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As the world becomes trauma–informed, work to do
... A cultural initiative, 'Becoming Trauma-Informed' (BTI), was introduced into prisons in England and Wales (and elsewhere) from 2015 based on the work of American clinical psychologist, Dr Stephanie Covington (2016) and as part of a more general trend towards the recognition and treatment of trauma-related conditions in the community and in mental health settings. Research on the impact of trauma has not only increased significantly in the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience but also in the practice-based fields of social care, education and criminal justice (Becker-Blease, 2017). King (2017) describes trauma as an individual's experience of an event that considerably negatively affects their ability to cope with or recover from it, evoking emotions such as fear, hopelessness and a sense of violation. ...
... 131) and that vigilance is needed with regard to its current popularity. Several researchers have highlighted that trauma-informed training has been highly marketised, producing expensive training programmes whose efficacy is unproven (Becker-Blease, 2017;DePrince and Newman, 2011;Hanson and Lang, 2016;Jewkes et al., 2019) have problematised trauma-informed initiatives, observing that 'it is not enough for prison staff to speak a trauma-sensitive language, or even engage in trauma-informed practice, if it is not fully embedded in the prison's culture, fabric and design philosophy' (p. 13). ...
... There are valid concerns with trauma-informed programs focusing disproportionately on individual pathology and not enough on the oppressive systems that maintain the status quo (Becker-Blease, 2017). That being said, anytime research or intervention-based programming is conducted with individuals, families, and communities, the entire holistic and nuanced lived experience has to be included to engage ethically. ...
We are experiencing a climate crisis on a global scale. The impacts associated with this crisis bring havoc to all populations, though disproportionately to those already vulnerable due to social inequalities associated with historical and contemporary collective or cultural trauma. Understanding the emotional, social, and physical impacts of climate change and the deleterious effects they have on individuals’ and communities’ ability to cope, prevent, resist, respond, adapt, and mitigate climate-fueled disasters, is a first step toward dismantling entrenched social inertia toward climate action. To this end, in this article, we begin by theorizing that there is a mutually reinforcing relationship that connects climate havoc, climate trauma, and social inertia. We then introduce an innovative trauma-informed research framework as a tool for researchers, doctoral students, citizen scientists, community partners, and others to ethically conduct research on climate issues without causing harm to themselves, participants, or vulnerable communities. The trauma-informed research framework centers the expertise of those most impacted by climate havoc, including people with lived experience of collective cultural trauma. A trauma-informed research framework can assist with the development of relevant and rigorous research about climate havoc in a way that holistically supports people, organizations, and communities that are working to prevent and mitigate harm associated with the climate crisis.
... Working with frontline staff to adopt a trauma-informed research approach may help to reframe patient autonomy as a safety-promoting factor rather than a threat; it may also support less stigmatizing understandings of patient behaviour. It is also important to note that when trauma-practices are misunderstood or co-opted, practices labelled as trauma-informed may merely replicate prior ways of working, or even enact new harms (46,48,49). POR practitioners will need to carefully consider these risks, particularly given structural barriers to fulsomely enacting principles like collaboration in high-secure settings. ...
Introduction
Forensic mental health care is intended to promote recovery and reintegration, but is often experienced by patients as punitive and aversive. Forensic patients are rarely engaged in research to explore what matters most to them, and little guidance exists on how this engagement may be facilitated. In this paper, we explore perceived determinants of readiness to implement forensic patient-oriented research in a high-secure setting.
Methods
Following a period of engagement with staff and patients in the high-secure setting, we conducted interviews with 30 staff members (including clinicians, researchers, and hospital leaders) and five patients. We analyzed interviews using a thematic analysis approach. Coding was initially informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and subsequent iterations of analysis extended beyond this framework to explore patterns of meaning encompassing multiple implementation domains.
Results
We identified three themes in our data: “Navigating a climate of distrust, discrimination, and restricted autonomy”; “Hearing and interpreting patient voices”; and “Experiencing a slow shift in the tide.” The first two themes represent potential challenges, including distrust and stigma; inherent restrictions in forensic care, and perceptions that patient autonomy threatens staff safety; patient fears of repercussions; and barriers to valuing and understanding patient voices. The third theme describes the ongoing shift towards patient-centredness in this setting, and participants’ interest in proceeding with forensic patient-oriented research.
Discussion
Increased attention to relationship-building, trauma-informed principles, and epistemic injustice (i.e., unfair devaluing of knowledge) in high-secure settings can support the involvement of forensic patients in research.
... For those who have experienced trauma, the traumainformed practice movement holds great potential for good, hopefully reshaping the way services are o1ered and experienced. 11 When considering how to implement traumainformed practice, most accounts reference the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration of the USA (SAMHSA) six fundamental principles. 12 The six SAMHSA fundamental principles are: 1. Safety: It is crucial to understand and respect individual de0nitions of physical and psychological safety. ...
There is increasing interest in how to define and practice trauma-informed voice pedagogy. Voice teachers sometimes feel a need to react to trauma-related responses during lessons or to contextualize interactions between trauma experience and voice use, yet clear guidance on defining and implementing trauma-informed voice teaching is not routinely available. This paper includes an overview of trauma-informed practice and discusses implications for voice pedagogy, specifically singing teaching. It offers recommendations for singing teacher practice, with the aim of identifying and underlining teacher responsibilities regarding reasonable and ethical trauma-aware approaches to voice pedagogy.
... Other forms of trauma include natural disasters, neglect, poverty and humanitarian crises (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013;SAMHSA, 2014), which are endemic in places like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (O'Sullivan et al., 2011;World Bank, 2021a, 2021b. While discussions and ways to respond to and mitigate the effect of trauma are ongoing in Western countries, including the United States (Becker-Blease, 2017;SAMHSA, 2014), the literature on trauma management in non-Western contexts is limited. This study attempts to provoke interest in the scholarly discourse on trauma by exploring the identification and management of trauma among parents in Egypt. ...
The study was guided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to provide insight into parental understandings of trauma identification and trauma informed practice (TIP). A total of 205 Egyptian parents receiving assistance for various familial challenges completed the Parent Trauma Identification and Management Scale based on SAMHSA's model. Confirmatory factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance and hierarchical regression were employed to explore the relationship between trauma identification and TIP. The results provide support for the hypothesized relationship between trauma identification and TIP in the Egyptian context. The study concludes with a call for the mainstreaming or prioritization of trauma management and TIP in health service delivery in Egypt and other similar contexts.
