By Shawn Marsh | Carly Dierkhising | Kelly Decker | John Rosiak, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has released Preparing for a Trauma Consultation in Your Juvenile and Family Court. This guide, available online, outlines what courts need to know about a trauma consultation (also known as a "trauma audit"), and how such a consultation can help courts become more trauma-informed across environment, practice, and policy. Based on work with over a dozen courts across the country, the guide outlines a conceptual and basic operational framework for trauma-informed courts -- including positioning them as a critical stakeholder in a healing community. Supported by funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the guide is a living document that will be updated with lessons learned and advances in the field as they emerge.