Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services

by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Many individuals who seek treatment in behavioral health settings have histories of trauma, but they often don't recognize the significant effects of trauma in their lives; either they don't draw connections between their trauma histories and their presenting problems, or they avoid the topic altogether. Likewise, treatment providers may not ask questions that elicit a client's history of trauma, may feel unprepared to address trauma-related issues proactively, or may struggle to address traumatic stress effectively within the constraints of their treatment program, the program's clinical orientation, or their agency's directives. By recognizing that traumatic experiences and their sequelae tie closely into behavioral health problems, front-line professionals and community-based programs can begin to build a trauma-informed environment across the continuum of care. Key steps include meeting client needs in a safe, collaborative, and compassionate manner; preventing treatment practices that retraumatize people with histories of trauma who are seeking help or receivingservices; building on the strengths and resilience of clients in the context of their environments and communities; and endorsingtrauma-informed principles in agencies through support, consultation, and supervision of staff. This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) begins by introducingthe scope, purpose, and organization of the topic and describing itsintended audience. Along with defining trauma and trauma-informed care (TIC), the first chapter discusses the rationale foraddressing trauma in behavioral health services and reviews trauma-informed intervention and treatment principles.These principles serve as the TIP's conceptual framewor

Paperback

Published October 5, 2017

Reviews

[Kevin Fulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book on trauma I can recommend! This book is focused on the medical/counselor perspective, and as such it is much more grounded in research than other, education focused books I've read.

Not all of it translates into a classroom setting, but with a bit of common sense, teachers who are concerned about trauma will find this to be a rich resource.

Also, it's a free book! Google the title.

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful in my journey to learn about trauma informed care.