Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Toolkit

Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Every Community Needs a System of Care

The statements below are provided as part of this toolkit to be used as talking points for convincing others that a communitywide system of care is needed. Include these in your presentations when you step out to develop a trauma informed system of care. Here are several compelling reasons for developing a communitywide trauma informed system of care: • The Department of Health and Human Services strongly suggests communitywide efforts that focus on improving the wellbeing of children and families who have experienced trauma. Their recommendation urges service providers to implement trauma screening and evidence-based practices informed by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study in order to reduce the effects of childhood trauma. 1 • The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends community education programs about trauma. According to a 2014 SAMHSA Concept Paper, SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach, local service providers should operate with an understanding of the universal prevalence of trauma that exists in every city. Experienced trauma, particularly if it goes unrecognized, is a harmful and costly public health problem. SAMHSA explains that trauma occurs as a result of abuse, neglect, violence, loss, bullying, disaster, war, and other experiences. Communities need to address trauma by offering effective behavioral health service delivery. In order to accomplish this, there must be a multi-agency approach that includes providing trauma informed education, including staff training to change the service provider culture and to encourage programming aimed at decreasing the effects of trauma. Communities then should identify ways to become more resilient and make a commitment to move from becoming trauma aware to truly trauma informed. 2 • The Child Welfare System Child reports that maltreatment is a substantial public health concern as well as a serious social problem. They recommend that communities must make investments in the prevention of trauma that will go beyond protecting children from maltreatment to a focus on preventing maltreatment’s consequences, which they identify as including debilitating and lifelong physical and mental health problems, and addiction, and result in considerable treatment and health-care costs, and lost opportunities in education and work. 3

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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/helping-victims-of-childh_b_3580234 https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4884.pdf https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/cm_prevention.pdf

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