... This study revealed that respondents had to make decisions within such settings that involved expressing their anger against a peer or school adult, acting out emotionally or physically, or accepting the reality of racism in their lives. Several scholars have provided evidence of the kinds of support needed to build Black-bodied and other ethnically and racially marginalized students' ability to reduce stress and manage the emotions associated with AREs, such as positive family racial socialization and mindfulness practices (Anderson & Stevenson, 2019;Ani, 2013;Becker-Blease, 2017). ...
... It may also be a useful resource for reflective practice and aid against negligence. Prior studies indicated differential outcomes across gender, race, psychiatric diagnosis, disability, neurodiversity, physical health and environmental stressors (Artman and Daniels, 2010;Becker-Blease, 2017;Craig, 2017;Hallett and Kerr, 2020;Jackson, 2002;Langley and Price, 2022;Mcgrath et al., 2016;Mumford, Fraser and Knudson, 2023;Nicki, 2016;Spandler and Allen, 2017;Szasz, 1960;Sheppard, Bizumic and Calear, 2023;Thornton, 2020). Capturing the demographics of service-users is therefore pertinent to further research. ...
There is little public or clinical knowledge regarding the scale of negative events that can occur when seeking mental health care. The Adverse Behaviours in Clinicians (ABC-11) checklist is based on current clinical guidance relating to domestic abuse. This research demonstrated its validity as a valuable and necessary tool in clinical settings for identifying practitioner behaviours that could result in iatrogenic harm toward service-users. 94% of participants indicated that they experienced at least one of the eleven adverse scenarios listed. The average number of experiences (ABC Score) was six and this did not significantly differ across geographic location or service type. The ABC-11 validates and empowers service-users to advocate for the appropriate standards of care required for establishing and maintaining their wellbeing when seeking healthcare. Future research is recommended to further explore the practicalities of the ABC-11, including its application to specific demographics, diagnoses, treatments and settings. It is a public health priority for those with professional, political and regulatory responsibility to address adverse behaviours in clinicians and provide services that meet the needs and rights of service-users.
A printable copy of the ABC-11 is available in the linked documents or through the DOI link above.
... The significance of trauma to student mental health and academic achievement has been increasingly recognized over recent years. Researchers and educators have recognized the importance of understanding the impact of trauma on students' mental health and how it can affect their academic performance (Kennedy and Scriver, 2016;Becker-Blease, 2017;Chan et al., 2020;Imad, 2020;Tsantefski et al., 2020;Guzmán-Rea, 2021;Imad, 2021;Anzaldúa, 2022;Prabhu and Carello, 2022;Sweetman, 2022). As a result, emerging concepts focused on developing trauma-informed pedagogy in higher education have surfaced (Jolly, 2011;Chan et al., 2020). ...
Introduction
A substantial amount of evidence suggests a negative association between traumatic experiences and mental health among primary and secondary school students. These vulnerable students are at an increased risk of academic, social, and emotional problems. However, there is limited evidence on the connection between traumatic experiences and student mental health in higher education, especially regarding trauma-related content in classrooms. This study aims to explore students’ experiences with traumatic material in a UK university setting and to understand educators’ perceptions of trauma-informed pedagogy.
Methods
Eight students from the University of Manchester and seven educators (from the humanities and social sciences departments) participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The analysis adopted an inductive thematic approach.
Results
Four major themes emerged from the interview data: Inclusion and delivery of trauma-related content in higher education; Effects of trauma-related content on class attendance; Availability of support systems for handling trauma-related content; Perceptions on trauma-informed education.
Discussion
The implications of this study for future research and current teaching practices are discussed. Recommendations are provided for teaching sensitive material. Limitations of this study, such as sample size and demographics, are acknowledged. Additionally, a conceptual framework for trauma-informed pedagogy is introduced, laying the groundwork for an upcoming concept paper.
... In the aforementioned studies, scholars discuss TIC either from the perspective of reducing the trauma of service users (Ko et al., 2008) or an evaluation of trauma-specific programs (Kim et al., 2021). While useful, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of TIC on various organizational outcomes for employee, such as burnout (Becker-Blease, 2017;Champine et al., 2019;Hales, Kusmaul, & Nochajski, 2017;Hales, Kusmaul, et al. 2019;Hanson et al., 2018). Preliminary research has found that TIC can improve organizational commitment and reduce burnout among hospital staff (Hales & Nochajski, 2020). ...
First responders experience work‐related challenges in higher magnitudes than other occupations. Organizational elements may mitigate or exacerbate burnout for first responders during public health emergencies (e.g., COVID‐19). This mixed methods study of first responders in the US aims to (1) assess the relationship between a Trauma‐Informed Organizational Climate (TIC) and burnout; (2) analyze the moderating effect of TIC on role strain and burnout; and (3) identify how a TIC can mitigate contributors to burnout. Survey data (n = 3517) of first responders demonstrate that a TIC (of safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment) negatively correlates with burnout. Further, a TIC moderates the positive relationship between role strain and burnout. Interviews of first responders (n = 91) reveal that fewer employee interactions, lack of rule‐following behaviors, impaired communication, staffing shortages, and limited time off contribute to burnout. Open communication, resource provision, collaboration opportunities, and creative problem‐solving enhance work climate.
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... 5). Data from Google searches support these observations with evidence suggesting that the term 'trauma-informed' has gained popular currency, with a notable increase in searches since 2011 (Becker-Blease, 2017). The vernacular of trauma has made its way into popular discourse with some scholars suggesting it has become a 'buzzword' (Atkinson, 2023), and despite well-documented contestation surrounding its aetiology and diagnosis, trauma is increasingly used to describe diverse experiences ranging from the mundane to the life-threatening (Stevens, 2009). ...
Trauma is increasingly understood to shape a range of alcohol and other drug (AOD)-related problems, including addiction, relapse, mental illness and overdose. However, the merits of understanding AOD-related problems as the effect of trauma are uncertain with the nature and implications of such linkages requiring closer scrutiny. Where trauma is linked to AOD-related problems, this relationship is typically treated as self-evident, obscuring the uncertainties in knowledge surrounding the notion of trauma itself. Informed by insights from critical drugs and trauma scholarship that challenge deterministic notions of AOD 'problems' and trauma, this essay identifies key issues for social research in this area that warrant further consideration. We argue that there is a pressing need to acknowledge variation and diversity in the relationship between trauma and AOD-related problems, and the gendered and sexual dynamics shaping the expansion of the trauma paradigm. We then outline how critical Indigenist interdisciplinary work can inform culturally specific knowledge on trauma and AOD-related problems, and also suggest targeted research on the delivery and experience of trauma-informed approaches in the AOD context. To this end, we present several recommendations for a social research agenda underpinned by critical, qualitative research into how people experience and manage trauma and AOD-related problems in their everyday lives.
