Trauma-Informed Care
People experience trauma as a result of physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening events stemming from natural disasters, interpersonal events, and insidious and historic trauma. These events can have lasting adverse effects on functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. In the U.S., 90% of people in public behavioral healthcare settings have experienced trauma.
As traumatic events accumulate, physical, emotional, social, and economic effects on people can become increasingly profound. Trauma can result in compromised functioning, challenges accessing physical health and mental health services, problems forming and maintaining supportive relationships, difficulty regulating affect, and neurobiological changes.
Health and human service providers and programs can support recovery from trauma by providing trauma-informed care, a strengths-based framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of trauma. Trauma-informed care emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety as well as control and empowerment.
Providing trauma-informed care involves integrating knowledge and understanding of trauma and recovery into everyday practice. It involves building capacity to respond to the needs of trauma survivors, prevent re-traumatization, and design and deliver effective services. Providing care in a trauma-informed manner can improve health and wellness outcomes.
We Can Help You
- Understand trauma and its impact
- Recognize the effects of trauma
- Learn the fundamentals of trauma-informed care
- Assess your organization’s level of trauma-informed practice
- Integrate best practices for trauma-informed services, policies, and procedures
- Address self-care, vicarious trauma, and burnout
"I now have a better understanding of how to cater to the needs of our clients who have experienced trauma. I'm more informed which means I will be able to connect with our clients on a better level." -Nexus Youth and Families
"I learned a lot of new tips for using trauma informed care questions when working with my staff so I can offer them support without triggering their trauma." -Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health
Learn More
- TICOMETER, a scientifically validated instrument that measures the levels of trauma-informed care in health and human service organizations
- Safety in Support: An Interactive ebook on Trauma-Informed Care
- Motivational Interviewing
- Person-Centered Case Management
Learn more about our expertise and training and technical assistance approaches and offerings.