S:US Recognized For Being Trauma-Informed
Photo credit: S:US
If you are experiencing trauma, the last thing you want is for a well-intentioned person who is trying to help you to actually make matters worse. No one is immune to the impact of trauma. It affects individuals, families and communities. It can disrupt healthy development, relationships and lead to mental health issues including substance use, child abuse and domestic violence. Many individuals who have experienced trauma fail to get the help they need because their symptoms/behavior are misinterpreted, or their efforts to get help may fail when those seeking to help them are not sensitive to their trauma.
Trauma-Informed Care is a treatment framework requiring a sensitivity to an individual’s past experiences and how they may impact current choices and behaviors. A trauma-informed environment emphasizes client centered services, reduces barriers to treatment and promotes engagement in quality of life care.
S:US recently participated in the Trauma-Informed Learning Community sponsored by the National Council for Behavioral Health inspired by the desire to bring the organization to a higher level of trauma-informed care. Three S:US leaders (Deborah Cumberbatch, Joan Salmon and Shelley Scheffler) facilitated a learning collaborative that had representation from every department within S:US. The organization self-assessed according to the seven domains that make up trauma-informed care and from this developed and implemented trauma-informed practices, policies and procedures. Most importantly, we developed a sustainable core implementation team that will continue to assist S:US programs in initiating trauma-informed approaches.
The Trauma-Informed Learning Community was a one-year commitment that ended with a Summit Meeting held at the National Council for Behavioral Health Conference in Las Vegas, at which S:US presented on our trauma-informed process and outcomes. At this conference, S:US was presented with a certificate in recognition of our successful integration of Trauma-Informed practices. We are proud of the important step we have taken to embrace Trauma-Informed Care and become a more compassionate and supportive community.