An approach that fosters healing and resilience.

1. Understanding
Trauma-
Informed
Care
An approach that fosters
healing and resilience.

2. What is Trauma?
A trauma is “an event, series of
events, or set of circumstances that
is experienced by an individual
as physically or emotionally harmful
or life threatening and that has
lasting adverse effects on the
individual’s functioning and mental,
physical, social, emotional, or
spiritual well-being”.
(SAMHSA 2023, Practical Guide for Implementing a
Trauma-Informed Approach).

3. “Three Es” of
Trauma
Individual trauma results from an
event, series of events, or a set of
circumstances that an individual
experiences as physically or
emotionally harmful or life
threatening and that may have
lasting adverse effects on the
individual’s functioning and mental,
physical, social, emotional, or
spiritual well-being.
(SAMHSA 2023, Practical Guide for Implementing a
Trauma-Informed Approach).

4. Adverse childhood
experiences (ACEs)
are potentially traumatic events that
occur in childhood (0–17 years). ACEs
can include experiences of violence,
psychological or sexual abuse, and
neglect, as well as aspects of a child’s
environment that undermine their sense
of safety and stability, such as parental
separation or substance use problems
within the household.
(SAMHSA 2023, Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-
Informed Approach).

5. What is Trauma-Informed
Care?
A program, organization, or system that is
trauma-informed realizes the widespread
impact of trauma and understands potential
paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and
symptoms of trauma in clients, families,
staff, and others involved with the system;
and responds by fully integrating knowledge
about trauma into policies, procedures, and
practices, and seeks to actively resist re-
traumatization. (SAMHSA 2023, Practical Guide for
Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach).

6. Six Principles of Trauma-Informed
Care
Safety in physical
settings and
interpersonal
interactions
Operations are
conducted and
decisions are made
with transparency,
consistency,
respect, and
fairness so as to
build and maintain
trust
Support from those
with lived
experiences of
trauma or, in case
of children with
history of trauma,
their family
members
Partnering, levelling
of power
differences
between and
among staff and
clients
Individual’s
strengths and
experiences are
recognized and
built upon
Organization
moves beyond the
cultural stereotypes
and biases

7. Benefits of providing
Trauma-Informed
Care?
There are a number of benefits to using a trauma-
informed approach, not only for patients but also for
providers and staff. Many patients with trauma have
difficulty maintaining healthy, open relationships with
a health care provider. For patients, trauma-informed
care offers the opportunity to engage more fully in
their health care, develop a trusting relationship with
their provider, and improve long-term health
outcomes. Trauma-informed care can also help
reduce burnout among health care providers,
potentially reducing staff turnover.
(Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center).

8. —BrickelandAssociate
“Trauma-Informed Care can
apply to anyone. It’s not just for
those whose pain is obvious.”