Trauma-Informed Care

"When we fail to identify interpersonal violence and structural oppression as traumatic, survivors’ struggles and strengths are hidden from view, and our responses fall short. Trauma-informed practice centers survivors’ experiences and helps us respond with greater empathy and nuance."
- Dr. Lisa Goodman, Boston College

Featured

Building Cultures of Care: A Guide for Sexual Assault Services Programs
The National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project and National Sexual Violence Resource Center
https://www.nsvrc.org
This guide, redesigned in 2017, provides information to support sexual assault services programs in strengthening their organizational and individual responses to survivors of sexual violence through the use of a trauma-informed approach. It provides an overview of the core principles of trauma-informed care and guiding points and questions to help organizations build cultures grounded in the philosophy of trauma-informed service delivery.

Resources

Tools for Transformation: Becoming Accessible, Culturally Responsive, and Trauma-Informed Organizations — An Organizational Reflection Toolkit
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health
http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org
The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health (NCDVTMH) has designed this tookkit for organizations serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children. Its purpose is to support organizations in their efforts to become more accessible, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed (ACRTI) in their approach and services.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Domestic Violence Advocacy
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health
http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/
Successful and effective advocacy is enhanced by a trauma-informed care approach. These lessons, webinars and tipsheets for domestic violence advocacy offer strategies for creating a trauma-informed organization.

Trauma-Informed Legal Advocacy Program
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health
http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/
Applying a trauma-informed approach when working with trauma survivors in legal proceedings can help remove barriers to the legal process and reduce experiences of revictimization. These issues are presented through various scenarios, webinars and other resources.

Trauma-Informed Care
American Institutes for Research (AIR)

https://www.air.org/topic/health/trauma-informed-care
Organizational resources and assessment tools to assist organizations in developing service delivery models that are grounded in an understanding of the root causes and impacts of trauma.

Trafficking: Trauma and Trauma-Informed Collaboration and Advocacy Webinar
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
https://www.api-gbv.org/resources/trafficking-trauma-webinar-2018/
This webinar builds on direct learning from trafficking survivors. It provides detailed information about how to identify survivors, how past experience of help-seeking can influence current attempts, and the importance of trauma-informed care at different points of contact with survivors such as raids, arrest, and at shelters.

Practices: Trauma-Informed Care
Case Western Reserve University Center for Evidence-based Practices

https://www.centerforebp.case.edu/practices/trauma
This page details the 6 core principles of trauma-informed care as well as what it is and how a trauma-informed care approach can apply to organizations. It also offers additional resources, tools and trainings for providers.

Trauma-Informed Care
Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.
https://www.chcs.org/topics/trauma-informed-care
Resources for adopting trauma-informed approaches to care so as to improve patient engagement, enhance outcomes, and reduce avoidable care and excess costs for both the healthcare sector and social service systems. Check out the Center for Health Care Strategies’ “Selected Projects” section for more detailed information on the importance of adopting trauma-informed approaches in the healthcare sector.

Developing a Community Trauma-Informed Approach to the Opioid Epidemic in Ohio
The Prevention Institute
https://www.preventioninstitute.org
The Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience Framework has greatly helped communities grappling with the impacts of the opioid epidemic. The Framework’s concepts of community trauma and building resilience help to address harm in the community and deeply resonated with those involved. This report on the Ohio case highlights the ability for communities to build community trauma-informed teams, reduce stigma, and develop a strategies roadmap towards change.

Fostering Social Connections and Trust in Public Housing
The Prevention Institute
https://www.preventioninstitute.org
The attached report analyzes the intersection of trauma and public housing. The report goes over the ways in which residents may be affected by trauma on a daily basis within their neighborhood. The report goes over ways in which communities can redevelop, build housing, and engage residents in a way that is sensitive to the trauma that residents have experienced.

Incorporating a Trauma-Informed Approach to Social Emotional Learning in Diverse Settings
Futures Without Violence
https://s3.amazonaws.com/fwvcorp/
Multiple presentations on trauma, neurobiology of trauma, trauma-informed approaches. Includes presentation specific to shelters.

Developing Trauma-Informed Organizations, A Toolkit
Institute for Health and Recovery
https://healthrecovery.org/
This toolkit is for organizations looking to improve the quality of services by understanding the impact of trauma and using that understanding to inform policies, procedures and interactions with clients. Website has full toolkit available for purchase.

Webinar: Strengths-Based and Trauma-Informed Supervision Frameworks
Jane Doe Training Institute and ISJ: Dr. Terri Pease, Expert Consultant and National Trainer of the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health
https://youtu.be/X9z9xTq5om0
The webinar explored a framework for understanding how supervisors can use strength-based, trauma-informed approaches to support staff and volunteers. This information helps us consider how we might structure supervision within our organizations that advances staff growth and development.

Trauma-Informed Principles through a Culturally-Specific Lens
The National Latino Network
http://nationallatinonetwork.org/
This document attempts to define the core principles of trauma-informed work through a culturally specific analysis. The content of this resource is primarily intended for culturally specific, community-based organizations and seeks to provide practitioners with accessible language to describe the trauma-informed/culturally specific overlap of their work.

Trauma-Informed Practice with Young People in Foster Care
The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections
http://mha.ohio.gov/
This issue brief defines trauma, and discusses the particular traumas experienced by children in foster care and how caregivers and social workers can help. It is part of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative issue brief series.

