Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Toolkit

Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Trauma Informed C re 4 Hour General Training

Rev. 5/2019

The 1 st “E” of the 3 E’s: Potential Traumatic Events

What is Trauma? The 3-E’s Individual trauma results from an event , a series of events, or set of circumstances experienced by an individual that are physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that have lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

Experience of Trauma Affected by :

The 3 rd “E” of the 3 E’s: Effects of Trauma

It is an individual’s experience of the event, not necessarily the event itself that is traumatizing.

 How  When  Where  How Often

The effect of trauma on an individual can be conceptualized as a normal response to an abnormal situation . We don’t see things are they are. We see things as WE are .

Physical Reactions to Trauma  These are NORMAL reactions to ABNORMAL events.  Instead of symptoms –  Sudden sweating and/or heart palpitations (f luttering)  Changes in sleep patterns and/or appetite

Emotional Reactions

 Shock and disbelief  Fear and/or anxiety  Grief, disorientation, denial  Hyper-alertness or hypervigilance

think ADAPTATIONS  Aches and pains like headaches, backaches, stomach aches

 Irritability, restlessness, outbursts of anger or rage  Emotional swings  ex. crying and then laughing  Worrying or ruminating -- intrusive thoughts of the trauma  Nightmares  Flashbacks -- feeling like the trauma is happening now  Feelings of helplessness, panic, feeling out of control  Increased need to control everyday experiences  Minimizing the experience  Attempts to avoid anything associated with trauma

 Constipation or diarrhea  Easily startled by noises or unexpected touch  More susceptible to colds and illnesses  Increased use of alcohol or drugs and/or overeating

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