’s emotional and behavioural problems. This research study aimed to gather evidence from the literature to inform a framework for the integration of a trauma-informed CWS in Namibia. The article followed a rapid review approach driven by specific steps. A rapid review can produce robust evidence within a short time frame. Ten articles were considered for data extraction. Four themes emerged from this review, namely understanding of TIP, workforce and organisational capacity building, workforce and client support and meaningful coordination and partnership. These themes present elements that form an integral part of a framework for developing a strategy for the integration of a TIP. The framework can provide significant interventions to deal with children, parents and staff members affected by or dealing with trauma-related experiences. The findings, therefore, support the integration of TIP into the Namibian CWS, as well as other African CWSs.