Stress and Its Impact on Physiological Health

The stress response is activated when a person perceives that environmental demands exceed their ability to cope. This training explores how chronic exposure to such stress, particularly toxic stress, affects individuals’ physical, emotional, and overall functioning. Emphasis is placed on understanding how toxic stress manifests in children, caregivers, and professionals within the child welfare system, and the long-term consequences of unaddressed stress. This training also focuses on how system-involved youth may be affected if the adults supporting them do not address this promptly and properly. 

This training is designed for individuals who work with children and youth impacted by the child welfare system. This includes child welfare professionals, resource parents, educators, youth mentors, sports coaches, law enforcement, and volunteers or staff who work with this vulnerable population.