§ 3403. Director of Trauma Prevention and Resilience Development
(a) There is created the permanent position of Director of Trauma Prevention and Resilience
Development within the Office of the Secretary in the Agency of Human Services for
the purpose of directing and coordinating systemic approaches across State government
that build childhood resiliency and mitigate toxic stress by implementing a public
health approach. The Director shall engage families and communities to build the protective
factors of a strong community, family support, social connections, knowledge of parenting
and child development, concrete support in times of need, and the social and emotional
competence of children. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Director
position be funded by the repurposing of existing expenditures and resources, including
the potential reassignment of existing positions. If the Secretary determines to fund
this position by reassigning an existing position, he or she shall propose to the
Joint Fiscal Committee prior to October 1, 2018 any necessary statutory modifications
to reflect the reassignment.
(b) The Director shall:
(1) provide advice and support to the Secretary of Human Services and facilitate communication
and coordination among the Agency’s departments with regard to childhood adversity,
toxic stress, and the promotion of resilience building;
(2) collaborate with both community and State partners, including the Agency of Education
and the Judiciary, to build consistency between trauma-informed systems that address
medical and social service needs and serve as a conduit between providers and the
public;
(3) provide support for and dissemination of educational materials pertaining to childhood
adversity, toxic stress, and the promotion of resilience building, including to postsecondary
institutions within Vermont’s State College System and the University of Vermont and
State Agricultural College;
(4) coordinate with partners inside and outside State government, including the Child
and Family Trauma Work Group;
(5) evaluate the statewide system, including the work of the Agency and the Agency’s grantees
and community contractors, that addresses resilience and trauma-prevention;
(6) evaluate, in collaboration with the Department for Children and Families and providers
addressing childhood adversity prevention and resilience building services, strategies
for linking pediatric primary care with the parent-child center network and other
social services;
(7) coordinate the training of all Agency employees on childhood adversity, toxic stress,
resilience building, and the Agency’s Trauma-Informed System of Care policy and post
training opportunities for child care providers, afterschool program providers, educators,
and health care providers on the Agency’s website; and
(8) serve as a resource in ensuring new models used by community social service providers
are aligned with the State’s goals for trauma-informed prevention and resilience. (Added 2017, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; amended 2019, No. 52, § 3.)