The primary goal of the Trauma Initiative is to deliver behavioral health care that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of men and women who have experienced psychological trauma. Training and professional development with clinicians and clinical case managers in the DMHAS system of care is preparing them to provide screening, education, and treatment groups. Trauma services are being developed based on the guiding principle that treatment must be informed by a sound scientific, clinical, culturally relevant, and humanistic understanding of the impact and impairment caused by traumatic stress.
1. Trauma Informed Care (also known as Trauma Sensitive Services)
Trauma-informed care means that regardless of the reasons an individual comes seeking services, staff asks them about their trauma history respectfully, and is prepared to listen. In a trauma-informed system, services are designed to accommodate the needs of trauma survivors. Roger Fallot, clinical psychologist and Director of Research and Evaluation at Community Connections in Washington, DC, says that trauma-informed services:
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Incorporate knowledge about trauma in all aspects of service delivery;
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Are hospitable and engaging for survivors;
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Minimize revictimization; and
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Facilitate recovery.
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focuses on skill building around trauma, responses and support
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uses culturally related exercises
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uses gender specific approaches
- focus on learning coping skills
- used with people who have substance abuse issues
- addresses skill areas around boundaries, grounding and self care
- a strength based model
- participants learn self regulatory states
- participants learn skills to control PTSD symptoms
- Safety
- Empowerment
- Connection (Aloneness)
- Normal reactions (Shame)
- Mind-body connection
- Substance use
- Woman centered
- taking patient history
- discussing overall treatment plan
- identify patient safe place
- to serve as a reset mode when or during unbearable reminders of the past traumatic events
- identifying the negative cognition
- the installation phase
- identifying pain or discomfort
- debriefing and re-evaluation
- "Men and Trauma" - 2015, 24 minutes - Men share their stories to highlight gender differences in response to trauma.
- "Shining Stars", 2011, 15 minutes - Young adults sharing their stories of resilience and recovery
- "Trauma: No More Secrets", 2000, 30 minutes - Women discuss their trauma histories and recovery stories.
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Engaging Women in Trauma-Informed Peer Support: A Guidebook, A new draft technical assistance document from the National Center on Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC)
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