Trauma Informed Approaches

Trauma Informed Approaches

In it’s simplest form being trauma informed just means assuming that your clients have a history of trauma and that this is highly significant in the struggles they face today.

Trauma Informed Care asks that each of us, every team, every service considers their offer to clients from a psychological perspective. That is, if asked why you do things the way you do, the answer would be about how you address the emotional and psychological needs of your clients vs an answer based on practical and logistical rationale.

 

Introducing Trauma Informed Approaches to Care and Support

  • Trauma Informed Care

  • Trauma Informed Practice

  • Psychologically Informed Environments

Trauma Informed Care

Trauma Informed Care is about perceiving our clients through the lens of trauma and its impact on their lives – whether childhood, or adult, chronic or acute – the effects can be multifaceted from poor development as a child, becoming estranged from family as a teenager and the increased likelihood of poor emotional and physical health as an adult. In particular there is a higher risk of alcohol and substance misuse and for some, homelessness.

Trauma Informed Care asks that each of us, every team, every service considers their offer to clients from a psychological perspective. That is, if asked why you do things the way you do, the answer would be about how you address the emotional and psychological needs of your clients (especially in light of any adverse life experiences they might have had) vs an answer based on practical and logistical rationale.

Trauma Informed Care can be thought of as taking a step back from a more transactional approach (e.g. department store style transaction) to an approach that considers what the client’s particular needs are at the time they present. Not simply in terms of their housing, but also their psychological and relational needs. By being aware of these needs, we gain insights into what Trauma Informed Care might look like for each individual.

For example, you might consider the following:
1) what has happened to this person vs what is wrong with them?
2) how can we make them feel safe?
3) how can we make them feel more in control?
4) how can we be understanding?
5) how can we enable recovery to begin or progress?
6) how can we make sure we dont offer a service that risks causing re-traumatisation?

Trauma Informed Care will increase your likelihood of making progress in meeting your client’s needs. Even if this progress is incremental.

Opening Doors: Trauma Informed Practice for the Workforce

This animation was developed by NHS Education for Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government. It is designed to be relevant to all workers within the Scottish workforce and applies equally to us here in the South West. It aims to support workers to know how to adapt the way they work to make a positive difference to people affected by trauma and adversity

 

A Trauma Informed Service

A Trauma Informed service provides:
– a safe and predictable environment
– support personalised to the individual
– a focus on individual strengths
– gaining a sense of safety and control

 

The Four Rs

The Four Rs – An organisation that is trauma informed ‘REALISES‘ the widespread impact of trauma, stress and adversity, and understands potential paths for healing and recovery. The organisation ‘RECOGNISES‘ the signs & symptoms of trauma in staff, clients, & all others involved in the system. The organisation actively ‘RESISTS‘ re-traumatisation (trauma reducing vs trauma inducing). And, ‘RESPONDS‘ by fully & meaningfully integrating, embedding, & infusing knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, language, culture, practice and settings. (2014)

Dr Karen Treisman – Clinical Psychologist