Trauma Informed Care

Trauma Informed Care

Trauma Informed Care

Trauma informed care is an intentional approach to understanding and interacting with people who have or may be experiencing trauma. It assumes that most people are likely to have at least one traumatic event at some point in their lives and that, for some, this impacts the way they perceive the world and engage with others.

Trauma Informed Care Approaches

At the heart of trauma informed care is an understanding that individuals cope with trauma in unique ways. Even though these coping skills make sense to the individual who experienced the trauma, others may not comprehend them. By asking “what happened to you?” rather  than “what’s wrong with you?” trauma informed approaches foster accepting and supportive environments that can minimize the impact of traumatic events and prevent re-traumatization.

Trauma Informed care approaches:

· Focus on reducing risk of exposure to trauma by creating safe, supportive, and inclusive environments

· Use strategies to buffer against impact when exposure happens

· Provide culturally responsive interventions to promote individual and community resilience

The 4 R’s of Trauma Informed approaches:

· Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery

· Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in people receiving services, families, staff, and others involved with systems

· Respond by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices

· Seeks to actively resist re-traumatization

Becoming Trauma Informed

Becoming trauma informed is a process that begins with a general awareness of what trauma is and evolves as members of a group or organization gain knowledge, develop skills, and implement trauma responsive policies and practices at all levels.

Organizational Transition to Trauma Responsiveness