Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Toolkit

Building a Trauma Informed System of Care Trauma I formed Care Trai the Trainer

Rev. 5/2019

#6 – Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues

Discussion

∗ What strengths might your clients have? ∗ How can you use these strengths in your organization? ∗ Can you think of examples from your agency of empowerment, voice, and choice for people served? ∗ Are there policies and practices that do the opposite  that take away choice, voice, and decision making? Can any of these be changed?

The organization actively moves past cultural stereotypes and biases, offers gender responsive services, leverages the healing value of traditional cultural connections such as faith communities, and recognizes and addresses historical trauma.

Example

Trauma-Informed Services are:

 Focused on

understanding the whole individual and context of his or her life experience.  Infused with knowledge about the roles that violence and victimization play in the lives of survivors.

 Designed to minimize the possibilities of victimization and re-victimization.  Hospitable and engaging for survivors.  Designed to facilitate recovery, growth, resilience, and healing.

Hawaii women’s prison builds a trauma-informed culture based on the Hawaiian concept of “pu’uhonua”, a place of refuge, asylum, peace, and safety.

Trauma-Informed Services are:

Module 4

 Respectful of a survivor’s choices and control over their recovery.  Based on partnership with the survivor, recognizing and minimizing the power imbalance between advocate and survivor.  Intended to emphasize survivor’s strengths.

SAMHSA’s Guidance for Implementation

 Focused on trust and safety.  Collaborations with non-traditional and expanded community supports (such as faith communities, friends and families, etc.)  Culturally competent and sensitive.

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