In a multi-stressed environment children and families are affected by one or more sources of significant stress--for example, homelessness, substance abuse, or lack of basic necessities. Living with high levels of stress can take a toll on young children's development. This skill-based staff development program was developed to help classroom teams address the needs of children and families from multi-stressed environments. The program has two purposes: (1) to suggest practical strategies for working with children who live in multistressed environments; and (2) to provide ongoing support for classroom teams. Following an introduction for the trainer, the guide is divided into two parts: "Trainer's Notes" and "Participants' Materials." The "Trainer's Notes" are designed to assist trainers in understanding the purposes of each training session. Both parts have the following eight chapters: (1) "Responding to Stress"; (2) "Head Start's Response"; (3) "Characteristics of Children Living in Multistressed Environments"; (4) "The Learning Environment"; (5) "The Daily Schedule, Routines, and Transitions"; (6) "Helping Children Cope with Stress"; (7) "Supporting Parents"; and (8) "An Approach to Problem Solving." An agenda, a list of discussion topics and activities are provided in each session. Contains 45 references. (MOK)