Trauma-informed climate Scale-10 and attitudes related to trauma-informed Care-10: An examination of scale psychometrics using data from disability service providers

BACKGROUND:Assessment is fundamental to the implementation of trauma-informed care. As trauma-informed care advances among organizations supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), it is critical that they have access to validated assessment tools. OBJECTIVE:This is the first study to examine the psychometric properties of two brief measures associated with trauma-informed care, Trauma-Informed Climate Scale (TICS-10) and Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-10), using data from the IDD service industry. METHODS:We employed structural equation modeling to examine the factor structure, reliability of TICS-10 and ARTIC-10, and construct validity with the ProQOL using secondary data from 374 service providers. RESULTS:We confirmed the factorial validity of TICS-10 and ARTIC-10 with single factor solutions; however, modifications were necessary to achieve adequate model fit. CONCLUSIONS:The current study provides initial evidence of the validity and reliability of TICS-10 and ARTIC-10 when used within organizations supporting people with IDD. Recommendations for subsequent improvements and future research of the scales are provided.