Trauma Informed Care
A Change in Perspective
Care is focused on understanding trauma and its impact on individuals and organizations. This is a continuous process that creates healthy, therapeutic living communities for our residents, as well as healthy, therapeutic working communities for staff and partners.
When a person or an organization experiences a traumatic event, it leads to loss. Loss causes overwhelming emotions. When such feelings are not managed appropriately, they often lead to unsafe behaviors which in turn can affect a person’s future.
Why We Use a Trauma-informed Approach
- Understanding the effects of trauma and loss on individuals and/or organizations helps people and organizations to grow and change.
- A trauma-informed environment asks “what happened to you” rather than “what’s wrong with you.”
- Children who have experienced trauma and loss can benefit from a trauma-informed environment.
- Working with highly traumatized clients can cause “vicarious trauma” and stress for the organization and the workers who provide the service. If we do not address our organizational trauma and stress, we run the risk of becoming part of the problem.