The document discusses the need for trauma-informed care in New Orleans in the wake of multiple traumatic events in 2020-2021, including hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic hardship. It defines trauma-informed care as care that recognizes the high likelihood that individuals have experienced trauma and aims to avoid re-traumatizing them. The document recommends training providers and staff to recognize trauma symptoms, ensuring care is accessible to all, and increasing funding for organizations providing trauma-informed care.

1. Raven Ellison
Tulane University
SPHL-6100 Fall 2021
Dr. Jeffrey Waddy
Trauma Informed Care:
Ensuring Safe and Healthy
Communities During and Post
Pandemic

2. What is Trauma
Informed Care?
• Trauma informed care
assumes that a person is
more likely than not to have a
history of some type of
trauma.
• In recognizing this, services
are provided in such a way to
avoid retraumatizing
individuals.

3. What is Trauma
Informed Care?
• Trauma informed care
ensures the safety of the
individual/group, gives them
autonomy within their care
and empowers them to take
an active role in their
treatment.

4. 2020 – Present: A Traumatic
Period for Citizens of New
Orleans
• Residents of New Orleans and surrounding areas had an especially
traumatic 2020 and 2021 including:
• Four federally declared disasters;
• Several hurricanes and tropical storms affected the area;
the most severe of which (Hurricane Ida), hit as a
category 4 storm. The storm caused the death of at
least 31 individuals and nearly $20 billion in damages.
Many residents were without power for nearly 2 weeks.
• In smaller towns nearby, many residents lost nearly
everything they owned.
• Statewide, the mortality rate jumped by nearly 30% and not all
of this number was due to Coronavirus deaths. Individuals were
more likely to avoid seeking treatment as to not add to the
number of individuals overwhelming the state’s facilities.

5. 2020 –
Present: A
Traumatic
Period for
Citizens of
New
Orleans
• K-12 teacher retirements rose 25% between 2020-
2021, exacerbating an existing educator crisis (61%
of teachers who leave the profession do so within
the first 10 years of their careers).
• More children entered the foster care system in
2020, but with COVID regulations suspending court
dates and visitations reunification has been
difficult.
• The greater New Orleans area’s unemployment
rate doubled between 2019 and 2020.

6. Necessity of
Trauma-Informed
Care
• The people of New Orleans have
faced incredible adversity in the age
of COVID highlighting the need for
trauma-informed care in all sectors.
This can be seen as a microcosm of
the kind of care needed worldwide
• This situation also calls for providers
that can communicate effectively
about trauma and how to work
through this while avoiding
becoming traumatized themselves

7. Implementing
Trauma-
Informed Care Trauma-informed care could be a new notion in
spaces like public health and corporations, where
interventions are frequently evidence-based and
have measurables and goals to achieve.
This method is more intuitive and works best
when participants and providers are open to
evolving treatments and engaging with partners
across industries to achieve the best outcomes

8. Implementing Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-Informed care addresses systemic
and relational trauma concurrently
A team of specifically selected providers
should be trained in the nature and
impacts of trauma and how it manifests
itself in developing brains (mostly in
children) and in functioning (in both
children and adults).
Good leaders of trauma teams should use
what is important to their team members
to motivate the work that is done
Assessing immediate needs is a great way
to encourage buy-in long-term.

9. Implementing Trauma-
Informed Care
• The Coronavirus pandemic exposed how many things
that are embraced as accessible are really “useable.”
• Useability usually refers to the fact that many
can utilize a service/item while accessibility
refers to all being able to utilize a service/item.
• Use of digital solutions were heavily
implemented and suggested, but the
possession of stable internet via computers or
cell phones was largely assumed
• Digital solutions assume that all are computer
or tech savvy enough to access and understand
those solutions
• Solutions created during the pandemic should
be considered for permanent use and
expanded to meet more individuals where they
are

10. Outcomes
• Studies found that implementing trauma-informed
care solutions decreased recidivism and had a
positive impact on the rate of substance use,
trauma symptoms, and the mental health of both
participants and staff
• Client retention is improved, which allows the
organization to continue doing their work and
receive funding with proven success
• Treatments are targeted; therefore, they are more
cost-effective
• Because client retention tends to increase,
relationships between client and providers tend to
improve as well

11. Recommendations
• Train teachers, providers, and staff to
recognize trauma symptoms – achieving
high vaccination rates will not “cure” the
trauma of the pandemic
• Instead of asking “what is wrong?” ask
“what has happened to you?”
• Ensure that care is offered or rolled out
to everyone, not just at-risk individuals
and/or groups
• Funding for these important
organizations should be increased; both
to ensure care continues and to innovate
for the future
• Business leaders and people managers
should become trauma informed to help
assist employees and provide some
predictability in a world where so much
lately is unpredictable

12. References
• Adams, C. (2020). Foster Care Crisis: More Kids are Entering, but Fewer Families are Willing to Take
them in. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/foster-care-crisis-more-kids-are-
entering-fewer-families-are-n1252450
• Adelson, J. & Russel, G. (2021). Louisiana Deaths Jumped by Nearly 30% in 2020: How the Victims Died.
Retrieved from https://www.nola.com/news/article_40f5e882-7885-11eb-8efc-df64fa264c23.html
• Benson, T. (2021). Back to Not-So-Normal: Psychologists Eye Pandemic Stress as U.S. Reopens.
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pandemic-stress-us-reopens-rcna1204
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• Lee, L. (2021). Hurricane Ida Recovery is Slow for Louisiana Bayou Communities – and Non-Profits Need
your Help. Retrieved from https://ktvz.com/news/2021/12/01/hurricane-ida-recovery-is-slow-for-
louisiana-bayou-communities-and-nonprofits-need-your-help/
• McKee, J. (2019). Blocking the Disabled on the Web Means Blocking Innovation. Retrieved from
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• Over-the-Year Change in Unemployment Rates for Large Metropolitan Areas (2021). Retrieved from
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• Teacher Shortage Worsening (n.d). Retrieved from http://la.aft.org/news/october-edition
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research/institutes-centers/institute-on-trauma-and-trauma-informed-care/what-is-trauma-informed-
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• Wilson, A. (2021). September Return to Schools Should Take Trauma Informed Approach, Integrate
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