Trauma-informed care aims to realize the impact of trauma, understand paths to recovery, recognize signs and symptoms, integrate knowledge about trauma into policies and practices, and actively avoid re-traumatization. As part of the agency’s Strategic and Racial Equity Plan, building a trauma-informed system and weaving a healing-centered approach through all our work is essential to the health and well-being of the children, youth, and families we serve, as well as our staff.

In Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR), staff are actively trained on effective ways to provide support and trauma-informed care for youth in residence. The goal is to not only help young people heal and flourish, but also to prevent them from having repeated involvement with juvenile justice systems and protect them from re-traumatization.

“We center advancing racial equity across all of DCYF – the same can be said for trauma-informed care in JR,” said Behavioral Health Administrator Eric Nicholson. “Trauma-informed care is the lens we use for everything. It’s an opportunity to really engage young people and provide a better system of care. It helps us to build more trusting relationships with them and their families, and foster stronger relationships with us as a provider of services.”

Professional development in trauma-informed care is critical to building a better understanding of some of the traumatic experiences these young people have had – like gang violence, physical abuse, and neglect.

“The traumas our young people experience can be extremely detrimental to their lives, very similar to war vets. We’ve seen the light on this, and that’s why we’re focused on taking trauma-informed care to the next level at DCYF,” said Nicholson.

Staff who received N95 Respiratory Masks (Model DE2322) from the state stockpile do not have to worry about the expiration date on the packaging. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approved a five-year shelf life extension for the model DE2322 N95 air-purifying filtering face piece respirator. 

The full announcement is available on the manufacture's website. 

Over the last two years, the pandemic and other events have challenged our well-being. If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, grief or loss, burnout, substance use, workplace relationships, or family challenges, you’re not alone. Help is available.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP provides counseling and other resources to support your well-being, help with legal and financial issues, and address workplace concerns.

 To learn more:

• Visit the EAP website or check with your supervisor.
• Subscribe to the employee or supervisor newsletter to get information that supports your personal and professional well-being.
• Request EAP help for specific personal or workplace concerns.

While the nature of the issues we face may have changed over the last five decades, EAP’s commitment to providing confidential, expert support to public service employees remains the same. Whether your challenges are big or small, EAP is there to support you.

Stacy Winokur,  a program manager with Administrative Services, was recognized, along with the rest of the language access team, for all the help and advice to find a Marshallese interpreter for a family involved in a CPS case out of the Parkland office. 

"This was an emergency situation with children in foster care and we are working to figure out the whole situation. We were having difficulty finding any Marshallese interpreters with the resources we were aware of so we were pointed toward Stacy and she was just the perfect person to help us."

"She is so knowledgeable with LEP services and was able to assist us with getting the appropriate interpreter for the family as well as written materials in Marshallese (Voluntary Placement Agreement). She was able to walk us through what to do and was nothing but patient and super helpful."

"We are just so grateful to have her as a resource as she definitely helped us meet the needs of this family and helped us to make sure we can properly assess and keep these children safe. Thank you again, Stacy! "

This note of recognition was submitted by Jennifer Lopez-Silvers, CPS Investigator at the Parkland office.

We have two important background check updates for child care and early learning providers, both effective July 1, 2022.

First, Proclamation 20-31-12 was rescinded, so all child care and early learning workers or eligible households need to comply with the fingerprint requirements to continue to be on-site at a licensed facility.

Second, from July 1 through June 30, 2023, background check fees for child care and early learning applicants will be covered.

Read the full message, available on our site in English, Spanish, and Somali.