Key Ingredients for Successful Trauma-Informed Care Implementation
Center for Health Care Strategies Inc.
https://www.chcs.org/
This article addresses the healthcare sector’s growing awareness of the connection between exposure to trauma and long-term health conditions. Trauma-informed care approaches are developing in response to knowledge of trauma’s effects on serious health issues. “Changing organizational culture and clinical practice to reflect trauma-informed principles has the potential to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes, and provider and staff wellness. This brief outlines a practical implementation framework and policy considerations for instituting trauma-informed approaches to care in health care settings.” 

Trauma-Informed Approaches to Domestic Violence Exposure, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resiliency
Futures Without Violence
https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org
This webinar discusses recent responses to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and childhood exposure to domestic violence. Emphasizing the opportunity for primary prevention, presenters discuss strategies for trauma-informed parenting to prevent the intergenerational transmission of ACEs. The webinar includes practical skills including how to educate families about ACEs and how to promote resiliency through trauma-informed parenting.

Trauma-Informed Care
The National Council for Behavioral Health 
https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/
The National Council for Behavioral Health works at the intersection mental health and addictions treatment and services. Having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery requires a trauma-informed care approach. In addition to policy related items, their website offers webinars, videos and consultant information.

The Importance of Understanding Trauma-Informed Care and Self-Care for Victim Service Providers
Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
https://www.justice.gov/
This article details why understanding the impact trauma has on survivors is key in creating services and programs. A variety of trauma-informed resources and self-care techniques for providers are included.

Real Tools: Responding to Multi-Abuse Trauma
Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault 
http://www.andvsa.org
A toolkit targeted towards advocates and community partners to better serve people with multiple-abuse trauma. This toolkit defines what multi-abuse trauma is, what it looks like, and it’s implication for providers. The toolkit is designed to go beyond theory to give advocates and their community partners practical tools to address specific needs.

Resource Guide to Trauma-Informed Human Services
Administration for Children and Families 
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit
This guide provides an introduction to the topic of trauma, a discussion of why understanding and addressing trauma is important for human services programs, and a “road map” to find relevant resources.

SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative
https://store.samhsa.gov/
This resource integrates three significant threads of work: trauma focused research work; practice generated knowledge about trauma interventions; and the lessons articulated by survivors of traumatic experiences. While this framework was put forth by SAMHSA for the behavioral health specialty sectors, it can be adapted to other sectors such as child welfare, education, criminal and juvenile justice, primary health care, the military, and more.

Sheltering With Care: Tennessee Domestic Violence Shelter Best Practices Manual
Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
http://www.tncoalition.org/
This manual is intended as a tool for agencies trying to implement trauma-informed care approached. It offers best practices for shelter environment and culture, advocacy and supportive services, and policy and procedure. The manual contains definitions, checklists, tools, implementation case studies, and additional resources.

Trauma-Informed Approach: Key Assumptions and Principles
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
https://www.nasmhpd.org/
This presentation outlines the key principles of trauma-informed care. It highlights the importance of understanding trauma, identifying it and being aware of the prevalence and wide reach of trauma. This resource has a wealth of information about trauma and working with survivors.

Trauma-Informed Training and Technical Assistance 
Futures Without Violence
https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/
The Futures Without Violence website offers an abundance of information on trauma. Resources are available in a variety of forms such as webinars, blogs, policy papers, manuals, press releases, and more. Each resource covers a different topic related to trauma. For access to specific reports and research, visit the Futures Without Violence “Resource Center” and enter desired key terms into the search bar.

Trauma-Informed Care for Displaced Populations – A Guide for Community Based Service Providers
American Institute for Research
http://www.air.org/
This guide for community service providers specifically details the needs of displaced populations and the best practices in providing trauma-informed care. It includes self-assessments for organizations as well as steps to becoming a trauma-informed organization.

Trauma Informed Care Project Website
Trauma Informed Care Project
http://www.traumainformedcareproject.org//
Resources, questionnaires, conference summary and calendar of events from the Trauma Informed Care Project annual conference. Comprehensive resources include links to books, articles, books and videos related to trauma-informed care.

Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers
Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor 
https://www.dol.gov/wb/trauma/
A Guide for Service Providers, created to address the psychological and mental health needs of women veterans. The guide is also a compilation of best practices aimed at improving effectiveness in engaging female veterans.

What is Trauma-Informed Care
Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
https://ucedd.georgetown.edu
This resource created by Georgetown University is all about trauma-informed care and offers various additional resources such as webinars and training materials for organizations.

Creating a Trauma-Informed Organization: Literature Review
By Sera Kinoglu, Stephanie Nelson-Dusek, and Maggie Skrypek, Wilder Research
https://www.wilder.org/Wilder-Research/
This 2017 report for Volunteers of America provides a summary of the literature reviewed on trauma-informed practices, including a description of the most promising models of how to build a trauma-informed organization. The report includes a resource list for thought leaders and trainers in the field of trauma-informed services.

Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice: What is it and Why Should We Care?
Virtual Connections 
https://njsmyth.wordpress.com/
For new and veteran social workers, this article outlines the importance of trauma-informed care and explains what trauma-informed practice looks like once implemented.

Trauma Transformed Website 
Trauma Transformed: A Program of East Bay Agency for Children 
http://traumatransformed.org/
Trauma Transformed is a regional center and clearinghouse in the Bay Area that providing trainings and policy guidance on trauma-informed practices to systems of care professionals and organizations. Its aim is to build awareness and knowledge of trauma to shape policies and practices that reduce the re-traumatization of youth and families and the professionals who serve them.