Cost: $100
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This course will cover the core principles of trauma informed care (individual, family, and community) and will review the identification of trauma and symptoms of adverse childhood experiences. This course will also address secondary trauma exposure and the necessity of clinician self-care. This review will reflect the core areas of cultural competency, empowerment, and social justice and will provide opportunities for applying theories and critical thinking. Ethics, knowledge of self, and development of practice skills for human service fields (medical, social work, substance abuse, education, and criminal justice) will be emphasized.
Course Objectives
- Be aware of theoretical perspectives of trauma informed care and interventions in response to trauma experiences.
- Be able to apply basic assessment skills in the presence of possible trauma reactions.
- Demonstrate initial understanding of the range of responses to trauma.
- Be familiar with resources available to clinicians and clients when trauma has occurred.
Credit Hours
Success in this 0.5 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of 7.5 hours over the length of the course in direct instruction as provided by the instructor and an additional 15 hours outside of class reading, reflecting, and evaluating the topics for a total of 22.5 hours.
Credit Criteria
Grading Scale: Badge/No Badge
Evaluation: 100% completion of badge criteria
Contact Hours for Professional Relicensure
Social Workers: This program has been pre-approved by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board for continuing education for social workers. These course offerings are approved for 7.5 contact hours applicable for relicensure. (BSRB approval #05-001).
Instructor
Rheanna Pierce, LMSW, CA
Rheanna Pierce, LMSW, CA serves as the Associate Director of Field Practicum and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Social Work at Wichita State University. A licensed Master social worker in Kansas, she is certified in Trauma-Informed Care and Resilience and brings experience in child welfare, community organizing, policy and higher education advocacy.
Pierce is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education, where her research broadly examines the intersection of belief systems, caregiving, and identity within social work practice. Her scholarly interests include trauma-informed pedagogy, caregiver ethics, love, social justice frameworks, and how practitioners navigate personal values while promoting equity and inclusion.
Her teaching philosophy emphasizes student-centered learning, community engagement, and reflective practice. Drawing from her professional and academic experience, Pierce incorporates trauma-informed and resilience-based approaches to create supportive, inclusive learning environments. She is committed to preparing students for the realities of social work through experiential learning, critical reflection, and advocacy-driven education.
Grounded in compassion and guided by a holistic understanding of human behavior, Pierce strives to cultivate future practitioners who are thoughtful, ethical, and equipped to promote systemic change across diverse communities.