Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Toolkit

Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Foreword

In 2018, we planned to host a webinar to learn from other cities that followed the guidance from the 2014 SAMHSA concept paper to educate cross sectors of professionals in trauma informed concepts. We again reached out to Dr. Joan Gillece for technical assistance for this idea and it was not until we received her response that we had any idea something special had happened in Johnson City. Here is an excerpt from her letter: “As the Director of SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma Informed Care, I’ve been in conversation with Johnson City Police Department Crime Prevention Programs Coordinator, Becky Haas and East Tennessee State University Psychology Professor, Dr. Andi Clements since 2015 providing guidance and resources as they endeavored to educate the community on Trauma Informed Care. What has resulted has exceeded all expectations for the region embracing and implementing these concepts. In 2014, the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a concept paper entitled Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach with the recommendation that communities address trauma by viewing it as an important component of effective behavioral health service delivery. Additionally, it was SAMHSA’s guidance that communities should address trauma through a multi-agency public health approach inclusive of public education and awareness, prevention and early identification, and effective trauma-specific assessment and treatment. Though many communities across the nation are beginning to implement some of these SAMHSA recommendations, Johnson City clearly stands out as a leader in embracing this model.” ~ Dr. Joan Gillece Instead of hosting a webinar in 2018, we co-hosted a forum with Dr. Gillece to tell our story. This forum was attended by two state First Ladies, leaders from over twenty states, and people from all across Tennessee. Shortly after the forum, I was offered a role at Ballad Health as Trauma Informed Administrator, a position that I began in November of 2018. My role is to advocate, educate, and collaborate with others to bring trauma informed programming into the twenty-one counties of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia served by Ballad Health as well as transition them into becoming a trauma informed healthcare system. Andi’s role has also expanded where now, in addition to her duties at ETSU, she is the Executive Director of the Holy Friendship Collaborative whose mission is to mobilize and equip the faith based community to address addiction in rural Appalachia.

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