... Trauma-informed practice and related terms, such as trauma-informed care, are used in various ways both inside and outside educational contexts (Becker-Blease, 2017;Boylan, 2021;Maynard et al., 2019;Overstreet and Chafouleas, 2016;Thomas et al., 2019a). An extended categorisation of trauma-informed practice suggests that it encompasses: trauma-specific interventions; trauma-informed teaching; trauma-informed development, including professional development; and trauma-informed systems in schools and education (Boylan, 2021). ...
Trauma-informed practice in education is an area of growing interest in England and internationally. Embracing trauma-informed practice in schools requires trauma and related content to be included in teacher education. Over a period of eight years, a short course was developed and incorporated into the teacher preparation programmes at a large university in England. Through methods of teacher educator self-study and autoethnography, we examine the process of the course’s development and identify mechanisms, enablers and barriers to change in the current policy context of teacher education in England. Important factors that supported change were the gradual development, external collaboration, positive outcomes as a warrant and source of motivation, the development of champions and enthusiasts for trauma-informed practice, and departmental leadership support. Barriers to the development were the constraints of prescribed content on initial teacher education courses, prevailing practices in some schools and settings, challenges in adapting material suitably for all education phases, and some beginning teachers’ responses to personally relevant course content. The successful introduction of the short course demonstrates that inclusion of trauma-informed content in initial teacher education is possible even in an unfavourable policy environment.
... Third, as demonstrated in this review, the reporting of TICI and their implementation is often limited and lacks detail, making them difficult to replicate. Fourth, various definitions of TIC exist (e.g., Bath, 2008;Becker-Blease, 2017;Hanson & Lang, 2016;SAMHSA, 2014;The National Child Traumatic Stress Institute, n.d.). We have yet to achieve a consensus on what TIC actually represents, and the elements and mechanisms needed to achieve it (Hanson & Lang, 2016;Perry, 2020). ...
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to care emerging in research and in practice that involves addressing the needs of individuals with histories of trauma. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the current literature relating to TIC interventions used in pediatric mental health inpatient and residential settings. We sought to answer the following two research questions: (a) What are the TIC interventions used in pediatric inpatient and residential treatment mental healthcare settings and what are their components? and (b) What are the implementation goals and strategies used with these TIC interventions? We conducted this scoping review according to JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology for scoping reviews. We included any primary study describing a TIC intervention that was implemented at a specific site which identified and described implementation strategies used. Of 1,571 identified citations and 54 full-text articles located by handsearching, 49 met the eligibility criteria and were included, representing 21 distinct TIC interventions. We present the reported aim, ingredients, mechanism, and delivery (AIMD) of TIC interventions as well as the implementation goals and strategies used, which varied in detail, ranging from very little information to more detailed descriptions. In the context of these findings, we emphasize the complexity of TIC and of TIC interventions, and the importance of identifying and clearly reporting TIC intervention goals, intervention details, and implementation strategies. We suggest applying intervention frameworks or reporting guidelines to support clear and comprehensive reporting, which would better facilitate replication and synthesis of published TIC interventions.
... Third, as demonstrated in this review, the reporting of TICI and their implementation is often limited and lacks detail, making them difficult to replicate. Fourth, various definitions of TIC exist (e.g., Bath, 2008;Becker-Blease, 2017;Hanson & Lang, 2016;SAMHSA, 2014;The National Child Traumatic Stress Institute, n.d.). We have yet to achieve a consensus on what TIC actually represents, and the elements and mechanisms needed to achieve it (Hanson & Lang, 2016;Perry, 2020). ...
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to care emerging in research and in practice that involves addressing the needs of individuals with histories of trauma. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the current literature relating to TIC interventions used in pediatric mental health inpatient and residential settings. We sought to answer the following two research questions: (a) What are the TIC interventions used in pediatric inpatient and residential treatment mental healthcare settings and what are their components? and (b) What are the implementation goals and strategies used with these TIC interventions? We conducted this scoping review according to JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology for scoping reviews. We included any primary study describing a TIC intervention that was implemented at a specific site which identified and described implementation strategies used. Of 1,571 identified citations and 54 full-text articles located by handsearching, 49 met the eligibility criteria and were included, representing 21 distinct TIC interventions. We present the reported aim, ingredients, mechanism, and delivery (AIMD) of TIC interventions as well as the implementation goals and strategies used, which varied in detail, ranging from very little information to more detailed descriptions. In the context of these findings, we emphasize the complexity of TIC and of TIC interventions, and the importance of identifying and clearly reporting TIC intervention goals, intervention details, and implementation strategies. We suggest applying intervention frameworks or reporting guidelines to support clear and comprehensive reporting, which would better facilitate replication and synthesis of published TIC interventions.
... In expanding our definitions of trauma, we must make sure we see trauma as a structural issue, not just an individual one. Scholars now recognize what people from marginalized communities have always known: oppression, bias, and discrimination cause trauma (Haines, 2019;Becker-Blease, 2017;Khasnabis & Goldin, 2020). Racism causes trauma. ...
Background. Based on the generalization of global experiences in overcoming the consequences of large-scale emergencies on mental health and well-being, as well as intervention models for addressing more localized individual health issues found in psychological literature, a socio-psychological model of psychoeducation for the population affected by war trauma has been developed. The aim of psychological education should be to cultivate psychological resilience within the population, particularly in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, to support the preservation of Ukraine's statehood and achieve victory against the Russian aggressor. Methods. The analysis of scientific literature on the research topic, classification, and theoretical modeling concerning the organization and implementation of psychological education for the population. Results. The foundational principles included in psychological education are substantiated, such as: employing a resilient approach based on personal resources, preventing the adverse effects of war-related traumatic events, and adopting a trauma-sensitive approach in social interactions, which includes spreading awareness about mental trauma. The principles for organizing psychological education involve utilizing socio-psychological mechanisms of human social behavior to effectively integrate psychoeducation into practice; viewing psychological knowledge as a text aimed at mass communication; and presenting psychological knowledge to the population as a valuable tool for addressing life challenges. The methodological component of the model entails applying a technological approach to mastering basic psychological knowledge and skills that foster human resilience during war and advance the psychological literacy of the population. Conclusions. The proposed model of psychoeducation for those experiencing war trauma serves as the conceptual foundation for practical research on implementing psychological education within mass communication and social interaction processes in society subjected to potential trauma. The model treats psychoeducation as a distinct socio-psychological process and, based on the criteria of scientific novelty, is original regarding the mechanisms for developing the population's psychological literacy.
he TARA (Trauma, Attachment, Resilience into Action) Project represents a successful high�level partnership between the Dublin South Central Integrated Service Area (DSC) of TUSLA,
Child and Family Agency (hereafter TUSLA) and University College Cork (UCC). The
overarching aim of this partnership is to integrate trauma-informed practices across the
service area of DSC to support practice in responding to the complex needs of children and
families they encounter. The Project is being approached in two phases. This report
presents Phase 1 which delivered and evaluated the Continuing Professional Development Certificate in Trauma-informed Care: Theory and Practice, a professional graduate-level education in trauma-informed practice, to DSC professional staff across diverse levels of roles and responsibilities. The findings of this study will inform the second Phase of the Project.
