Vermont Statutes Title 33. Human Services, § 3402. Definitions

(1) “Childhood adversity” means experiences that may be traumatic to children and youths during the first 18 years of life, such as experiencing violence or other emotionally disturbing exposures in their homes or communities.

(2) “Resilience” means the ability to respond to, withstand, and recover from serious hardship with coping skills and a combination of protective factors, including a strong community, family support, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need, and social and emotional competence of children.

(3) “Toxic stress” means strong, frequent, or prolonged experience of adversity without adequate support.

(4) “Trauma-informed” means a type of program, organization, or system that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved in a system; responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and seeks actively to resist retraumatization and build resilience among the population served.