Skip to content

Main Menu

  • About
    • About Lionheart
    • Our History
    • Who We Are
    • Contact
  • Programs
    • Houses of Healing
    • Power Source
    • Power Source Parenting
    • EQ2
    • Training & Support
    • Research
  • Products
  • Community
    • Blog
  • Support Us
  • Donate
Cart

EQ2 Research

EQ2 shows a high level of feasibility and acceptability in preliminary research.

Residential Treatment for Children & Youth – The Official Journal of the Association of Children's Residential Centers

EQ2: Empowering Direct Care Staff to Build Trauma-Informed Communities for Youth

By: Sascha Griffing, Bethany Casarjian, & Katie Maxim (2020)

Abstract: This article evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of an innovative organizational intervention (EQ2: Empowering Direct Care Staff to Build Trauma-Responsive Communities for Youth). EQ2 is a psychoeducational training designed to build staff effectiveness in agencies that serve at-risk, trauma-impacted youth, particularly those youth involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems. EQ2 incorporates principles of trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and restorative justice practices to help staff members to develop their own social and emotional regulation skills so that they can effectively model and co-regulate with youth, thereby contributing to the development of trauma-sensitive environments. Thirty-one staff members from four diverse youth-serving agencies participated in the six-session intervention delivered on-site at their programs. Preliminary results indicate that participating staff members perceived the intervention as: 1) increasing their understanding of the impact of trauma on youth behavior; 2) providing them with practical skills to proactively de-escalate crisis situations; and, 3) helping them to feel more effective in their professional roles. The data suggest that EQ2 is a promising intervention that can support positive outcomes for youth and staff, particularly in under-resourced communities.

access this article

To go back to the EQ2 program page, click here.

Changing Lives – Building Futures

Read our biannual update

Contact Us

PO Box 327
Dedham, MA 02027
Phone: 781-444-6667
questions@lionheart.org

Sign up for our newsletter

© 2023 The Lionheart Foundation. All rights reserved. Terms | Privacy Policy