Aims
The study aimed to explore the views of school principals regarding how they are responding to, and supporting, students from marginalised communities who have also been impacted by trauma. These students included members of the Traveller community, care experienced students, students experiencing poverty and refugee and asylum-seeking children. A secondary aim was to address the challenges and barriers that school principals’ experience when attempting to adopt trauma-informed approaches to support the needs of these students.
Method
Participants took part in individual, semi-structured interviews via WebEx. A reflexive thematic analysis of participants’ interview data was carried out. Ten primary school principals across the Republic of Ireland who have experience of working with trauma-impacted students facing environmental and systemic adversities participated in this study.
Findings
Findings from this study reveal many examples of progressive and innovative practice amongst school principals across Ireland aimed at recognising and responding to students impacted by issues relating to social injustice, adversity, and trauma. Several challenges and barriers were also identified with school principals calling for a move away from the dominant medical model and for a greater understanding amongst educators, policy makers and professionals regarding the complexity of these inequalities.
Conclusions
These findings have important implications for how education professionals think about the multifaceted nature of intersectionality and respond to the needs of students impacted by a range of adversities.
The need for trauma-informed care in early childhood special education settings is well established. Previous research has suggested that training is a primary driver for use of trauma-informed care. However, not all states require training on trauma-informed care, suggesting that other factors might be influencing early childhood special education teachers’ use of trauma-informed care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore what is influencing how early childhood special education teachers in Pyramid Model sites use trauma-informed care. In this qualitative research study, we recruited twelve early childhood special education teachers from Pyramid Model implementation sites to participate in two semi-structured interviews. We identified five main factors that participants shared as influences on their use of trauma-informed care: (a) school curriculums and frameworks, (b) experiences with children and families, (c) personal experiences with trauma, (d) previous training, and (e) colleagues. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.
This chapter delves into the fundamental role of safety in the learning environment, emphasising that safety is rooted in relationships and not merely the absence of threat. True emotional safety for traumatized students emerges from consistent, trusted interactions rather than designated ‘safe’ spaces alone. It highlights the importance of a reliable adult presence in transforming chaotic situations into calm ones. The chapter explores the concept of neuroception—how our nervous system detects safety or threat—as a basis for understanding psychological, emotional, and cultural safety. By creating predictable routines and using consistent communication, teachers can effectively support students, facilitating a learning environment where they feel secure and empowered to succeed. Links to video simulations to illustrate the staged approach in developing a sense of safety is included.
The Trauma Resilient Change Organizational Assessment Survey (TRC-OAS) was developed to evaluate organizational readiness and capacity for implementing trauma-informed care (TIC) with an emphasis on resilience, equity, and justice. The TRC-OAS builds on previous instruments, such as the Comprehensive Organizational Health Assessment (COHA) and the Organizational Trauma Resilient Assessment (OTRA), incorporating key elements from implementation science, organizational culture and climate theory, and trauma-informed care principles. This study examines the psychometric properties of the TRC-OAS, which includes domains such as organizational readiness for change, trauma-informed practices, trauma- informed environment, transformational leadership, racial justice, secondary traumatic stress, and intent to leave. Utilizing a sample of 427 employees from various organizations, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the reliability and validity of the TRC- OAS. Results demonstrate robust internal consistency across all domains, confirming the tool's efficacy in capturing the multifaceted nature of trauma resilience and organizational health. The TRC-OAS provides a comprehensive assessment framework that can guide organizations in their trauma-resilient transformation efforts, emphasizing the importance of addressing systemic inequities and promoting a supportive environment for both staff and clients. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to further validate the tool across diverse organizational contexts.
Objectives: There is a risk of re-traumatisation for survivors of trauma who engage with the Justice system, given their high propensity to encounter situations that trigger traumatic responses. While a growing body of research has explored the experience of trauma informed practice (TIP) from service user perspectives, little research has incorporated the views and experiences of practitioners working in the Justice system in terms of the implementation of TIP in their service setting.
Method: An exploratory, qualitative research design based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews. One to one, online interviews were conducted with senior Justice workers (n = 22) who had undertaken theoretically informed TIP training and had responsibility for its implementation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using an inductive, reflexive thematic approach.
Results: The themes identified were: (1) Supporting staff and user knowledge and well-being (training, trust, safety, reflection), (2) Recognition in the value of TIP (reflected in the resources, supervision, infrastructure and physical environment), (3) Encouraging flexible, creative and collaborative ways of working (overcoming resistance).
Conclusions: The findings have implications at the service user, provider and organisational level. Emphasis is placed on the importance of overcoming barriers to implementing TIP through adopting a whole systems approach that encourages collaborative working while supporting staff well-being, access to ongoing TIP training, supervision and resources to establish a safe working environment. Implementing a strengths-based, non-pathologising approach to TIP service delivery within the Justice system is essential. Further longitudinal work to explore the mechanisms by which TIP can help reduce re-traumatisation to service users and providers is recommended.
Background
Social media is increasingly a source of mental health information and support. Online mental health content accessibility has allowed providers to access large audiences and client bases.
Aims
Our aim was to understand information audiences are encountering from psychotherapists on social media.
Materials and Methods
Summative content analysis was completed on 10,395 posts from 294 psychotherapist influencers on Instagram. Analysis focussed on two domains: mental health concerns and psychotherapy‐related topics.
Results
Interpersonal concerns were the most frequently discussed mental health concern followed by anxiety, trauma/PTSD, depression and stress. The most frequently discussed psychotherapy‐related topics included holistic approaches, nervous system, cognitive behavioural therapy and internal family systems. Certain codes were associated with more user engagement than posts without those codes. Regarding mental health concerns, posts mentioning substance use garnered more likes and comments, posts mentioning dissociation/dissociative identity disorder garnered more comments, and posts mentioning perinatal issues received fewer likes. Regarding psychotherapy‐related topics, holistic approaches garnered more likes and comments, and crisis and couples/divorce garnered fewer likes.
