How can you ensure your organization is trauma-informed?

You can’t ensure… As ongoing continual education and skillset development is required! Note: sitting in a mandated training session getting educated, with no skillset development or opportunity to practice the new skills will likely result in a performance deficit and no change to the workplace culture! To implement and monitor trauma informed behaviours and align them with performance competencies you need to ensure metrics are established as a baseline! Yearly reviews or predetermine reviews are required to determine if the trauma informed framework is making individual, team and organizational change to mitigate risk! Policy doesn’t provide skill development nor guarantee behaviour change! We need Individual accountability!

Develop a ‘Trauma Audit Tool’ that allows your organization to self-assess how well its policies, procedures, and environments align with trauma-informed principles. This tool could include checklists, surveys, and reflection questions that explore areas like staff training, client interactions, and program design.

The biggest barriers we're seeing in creating a psychologically safe work environment for employees are: + lack of transparency, starting with the hiring process + low pay = high stress + work loads and case loads that are too high + lack of care and attunement by managers of their employees Trauma-informed organizations create environments where employees feel safe and supported through the creation of structure (tasks that support an action plan that supports the mission), clear communication, salaries that reflect the current cost of living, plenty of time to rest and recovery, and dropping the false sense of urgency. Toxic leaders are let go.

PRIVACY ACT, LABOUR CODE - Health & Safety - Human Rights in the Workplace - Union - Management & NMC - Confidentiality, Policy on the Prevention and Resolution of Harassment in the Workplace (PPRHW) ... all that stuff, hmmm. Royal ?? Commission, eh.

Seek to understand the ways in which your organisation might intersect with trauma, and therefore the areas and extent to which trauma may need to be reviewed through listed tools. This will vary for say, front line service to trauma events or survivors compared to mainstream services which need to cater to many types of people. In a mainstream setting one way you may become aware of the need to consider trauma informed practices is when people react ways which first appear extreme or unpredictable. This can be a sign of a process step being triggering. An example might be a customer being defensive or aggressive to knocks from a delivery driver or service technician. This person might have experienced domestic violence.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) defines the 4 R’s of Trauma-Informed Care as follows: realization of trauma and its widespread impact, recognizing the signs & symptoms of trauma, having a system which can respond to trauma, and resisting re-traumatization. From my perspective as a dedicated student and presenter on the impact of trauma across the lifespan, ensuring that our organizations are trauma-informed means crafting and creating a vision aligned with the 4R’s. It means embedding a culture of psychological safety within our policies and practices and maintaining a climate wherein employees feel seen, heard, valued, and connected. It means many things, but I would consider this a fair starting point.

SAMHSA also sums up this point in RISC: Respect, Information, Safety and Choice. Setting up practices to assess and assure employees and clients that they have a voice in practices and planning, being transparent with information, checking to see that people FEEL safe, and finding ways to give everyone a say, especially during times of change. This framework will create empowerment and ownership for everyone.

A clear and shared vision is crucial in not only setting your mind towards your organizations destination, but for creating transparency and trust on the process to achieving it. When everyone understands the journey ahead and is committed to it, they can align their efforts and contribute meaningfully. Transparency fosters trust, empowering individuals to navigate challenges together and celebrate victories as a united community.

Hold a ‘Visioning Workshop’ with stakeholders, including staff at all levels, clients, and partners, to co-create a shared vision for a trauma-informed organization. Use this to develop a strategic plan with clear objectives, actions, and timelines that are informed by the workshop outcomes.

Develop tailored programs covering recognition, impact, and support, engaging experts for effective facilitation. Incorporate interactive elements like case studies and group discussions to encourage active learning. Ensure cultural sensitivity by using inclusive language and examples. Provide regular updates and refresher courses to keep staff informed about evolving practices. Establish support systems and feedback mechanisms, allowing staff to share concerns and seek guidance. Embed trauma-informed principles into policies, creating a consistent and supportive organizational culture. Measure outcomes by monitoring changes in staff behavior, attitudes, and the overall workplace environment.

Aligning your plan to the core values of your organization ensures that the members of your organization are fully engaged with, understand the importance of, and are committed to its trajectory. Instead of offering isolated workshops and seminars, cultivate a culture of communication, understanding and respect that permeates the entirety of your organization.

Implement ‘Trauma Stewards Programs’ where select staff members are trained deeply in trauma-informed care and act as resources and mentors to their colleagues. This peer-led model supports ongoing learning and emotional support within the organization.

