The main goal of trauma informed practice is to increase awareness of the impact of trauma on all staff and to prevent re-traumatisation in service settings intended to support and aid healing.
It also raises awareness and protects against vicarious traumatic stress, i.e. The health risks identified in staff that regularly interact with traumatised customers. For Trauma informed practice training, contact www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/trauma-informed-practice-training
A trauma-informed organisation, on the other hand, adopts a holistic approach to every area of its operation to avoid the repetition of traumatic events or dynamics between clients and staff. It also tries to reduce the amount of chronic stress that people carry.
- understands the impact of trauma on the body and possible paths to recovery
- recognises signs and symptoms of trauma among clients, their families, staff, and other system participants.
- integrates trauma knowledge into all policies, procedures, and practices.
- actively resist re traumatisation.
The key principles of trauma-informed care
A trauma-informed strategy adheres to the following key principles, rather than following a set of prescribed policies and procedures:
Safety
Staff and clients feel safe physically and mentally throughout the organisation. Physical safety and positive interpersonal interactions are key to a feeling of security.
Trustworthiness
Transparency is the key to all organisational decisions and operations. The goal is to build and maintain trust between staff, clients and their families.
Collaboration
The power imbalances between the staff and their clients, as well as among the organisational staff (from direct care workers to administrators) are levelled and partnered. Healing occurs in relationships, and when power and decision making are shared meaningfully.
Empowerment
Strengths of individuals are recognised, developed, validated, and utilised in the organisation and with clients. New skills can be acquired as needed.
Choice
The organisation aims to enhance the experience of staff, clients and their families and recognises that each person’s experience is different and requires an individualised approach.
It can be empowering and healing for people with mental health diagnoses to understand and acknowledge that many, if not all, of their symptoms may be linked to childhood traumas rather than to innate “defects” or “disorders”.
This knowledge and practice can then be absorbed by the general public. A recent World Health Organisation survey suggests that 70% of the global population have experienced at least one trauma, and on average 3.2 over their lifetime. It is clear that there is a need to increase awareness and deepen our knowledge about trauma and how we can all find a trauma-informed way of life.