Discussion
Findings elucidate content that psychotherapist influencers discuss as well as how users engage with content.
Conclusion
This study has implications for ethical guideline development for social media use among psychotherapists.
Complex trauma is both a product and a source of significant multidimensional inequality, including profound disruption to survivors' educational trajectories. Nonetheless, educational researchers have not previously engaged with adult survivors who study online, contradicting the key principle of collaboration within a trauma-informed approach. This qualitative instrumental collective case study explored how adults with a history of complex trauma experience postsecondary open/online learning. Findings included participants' struggles with executive functioning, challenges regulating emotion and dealing with a heightened perception of threat, re-experiencing trauma, negative beliefs about the self, and difficulties navigating relationships. These trauma impacts affected not only participants' learning and course experience, but also their experience of applying, registering, and accessing financial aid. Nonetheless, participants are demonstrably skilled in managing the impacts of their trauma and are driven to learn, placing the highest intrinsic value on education. Top priorities for the implementation of trauma-informed educational practices identified by participants included establishing safety; trust and transparency; and empowerment, voice, and choice. Implications include enhancing equity and inclusion for survivors of complex trauma through the implementation of trauma-informed educational practices in open/online postsecondary contexts.
Introduction
The incurable and progressive nature of dementia requires complex care, the majority of which is provided via informal caring by family members within the family home. Carers experience significant stress absorbing the challenging care needs of their family member and require education and training that can support and sustain family caring arrangements while considering the psychological distress that threatens caring breakdown. The aim of this scoping review was to map the evidence of trauma-informed principles within education and practical skills training in dementia family caring.
Methods and analysis
A two-step approach to the selection of literature will be used. In step 1, the review will consider research on active intervention education and practical skills training to support family home-based informal care for individuals with a formal diagnosis of dementia. The review will exclude passive education and self-accessed information/training provision. Only literature in the context of ‘informal’ day-to-day family caring provided by a family member or friend that takes place in the family home or residence will be included. Education and practical skills training provision within specialist care environments will be excluded. In step 2, during the full-text screen, only research where either explicit or implicit use of trauma-informed approaches has been used will be included.
Preliminary searches of MEDLINE Ovid and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were carried out between March and May 2023 to identify literature in this area. In line with the Johanna Briggs Institute scoping review guidance, we will conduct a search of published literature within MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, CINAHL EBSCO, Cochrane Data for Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO Ovid and the British Library EThOS e-theses online. Publications in English with a date range of 1990 to current, with no restriction on geographical region will be considered. The search will be managed by Rayyan software and screened by multiple independent researchers. Results will be presented using narrative summaries and tables.
We collaborated with an experienced Academic Support Librarian to develop the MEDLINE Ovid search strategy (Appendix 1), which will be adapted for searching other databases.
Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval was not required for this review, as it involved the synthesis of publicly available secondary data. The findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals, as well as presentations at national and international conferences. Additionally, stakeholder events will engage carers, individuals with lived experience, and healthcare professionals.
Trauma‐informed practice (TIP) is an emerging model of care that acknowledges the widespread impact of trauma and emphasizes both physical and psychological safety for consumer and provider. It is being increasingly integrated into models of healthcare delivery, organizational policies, and practices, and has been shown to improve clinical interactions, increase treatment adherence, and improve healthcare outcomes. However, to date, TIP has not yet been systematically integrated into genetic counseling training and practice. In this study, using the RISE2 Genomics reporting standard, we present the outcomes of developing and evaluating a TIP workshop designed and delivered for genetic counselors in New South Wales, Australia. This workshop was the first of its kind and addressed the unique clinical and psychosocial challenges that genetic counselors face, including the risk of vicarious trauma and the high rates of burnout in the profession. The workshop aimed to enhance genetic counselors' understanding of trauma and its effects, provide practical strategies for communication and engagement with trauma‐affected individuals, and offer guidance on incorporating TIP into clinical practice. Genetic counselors who participated in the TIP training expressed strong appreciation for the workshop and reported increased awareness of the ubiquity of trauma and the presentation of traumatic responses, and increased self‐perceived knowledge and confidence in providing trauma‐informed care. Additionally, participants were interested in ongoing TIP professional development and the integration of TIP into models of genetic counseling and professional practice. As the field of genetic counseling continues to evolve, we suggest that integrating TIP into training, professional development, and practice will not only improve client outcomes but also reduce rates of vicarious trauma and burnout among genetic counselors. This study is the first to consider the educational needs and the incorporation of TIP into genetic counseling practice, and in doing so, it paves the way for future research and policy development that integrates TIP into models of genetic counseling.
Purpose
People with intellectual disabilities are at a significantly higher risk than the general population for experiencing a wide range of adverse and potentially traumatic events. This paper aims to explore the incidence of experiences of lifetime trauma across this population in one Forensic Intellectual Disability Service. Risk management recommendations and psychological risk formulations were also examined for their consideration of traumatic experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
Risk assessment reports ( n = 39) were reviewed for evidence of traumatic experiences and the consideration of trauma in patient risk formulations and risk management treatment recommendations.
Findings
Trauma was rated as present or partially present in 84.6% ( n = 33) of risk assessment reports reviewed. None of the patients had received a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. Recommendations regarding trauma were identified in 39.4% ( n = 13) of the risk assessment reports where trauma was rated either “present” or “partially present”.
Practical implications
Findings suggest a need for diagnostic tools to be used to measure trauma symptoms and potential cases of PTSD to best support needs of patients. Trauma-focused interventions should also be considered. Further investigation is needed to clarify the disparity between the consideration of trauma in formulations and treatment recommendations.
Originality/value
This study highlights the different traumatic experiences that forensic patients across three settings have been exposed to during their lifetimes.
While clinical practitioners have long recognized the importance of trauma-informed models of care, geographies of care scholars have been slow to engage with and address trauma in its methodologies for better understanding environments that support, or hinder, care for people. Marrying the conceptual contributions of geographies of care, trauma geographies, and geographies of addiction, this paper aims to advance the inquiry of trauma-informed spaces of care. Drawing on the example of the homeless substance user, we present a novel theoretical imperative for considering trauma on both an individual and collective level for advancing spatial interventions for healing in spaces of care.