To ensure your organization is trauma-informed, provide comprehensive training and ongoing support for staff. Educate them on trauma basics and its impact, helping them recognize signs in clients and colleagues. Develop communication skills emphasizing empathy and active listening. Prioritize staff self-care to prevent burnout. Review policies to align with trauma-informed principles. Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, with feedback mechanisms in place. Ensure leadership promotes trauma-informed practices. By investing in staff training and support, your organization can create a safe and empowering environment for those impacted by trauma.

La formación es fundamental para generar conocimiento y poder aplicarlo en la organización. A traves de cursos en linea, manejo del estrés y trauma permite mejorar la relación entre las personas de la organización creando mayores relaciones a largo plazo

Fomente un diálogo abierto sobre el trauma, ofreciendo recursos educativos. En mi experiencia, crear espacios seguros y programas participativos fortalece la relación con los clientes, generando confianza y entendimiento mutuo.

El empoderar a los clientes acerca de la gestión del trauma permite generar relaciones a largo plazo. Contruir relaciones duraderas permitirá escalar el impacto social en la organización a lo largo de su cadena de valor. Muchas veces se pueden co-crear productos y servicios junto con clientes ya que permite ajustar y hacer mas eficientes los procesos internos de la organización

Colaborar con organizaciones afines amplifica el impacto. En mi experiencia, al unir fuerzas con grupos comprometidos, logramos abordar el trauma desde diversas perspectivas, enriqueciendo nuestras estrategias.

Una manera logica de poder evolucionar la gestión de trauma y stress en las organizaciones es crear redes de apoyo con coaliciones y comunidades de practica para colaborar en proyectos y poder generar cambios sistemáticos en el sector o en la economia

As a trauma consultant the goal is to build a culture that not only IS safe, but also FEELS safe. What cues our nervous system for safety? - Empathy - Transparency - Having a voice and a choice - Authenticity - Integrity - Vulnerability - Cultural humility and equity - Honesty - Compassion - Connection - Dependability - Collaboration Becoming trauma-informed involves a complete paradigm shift where the priority is helping employees feel regulated in their nervous system so they have the full capability of the executive functioning portion of their brain “online.” This process takes time and effort, but ultimately improves results, reduces and prevents additional trauma, and slows the rate of burnout.

I lead an organization, @voice4girls, that works on empowering girls with knowledge and skills around health, safety, rights and future planning through self-awareness. During the process of delivering this training to adolescents, employees of the organization many of whom are women have triggers that surfaces the gender discrimination they have faced themselves. So building in policies to recognise trauma and having safe spaces for them is important to the design of our work flow.

In my experience, this needs to become a priority for the organization -> creating the space for psychological safety and supporting employees (on all levels) in nervous-system regulation. When we feel safe at work and interested, engaged, we perform the best (high accountability+ high safety). How ? - Limit multitasking - Shift activities/ performance reviews from threat to reward (eg: select concrete goals, break down into sequences, track wins, offer pay raises, public recognition) - Help people stay active (not just sitting in meetings all day, but walking) & support them in maintaining a healthy weight - Support a balanced diet (provide catering that follows good nutritional principles) - Provide meditation practices during the day

It's absolutely vital to walk the walk. Providing a space where everyone is on the journey and it feels like the organisation is on the journey too. Where trauma informed is talked about and then organisations don't reflect these principles in their communications or actions, it can increase uncertainty, mistrust and harm. When I talk about putting the principles into action, I like to talk about the ripples actions create. The small things are often overlooked in a multi-year plan, but individuals doing one small thing and building it into 'how they do things' multiplied by the number of people in your organisation adds up to a whole lot of positive change! ??

Organizations can empower individuals in the process of becoming trauma-informed by: 1. Education and Training: Provide comprehensive training and educational resources to staff members to increase awareness and understanding of trauma and its effects. 2. Encouraging Participation: Encourage individuals to actively participate in decision-making processes, share their experiences, and provide feedback on trauma-informed practices. 3. Building Trust: Foster a culture of trust and open communication within the organization, where individuals feel safe to express their needs and concerns. 4. Providing Support: Offer support services and resources to individuals who have experienced trauma, such as counseling, therapy, and referral

La sensibilidad cultural y la diversidad son clave. Desde mi experiencia, incorporar perspectivas diversas garantiza que las estrategias sean inclusivas y efectivas en el abordaje del trauma.