Vermont § 3403 - Director of Trauma Prevention and Resilience Development

§ 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.)