Trauma-informed care (TIC) has gained significant traction in social work over the last decade, becoming a key organizing principle despite a dearth of empirical evidence attesting to its effectiveness. Addressing this paradox, our scoping review examines TIC’s conceptualization and application in the field, exploring its theoretical underpinnings and empirical support. We analyzed 131 peer-reviewed articles from 2012 to 2022, following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, with inclusion criteria focused on English-language, peer-reviewed journal articles on TIC within U.S. social work. The identification of articles involved a systematic search across three online databases—Social Service Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index, and Social Work Abstracts—using the search terms “trauma informed*” and “social work” to capture relevant articles through keywords, subject headings, and titles. Our analysis revealed a broad understanding of trauma and a tendency toward emphasizing individual-level experiences, with infrequent acknowledgment of institutional or structural trauma. While TIC is applied across diverse domains, particularly in education and child welfare, its practical application lacks clarity and specificity. Critically, we found a reliance on the perceived prevalence of trauma rather than robust research to justify TIC’s adoption. The inconsistent use of theory, primarily at the micro-level, and the wide range of practices resembling established social work methods raise questions about TIC’s distinctiveness and unique contribution. Considering these findings, we urge a critical reassessment of TIC, focusing on its implications for practice and research.
Background: Children and adolescents in residential youth care are a vulnerable population with great needs of
mental health.
Purpose: The present study undertook a systematic review to seek available mental health interventions and
investigate its effectiveness.
Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed for publications between 1992 and
July 2023 in seven databases and relevant journals for residential care. Methodological quality was assessed
using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. After multi-stage screening, 14 eligible articles were retrieved for
analysis and a narrative synthesis performed.
Results: Thirteen interventions were identified, predominantly focusing on internalising difficulties, showing
congruently positive results mostly on internalised-related outcomes. Most interventions were based on
cognitive-behaviour therapy and outdoor-based therapies (surf-, animal assisted, and forest-therapy). Short-term
interventions, delivered on a weekly basis in group format, were the most frequent delivery mode. Most studies
managed to recruit a comparison group but follow-ups were generally absent. Poor reporting and lack of
methodological rigor were common features of the reviewed studies.
Conclusions: This systematic review extends the state of the art regarding psychological interventions in residential
youth care. Evidence-based interventions are still needed, and future research should focus on developing
and rigorously testing more interventions within this care system.
Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have increased people's awareness of mental health issues. Psychological trauma impacts patients in the acute care setting through physical and mental health presentations. Trauma is a public health issue crossing all socioeconomic groups and is related to social determinants of health. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an evidence-based approach to providing care. TIC is within the scope of nursing practice and improves outcomes for patients. However, there is a lack of standard terms or practices within healthcare. Additionally, there is superficial acknowledgment of the need for TIC at the local or national level regarding policy. Nurses need to adopt TIC into practice and advocate for policy change to improve the health and lives of those seeking care.
Psychiatric and mental health (PMH) nurses integrate the concept of trauma-informed care into practice, policy, and education. Despite the frequency of PMH nurses practicing in a trauma-informed manner, there is a paucity of literature focused on integrating trauma-informed principles into research methods. Professions outside of the nursing sphere, specifically social work and social sciences, predominate the discourse around trauma-informed research. The authors of this manuscript provide detailed methods on a project using trauma-informed qualitative research methods with a feminist perspective. Semi-structured interviews with ten individuals with an experience of sexual violence answered the research question: what is the retrospective experience of women who encountered sexual violence in post-secondary education? An important part of the research design was an informal debrief with the audio recorder off, after the interview. Field notes were taken within this debrief, and participants reviewed these field notes as part of the member-checking process. By explaining the methods used in detail, referencing the available literature, and using the critical reflection of participants captured in the field notes, the authors of this manuscript explore strengths, conflicts, and boundary issues PMH nurses need to consider when integrating trauma-informed research methods into their research practices.
ÖZ İhmal, istismar, ergen gebelikleri ve artan afetler gibi nedenlerle korunma gereksinimi olan çocukların sayısı artmaya devam etmektedir. Yaşanılan travmatik deneyimlere bağlı olarak çocuklarda çoklu travmaların görülme sıklığı artmakta ve travmatik stres tepkilerinin normalleşmesi için fiziksel ve psikososyal açıdan güvenli ortamlarda bakımın önemi bilinmektedir. Her ülke sosyo-ekonomik ve kültürel koşullarına uygun bakım modellerini geliştirmektedir. Ancak çocukların 18 yaşına kadar bedensel, zihinsel, ruhsal ve sosyal gelişimleri tamamlanmadığı için, ihtiyaçlarına duyarlı, birebir, sürekli ve tutarlı ilişkinin olduğu bakım modellerinde büyümeleri sağlanarak iyilik halleri korunmalı ve geliştirilmelidir. Bu nedenle yaklaşık 20 yıldır sosyal hizmet alanında travma bilgili yaklaşımlar kullanılmaya başlamıştır. Travma bilgili yaklaşım; travmanın yaygın etkisinin farkına varıldığı ve iyileşme yollarının anlaşıldığı, travma yaşayan çocuk, aile ve çalışanlarda travmanın belirti ve semptomlarının tanındığı, sistemin yeniden travmaya neden olmayan kanıta dayalı politikalar, prosedürler ve uygulamalarla şekillendirildiği hizmet sunumunu ifade etmektedir. Bilimsel çalışmalar koruyucu aile sisteminin travma bilgili bakımın ilkelerine uygun yapılandırılmasının çocukların üstün yararı açısından kabul gören bir yaklaşım olduğunu göstermektedir.
It is well documented that patient outcomes improve when providers address the patient's mental and spiritual needs in addition to their physical needs. There is currently a shift from the biomedical model to the biopsychosocial model and now a focus on the dynamic biopsychosocial model. Trauma is known to have spiritual, cultural, mental, and physical implications, and people who have experienced trauma want their providers to address it. Transitioning to a biopsychosocial model can be challenging, but the physical therapist is in a unique position to provide quality care within their scope of practice, while addressing the complexity of the whole person. Physical therapists must look introspectively at their own beliefs and practices to provide improved holistic, trauma-informed care. Through personal experience and literature reviews, a case is made for addressing both spiritual beliefs and mental health needs in the clinical setting (see Supplemental Digital Content Video Abstract, available at: http://links.lww.com/JWHPT/A130).
Accessible Summary
What is known on the subject?
Open Dialogue was developed in Finland in the 1980s by clinical psychologist, Jaakko Seikkula. It is a development of family therapy, recognises previous trauma and has proven to be very effective in situations of acute mental illness, and in particular psychosis.
Trauma Informed Care is a practice based on the understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. When people have experienced trauma, they may have difficulties in their everyday life and experience negative physical health outcomes as well as the risk of developing mental ill health.
Open Dialogue is aligned to mental health care which aims to be trauma‐informed , person‐centred and rights‐based. Examples exist of the use of both approaches for service delivery with limited evaluation.
What the paper adds to existing knowledge?
