Start Today: Support Wellness and Resilience Through Trauma-Informed Approaches
Voice and choice. Physical and emotional safety. Transparency. Culturally responsive interactions. Collaboration. Peer support. These are things we all want in our workplaces, medical interactions, and social lives, right? We also want them for our children, our parents, and our community. These factors are a part of the six guiding principles to trauma-informed approaches (TIA). These principles are something you can learn more about on October 1st at Black Bear. Register for the event here: chbtraumainformedapproaches.eventbrite.com
We’ve all carried trauma, so TIA are not just for the people we serve, its beneficial for us all. They help us set up our communities and service systems in a way that promotes healing.
So, what do these principles look like in practice? There is no single technique or checklist. It’s the way that we approach our work. Below are brief descriptions of each principle and an example of them in practice in either a community or clinic setting.
Source: CDC
Safety, environment, and security: Throughout the organization, staff and the people they serve feel physically and psychologically safe.
Example: You set up your client visit space so the client does not have to have their back to the door or feel cornered. All information shared avoids fear tactics and focuses on strengths-based approaches. You welcome the client and introduce yourself so that they know who you are before jumping in.
Trustworthiness and transparency: Operations and decisions are conducted with transparency and the goal of building and maintaining trust among staff, clients, and family members of those receiving services.
Example: You’re in a family home visiting session and are promoting healthy sleeping techniques for caregivers and baby. You are transparent about the benefits and the challenges they may have with different techniques.
Peer support: These are built into services and approaches and are understood as a key way to build trust, establish safety, and empower.
Example: You’re hosting an event related to substance misuse prevention. You have folks with lived experience speaking on your panel. The resource tables around the room include support groups and peer support specialists.
Collaboration and mutuality: There is recognition that healing happens in relationships and in the sharing of power and decision-making. The organization recognizes that everyone has a role to play in a trauma-informed approach. One does not have to be a therapist to be therapeutic.
Example: You’re reviewing your notes for an upcoming community event you’re speaking at. You remove acronyms and jargon that folks outside your field may not recognize. You also add a statement about valuing multiple types of knowing (not limiting “knowledge” to academic degrees, for example).
Empowerment, voice, and choice: The organization aims to strengthen the staff, client, and family members' experience of choice and recognizes that every person's experience is unique. This builds on what clients, staff, and communities have to offer, rather than responding to perceived deficits.
Example: You're gaining feedback in your office on the agency’s new strategic plan. You offer opportunities for feedback and conversation during staff meetings, in a 1:1 setting, or via an anonymous survey. You engage staff and clients/community in this process.
Cultural, historical, and gender issues: The organization actively moves past cultural stereotypes and biases, offers culturally responsive services, leverages the healing value of traditional cultural connections, and recognizes and addresses historical trauma.
Example: You are visiting a neighboring Tribal Nation for an event they are hosting. You prepare by learning about historical context and cultural practices, like by reviewing the Partnering with Native Nations in a Good Way Guide from The Native Governance Center.
6 Principles Descriptions Source: Trauma Informed Oregon
TIA helps you build stronger relationships with partners, community, and co-workers. What are ways you include trauma-informed approaches in your work?