Trauma-Informed Care is a fairly simple concept, but as awareness of this subject grows and the amount of research increases, it is becoming more and more complex over time. There are more and more models, definitions and sub-categories.
We prefer a more practical approach and describe Trauma-Informed Care as having:
3 Themes that people and organisation try and build into their approach/services
Plus
5 Principles that improve Communication and Interactions
The 3 Themes of Trauma Informed Care
1. Be aware that trauma is more common than most people realise.
Rather than looking to blame or judge why someone acts or is in their current situation – such as asking yourself “what’s wrong with them?” – you understand that trauma may be the underlying cause and you are able to shift the focus of your thoughts to understanding them – “what happened to them?”
2. Understand of the impacts of trauma
(physical, emotional, behavioural, psychological), so you adjust your approach as needed to make the biggest difference.
3. Being aware that poor communication can re-traumatise, which can damage relationships and reduce the help provided.
Keeping each of these themes in your mind, each of them is then applied in many different ways to make sure whatever service or support you’re giving, is trauma informed.
The 5 Principles of Trauma-Informed Care
To improve the support offered to clients, focus on these 5 main principles of trauma-informed care:
1. Understanding trauma
and its impact, so that you can recognise the effects in others and how it affects their perceptions and behaviour
2. Promoting Safety
by creating a safe physical and emotional environment
3. Being aware that poor communication can re-traumatise, which can damage relationships and reduce the help provided.
Keeping each of these themes in your mind, each of them is then applied in many different ways to make sure whatever service or support you’re giving, is trauma informed.
4. Sharing power, where you promote joint decision-making and ensure the power dynamic is shared appropriately
5. Believing that recovery is possible, for everyone regardless of their initial vulnerability
These things probably aren’t a total surprise, but they are a very useful focus to help shape your approach to communicating and helping people.
Despite all the other challenges in your role, continuing to recognise that trauma affected individuals need to be respected, informed about what’s happening, empowered to make decisions, involved in the process and be given hope throughout their recovery, is something not to lose sight of.
What is the Meaning of Trauma-Informed Care?
There are several different models and definitions of trauma-informed care, although the basic intent is similar – to provide support in a way that helps and doesn’t negatively impact someone.
To achieve this, 6 principles should be adopted by an organisation and used through every part of the service – from building design, interior décor, service design, intake forms, phone interactions, decisions on next steps in the support process etc.
Core trauma-informed principles are:
- Safety – this includes creating a sense of emotional safety as well as physical safety. One example is whether or not the environment is welcoming. Is the layout, décor or furnishings promoting a sense of safety or are the pictures or posters about domestic abuse triggering? Having pictures of violence or other sad events hanging on the walls might reflect the focus of the services, but it does not create an emotionally safe environment).
- Trust – showing you can be trusted is paramount. Trauma-survivors have often had their trust broken (particularly the case with children) and so doing what you say and ensuring your actions match your words is very important.
- Choice – ensure you provide choice to clients. A sense of helplessness is one of the more common feelings experienced when suffering from complex trauma, so providing a sense of choice when providing support is important.
- Collaboration -Even where there is likely to be little choice about what happens next, demonstrating a collaborative approach is vital. The next step in your service may be a medical check or completing an application form, but phrasing this in a way that creates a sense of choice is a subtle shift and let’s you apply the principle of choice. You might say “The next step is normally for us to a medical check, are you ok with us doing that together? I’ll be there to help you if that’s ok.”
In this way, you’re giving a sense of choice (even when there is no practical alternative), but also making it clear you are doing things together. It is not “you” doing it to “them” – rather your communication and actions show you are both involved. Doing with, not doing to. - Empowerment -creating a sense of hope and purpose is critical. After trauma there can be increased negative thoughts, doubts and even feelings of helplessness. Communicating they can heal and recover from trauma, not just to survive but thrive.
- Respect for Diversity – ensuring diversity is respected in all its forms.