To our knowledge, no formal evaluation has been made of the use of open dialogue as a Trauma Informed therapy approach to support individuals and their family networks.
Although both approaches recognise the impact of trauma on individuals, no study has explored the effectiveness of this treatment combination for use by mental health nurses.
This review is timely as it provides insights into contemporary services that are trauma informed and have used Open Dialogue to extend therapy work with individuals and their family/networks.
This scoping review was able to determine whether recommendations for clinical practice and training in Open Dialogue with Trauma Informed Care approaches could be identified.
What are the implications for practice?
This review provided a broad overview on the current types of trauma‐informed care services incorporating Open Dialogue approaches into their practice.
The literature, though sparce, identifies that Trauma Informed Care recognises multiple origins for mental ill health. Open dialogue has an affinity with the common values of mental health nurses. As combined therapies, they are demonstrating usefulness in engaging families and people in their journey towards recovery.
Rigid adherence to Open Dialogue focus and delivery as well as training practices could be revised to make them more open to what people and their families wish to discuss. The person with mental ill health and previous trauma should be able to direct the narrative. Trauma Informed Practice principles could be adapted to improve consumer satisfaction with Open Dialogue approaches.
Abstract
Introduction
A large proportion of people who access mental health services have a lived experienced of trauma and are more likely to have a history of complex trauma. Open Dialogue and Trauma Informed Care practices identify previous trauma as a factor related to later psychosis. This scoping review has identified similarities and contrasts in how an Open Dialogue and Trauma Informed Care approach have been combined to complement one another for clinical work with people presenting with psychosis and previous trauma.
Aim
We aimed to answer the following research question in this scoping review: What is known of the combined use of Open Dialogue and Trauma Informed Care practice when working with consumers and their family networks? As such, the purpose of this paper was to explore the application to practice and identify if any training existed and been evaluated.
Method
This scoping review was based on the Arksey and O'Malley's framework. A comprehensive search was performed across five electronic databases. Grey literature was also searched through Psyche Info and Google Scholar for books, Dissertation and Theses, alongside hand searching of the reference of the studies. Articles searched was from January 2013 to January 2023.
Results
Five distinct themes were identified from the literature: (1) Linking open dialogue with trauma, (2) Response to treatment, (3) Empowerment and information sharing, (4) Interpretation by clinical services, (5) Staff training outcomes.
Discussion
Some tentative recommendations for practice recognised the individuals' unique story and perspective, suggested that trauma is an important concept to assess. Services practising as Trauma Informed Services that have incorporated an Open Dialogue approach have mixed experiences. The use of Open Dialogue may have some benefits for family work and exploring consumer narratives while building a network of support. However, consumers identified similar frustrations with service delivery as with the family therapy literature. For example, it was difficult to bring family members together and difficult to discuss previous traumatic events in front of family. People experiencing training in Open Dialogue reported it taking a slow pace and not what they were familiar with.
Implications for Practice
Open Dialogue can facilitate engagement of consumers and their family networks and greater recognition of the peer workforce to promote collaboration in therapy is needed. Future research should also focus on evaluating the effectiveness of such services and comparing their outcomes across regions.
The elusive notion of genre has long been disputed in the field of literary studies, with certain voices going as far as to argue for disregarding the notion altogether in the study of literature. This article goes through the relevant schools of thought about genre and its functions, settling finally on one contemporary approach devised by Amy Devitt, which is then upgraded and employed in the analysis of two of the most famed contemporary trauma novels: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong and A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. The hypothesis of the paper is that the thorough and specialized knowledge about trauma which has been widely made available to society at large transpires in the writings of contemporary authors at the formal level of novel creation, a level which, if understood correctly, serves to uncover more meaning from the novels, producing a deeper level of philological understanding, as the formalities of the trauma novel contemporarily seem to mimic psychotherapeutic trauma approaches.
Research documenting the effects of trauma in early childhood describes the profound and long‐term consequences of child abuse and neglect on the developing brain and the subsequent deficits in critical cognitive and social development. While educators have increasingly endeavoured to understand this impact and become more ‘trauma‐informed’ in their classrooms, little is understood about the process or what it requires of the teacher. This study explores the experiences of six teachers in regional Victoria, Australia, who sought to apply their neuroscientific understandings in their classrooms, and identifies the many personal and professional challenges they confronted. Critical reflection was employed both to deeply explore their collective experiences and to support them in this complex work. Findings describe the nuanced and interpersonal nature of trauma‐informed education and imply the need for critical reflection in teacher practice as an important element in the process.
Research on counsellors in Australia has tended towards workforce surveys that profile association members, and thus, tend to reflect the interests and priorities of counsellors and the counselling profession. However, little is known about what the employment context offers and expects of counsellor positions. This exploratory point-in-time study undertook a content analysis of counsellor job advertisements and categorised the findings into three main areas: conditions, description of the role, and selection criteria. The findings suggest that for counselling roles, employers are less concerned about whether applicants have had specialised counselling training, but that they have tertiary qualifications in cognate disciplines and can undertake a wider range of tasks in addition to providing counselling. Several role requirements specified by employers are not mentioned in contemporary Australian counselling training standards, though most are mentioned in the profession’s scope of practice documents. This research provides counselling educators, counselling students, and counsellor jobseekers data on possible trends of contemporary employment patterns appearing in advertised counsellor positions.
As the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders has become increasingly medicalized (Conrad & Slodden, 2013), consideration for the relational nature of trauma has been minimized in the healing process. As psychiatrist Laing outlined in his essays (1971), the medical model is an approach to pathology that seeks to find medical treatments for symptoms and syndromes based on categorized diagnoses. We argue that such a model implicitly locates the pathology of trauma within the individual instead of within the person(s) who perpetrated the harm or the social and societal contexts in which it took place. In this paper, we argue that this framework is pathologizing insofar as it both prioritizes symptom reduction as the goal of treatment and minimizes the significance of relational harm. After providing a brief overview of betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996) and the importance of relational processes in healing, we describe standard treatments for betrayal trauma that are grounded in the medical model. In discussing the limitations of this framework, we offer an alternative to the medicalization of trauma-related distress: relational cultural therapy (RCT; e.g., Miller & Stiver, 1997). Within this non-pathologizing framework, we highlight the importance of attending to contextual, societal, and cultural influences of trauma, as well as how these influences might impact the therapeutic relationship. We then detail extra-therapeutic options as additional non-pathologizing avenues for healing, as freedom to choose amongst a variety of options may be particularly liberating for people who have experienced trauma. Finally, we discuss the complex process of truly healing from betrayal trauma.
