New White Paper Examines the Impact of Mental Health, Toxic Stress and Trauma in Education and Workforce Systems

A new paper for workforce leaders from nonprofits Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and InsideTrack provides recommendations for mitigating trauma and toxic stress for learners and workers 

PORTLAND, OR. (SEPTEMBER 10, 2024) — InsideTrack, the national success coaching nonprofit that has served over 3.5 million learners and workers since its founding in 2001, in partnership with the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW), announced the release of a new white paper entitled “From Crisis to Resilience: Addressing Trauma and Toxic Stress in Workforce Development and Education Systems.” This paper shares recommendations for workforce and higher education leaders addressing the complex needs of individuals grappling with trauma and toxic stress as they navigate education, workforce development and social services systems on the pathway to achieving economic stability and employment.

“We can’t train the worker unless we understand the person underneath. In nearly two decades working in the social services system, I have seen firsthand how human barriers—poverty, physical and mental health issues, addiction, and family systems—are often the biggest challenges for individuals seeking a better economic future,” said Walter Simmons, CEO and president of Employ Prince George’s, which has partnered with InsideTrack to deliver training and professional development on coaching skills for its staff. “This white paper humanizes the issue of workforce development and offers a powerful call to action for both education and workforce leaders to understand the roots of trauma.”

The release of the new paper comes at a time of rising economic uncertainty; social, political, and geopolitical collective trauma; record numbers of Americans grappling with the effects of mental health conditions; and increased recognition of the trauma and toxic stress still impacting many since the worldwide disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, 80 percent of people served by workforce development programs are survivors of trauma, which is defined by the APA as an emotional response to events including accidents, crime, natural disasters, physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or experiencing or witnessing violence. This can include justice-impacted individuals, immigrants, refugees, those recovering from mental health or substance abuse disorders, and people experiencing homelessness, poverty or food insecurity.

The white paper delves into the definitions and impacts of trauma and toxic stress, highlighting how these experiences affect individuals pursuing education and employment. It presents data on the prevalence and effects of trauma, particularly within marginalized communities, and emphasizes the need for comprehensive trauma-informed care in education and workforce development.

“The U.S. Surgeon General recently called mental health the defining public health crisis of our time, and it also has profound implications for our capacity to support workforce development,” said Mo McKenna, associate vice president of partner success at InsideTrack, who co-authored the paper and leads the organization’s workforce development portfolio. “This is about fostering a healing-centered approach to workforce development and training that meets people where they are with a full understanding of not just their career goals, but their lived experiences and basic needs.”

A major focus of the white paper is the impact of trauma and toxic stress on support staff. The paper includes a focus on voices from the frontlines of the mental health crisis in schools, workforce agencies and nonprofit and community-based organizations, sharing firsthand accounts from workforce development and higher education professionals working to reduce turnover and burnout among support staff who serve them. For example, workforce development nonprofit Detroit at Work has invested significantly in training staff to understand the long-term impact of trauma and toxic stress and identify and respond to these issues in healthier and more effective ways.

“Unlocking the full potential of our education and workforce system requires us to build systems responsive to the human needs of the individual and their underlying experiences rather than just solely focused on helping them learn a new skill,” said Vickie Choitz, director of trauma and resilience at work at the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce. “Our experience pioneering a focus on trauma in workforce development systems across the country reveal the importance of providing targeted support and coaching to help staff learn trauma-informed practices and strategies, reduce the risk of secondary trauma, which can undermine their ability to effectively assist those they serve, and cultivate trauma-informed organizational cultures for staff and customers.”

The white paper introduces the CSW framework for a trauma-informed and equity-centered approach and InsideTrack’s healing-centered engagement framework. It details InsideTrack’s CLEAR Framework, which stands for “Confirm, Legitimize, Evaluate, and Respond,” designed to facilitate conversations with people experiencing trauma or stress as they navigate their education or career pathways.

For more information on “From Crisis to Resilience,” including access to the full white paper, case studies, and practical tools for implementation, visit this link. 

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About Corporation for a Skilled Workforce: Since 1991, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) has catalyzed change in educational and labor market systems, focusing on scalable improvements in worker skills, job quality, and access to opportunity. The CSW Trauma and Resilience at Work team was created in response to a gap in the national workforce development field to advance trauma-informed, healing-centered, equity-driven, and resilience-building workforces and workplaces.

About InsideTrack: InsideTrack is a mission-driven nonprofit that fuels social mobility by empowering individuals to achieve their education and career goals through the power of coaching. We help people get the education and training they need to upskill and advance in their careers, creating pathways that lead to quality jobs, family-sustaining wages and meaningful employment. Since 2001, we have served more than 3.5 million individuals — focusing especially on those who have been historically marginalized or face significant barriers to success. To learn more, visit www.insidetrack.org and follow us on LinkedIn @InsideTrack and X @InsideTrack.