In this article, I critically examine contemporary notions of trauma and how they have informed mental health interventions for women. The feminist underpinnings of trauma therapy invite practitioners to understand women’s mental health “symptoms” within the context of such experiences as child abuse and sexual violence that disproportionately affect women. However, this article poses the question: Has trauma theory caused paradigmatic shifts in mental health interventions that have increased practitioners’ capacity to engage with sociopolitical issues, or are preexisting assumptions about the biological basis of women’s mental illness guiding treatment approaches simply by another name? Implications for social workers are discussed.
In spite of the importance of trauma education, efforts on the part of the Division 56 Education and Training Committee to identify higher education programs that emphasize trauma reveal surprisingly few programs (e.g., see http://www.apatraumadivision.org/ resources/apa_doctoral_sites.pdf). Lack of trauma education at undergraduate and graduate levels increases the urgency to develop effective training for postgraduate professionals. Compounding the problem of integrating effective trauma education and training at all stages of professional development, relatively little information about pedagogy is shared in our professional journals. This special issue addresses that gap by presenting articles focused on practices, theory, and data from a wide range of training/education settings (e.g., community clinics, VA settings, classrooms) focused on diverse forms of trauma exposure (e.g., disaster, military, child abuse/neglect, violence against women). The breadth of the topics and ideas conveyed in these articles reveals that we have many stakeholders whose interests lie in the development of high quality education and training practices, from higher education programs involving undergraduate and graduate students to practitioners seeking continuing education and managers/supervisors transforming health care delivery systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In this article, we attempt to bridge the gap between practice (service delivery) and philosophy (trauma theory, empowerment, and relational theory). Specifically, we identify 10 principles that define trauma-informed service, discuss the need for this type of service, and give some characteristics of trauma-informed services in eight different human service areas. The areas include outreach and engagement, screening and assessment, resource coordination and advocacy, crisis intervention, mental health and substance abuse services, trauma-specific services, parenting support, and healthcare. We draw upon the experiences of the nine sites involved in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's (SAMHSA) 5-year grant project, Women, Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS), and include the recommendation that consumers be integrated into the design and evaluation of services. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 461–477, 2005.
The past two decades have witnessed an increase in programs targeting children and youth impacted by traumatic events, with a heightened focus on ensuring that all such programs and relevant service systems are trauma informed. While such efforts are laudable, trauma-informed care (TIC) is defined in a number of ways, limiting evaluation of these initiatives, specifically as they relate to the potential for improved outcomes or reduced costs often used to advocate for TIC. Widespread interest in TIC, despite an apparent dearth of empirical research, served as the impetus for this special section. Our goal was to identify the most rigorous empirical studies available. These six papers were selected based on their inclusion of a definition of TIC, focus on at least one component of TIC in a child-serving system, and availability of empirical data demonstrating the effectiveness of their efforts. In addition to introducing these papers, we share preliminary data from a brief, anonymous survey of child-serving professionals across various systems and roles to obtain feedback about definitional and conceptual issues related to TIC. While this special section provides a representation of available empirical work, significant gaps between research and practice of TIC remain, with important implications for future work.
Trauma in the lives of youth who are homeless is a pervasive reality. In this article, a politicized understanding of trauma is taken up to explore the complex psychological, relational, and social/political challenges experienced by many young persons facing homelessness. Their needs are contrasted with the dominant framework for assessing and addressing homelessness among youth, which fails to adequately account for the effects of trauma in their lives. The authors argue for therapeutic approaches to address the negative effects of trauma; development of community services that adequately respond to the consequences of traumatic life experiences; and socially responsible policies that ensure provision of adequate services and also aim to address root causes of youth homelessness. While current conceptualizations of trauma-informed services go some distance toward achieving these goals, the authors argue that it is only by taking up a more radical understanding of trauma that interventions will be employed to better achieve these targets. Toward this end, the authors introduce a framework that integrates the SPECs model (Evans & Prilleltensky, 2007; Prilleltensky, 2005) with trauma-informed service provision, thereby infusing a social and political analysis to guide more effective trauma-informed solution building in response to the issue of youth homelessness.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has received international praise for its new policies with female prisoners serving
federal sentences of two or more years. Regarded as progressive, even radical, other countries have looked toward Canada for
inspiration in the design of their own policies [Carlen, (2002) Criminal Justice 2(2)]. CSC’s “women-centered” mental health agenda, however, while rhetorically progressive, remains consistent with disciplinary
processes which prioritize self-regulation and aim to correct or normalize those considered failed citizens [Kemshall, (2002),
The Howard Journal 41(1), 41–58]. Using Nicolas Rose’s concept of governance through self-regulation [Rose 1991, b Rose (1996). Inventing Ourselves:
Psychology, Power and Personhood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Rose (2000). British Journal of Criminology 40, 321–339] as a theoretical framework, we argue that correctional mental health practices privileges a psychological discourse
which serves to regulate women prisoners as opposed to empowering or supporting them. We examine the over use of psychiatric
labelling of women, such as that of Boderline Personality Disorder, and the resulting treatment regime, Dialectical Behavior
Therapy, to illustrate that the CSC has constructed women prisoners as disorderly and disordered and thus in need of taming. This discussion is followed by recommendations for new directions in feminist mental health treatment for women in prison
that more adequately confront the inherent tensions and contradictions of prison therapeutic services and that incorporate
multi-faceted understandings of the mental health needs of women offenders. We conclude with some policy and research implications
of adopting a feminist informed mental health correctional strategy.
IT IS MAINTAINED THAT BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS HAVE NOT CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. 3 AREAS WHERE ASSISTANCE FROM SOCIAL SCIENTISTS IS URGENTLY NEEDED ARE THE PROBLEMS OF NEGRO LEADERSHIP, POLITICAL ACTION BY THE NEGRO, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL CHANGES IN NEGROES. SOCIAL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS ARE NEEDED TO EXPLAIN NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN BOTH THE WHITE AND BLACK COMMUNITY, AND HOW SUCH DEVELOPMENTS WILL LEAD TO THE PROMOTION OF A NONRACIST DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY OR GREATER RACIAL ISOLATION. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
What does “trauma informed care” really mean?
- J K Evans
Trauma-informed organizational toolkit
- K Guarino
- P Soares
- K Konnath
- R Clervil
- E Bassuk
Holocaust denial on trial
- D E Lipstadt
Creating choices or repeating history: Canadian female offenders and correctional reform
- K Moffat
Young adult court: Ending mass incarceration with trauma informed criminal justice
- D Ozim
PBIS and trauma informed schools
- W C Sumi
- M Woodbridge
Is your organization trauma-informed?
- C Sharp
- L Ligenza