Trauma Informed Care Principles and Practice in Workplaces: An Introduction

57% to 75% of Australians will experience a potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. 5-11% of Australians experience PTSD in their life, with women being at almost twice the risk of men (14% and 8%, respectively). But what are the trauma informed care principles and practice that should be adopted in the workplace?

What is Trauma Informed Practice?

Trauma-informed practice is an approach that recognises that trauma is common and that people accessing services and people delivering services may be affected by trauma.

Trauma-informed care started in medicine in the 1970s in response to the physical and mental traumas experienced by Vietnam War vets. Today the principles of Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) are used in organisations to help support and engage workers, clients and communities who may be affected by trauma.

Each organisation is different, so consultation with workers, reflection on existing practices and considering adjustments to organisational approaches and policies is part of the trauma informed practice.

Some workers (by the nature of their role in frontline, human and customer-facing services) are exposed to potentially distrubing scenarios, stories and conversations. Without due care and organisational support, these workers are at risk of professional burnout and compassion fatigue.

Trauma informed practice may be applied to workplace policies, health and safety systems, human resource practices, performance management systems, internal investigation processes, wellbeing programs and so forth.

Trauma informed practice is holistic, empowering, strengths-focused, collaborative and reflective. It promotes physical, emotional and cultural safety. Becoming trauma informed necessitates a cultural and philosophical shift across every part of a service.

Historically, services have not always responded to trauma in a strengths-based and person-centred way, resulting in the re-traumatisation of individuals thus affecting their willingness to participate and engage.

The benefits of TIP include: improved outcomes for workers and wellbeing, engagement and satisfaction, maintaining stakeholder relationships, performance and reducing the costs of burnout, turnover, abseenteeism and complaints.

Trauma informed practice has a significant overlap with likely existing organisational practices, professional service approaches and health and safety systems, such as:

• Person-centred approach
• Professional client service approach, emphasising the importance of listening
• Culture and context awareness, including the lived experience awareness
• Human rights
• Health & safety systems, psychosocial risk management and psychological safety at work
• Mentally healthy workplaces approach

What Organisations Can Do

• Provide Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) awareness training or coaching to staff and leaders
• Review existing policies, procedures and systems through the TIP lens and determine adjustments
• Recognise the existing strengths in your systems and practices that are aligned with the TIP
• Consult and check-in with workers, staff and leaders to understand current experiences, exposure to potentially traumatic events and job demands (emotional demands) associated with client and human services
• Seek advice for more specific or complex circumstances

Trauma-informed Practices: A List of Sample Practices

Disclaimer: the following is a list of sample practices, not a compliance model. It is contextualised to a client service organisation. Each organisation would make specific practice and systems changes to align with TIP where necessary.

The 10 Principles of Trauma Informed Practice

1. Trauma Awareness
2. Recognise the signs
3. Informed Procedures
4. Promoting Safety
5. Avoid Re-traumatisation
6. Mindful Communication
7. Collaboration & Trust
8. Rebuilding Control
9. Focus on Strengths
10. Promote connection

THE DETAIL

Trauma Awareness

• Understand that trauma is common and has serious impacts on people
• Someone you work with or provide service to, may have a trauma history
• Don’t ignore, compare or minimise a person’s experience or disclosure
• Recognise the individual had no control over what happened to them
• View trauma stories from a point of compassion, no-blame & no-judgement
• Believe in healing and recovery – promote confidence in support options

Recognise the signs

• Recognise the signs/symptoms of trauma in workers and clients
• Recognise the potential trauma history and power-dynamics for special populations (e.g. ATSI, DFV, refugees, emergency and defence personnel)
• Recognise that some ‘difficult behaviours’ may be trauma-related
• Recognise your own personal stress triggers and tactics for self-composure
• Recognise accumulating or acute stress in workers, clients and others

Informed Procedures

• Continue to integrate your trauma knowledge into procedures & practice
• Respond to disclosure of trauma with acknowledgement and empathy
• Follow your trauma-informed organisational policies (aim = protection for all)
• Pause and seek advice if a unique or special circumstance arises
• Establish referral options for support and wellbeing for workers and clients

Promoting Safety

• Foster a safe and supportive environment where people feel comfortable disclosing their experiences of trauma and seeking help when needed
• Act in a consistent, predictable, calm and professional manner
• Assuring confidentiality and privacy related to personal information
• Enable physical spaces to allow distance and safe egress
• Consider adjustments to services based on special sensitivities if needed
• Permission to end an interaction when you feel unsafe; and apply boundaries

Avoid Re-traumatisation

• Where possible, be aware of potential triggers in workers and clients
• If possible, don’t ask for details or elaboration on someone’s experience
• Limit or avoid unnecessary exposure to graphic or difficult material
• Provide advanced notice of exposure to potentially triggering information
• Where trauma is disclosed, ask people ‘how can we help you in this time’

Mindful Communication

• Use language that is empathic, non-blaming or non-labelling
• Use respectful, listening and defusing approaches for people in distress
• Pacing: don’t ask too many questions, as this may feel like interrogation
• Don’t respond to trauma disclosures by sharing your own story
• Use the words they use to describe their experience

Collaboration & Trust

• Ask the person about what they need and really listen
• Use we/us language to build a sense of collaboration
• Be clear about the service, responsibilities, rights & avenues for feedback
• Do what you say you will do; don’t promise what can’t be delivered
• Transparency, explain what we’re doing and why

Rebuilding Control

• Offer choices and options for talking, resolving issues or working toward goals
• Ask ‘what makes you feel safer and how can we better support you?’
• Offer voice: Ask for feedback about what is helpful and not helpful
• Ask for permission to talk about potentially difficult subjects

Focus on Strengths

• Empower and enable people to take constructive action, within their control
• Focus on strengths, resources available versus problems or pathology
• Prompt people to use existing coping strategies or strengths to help them

Promote Connection

• Encourage people to connect with social support networks, including the people, peers, professionals or groups they feel supported by
• Outline and offer connection and support options when needed

By adopting a trauma-informed care principles in the workplace, managers can create a culture of empathy, understanding, and support that benefits all employees, particularly those who may have experienced trauma.

If you’d to know more about applying trauma informed care principles and practices, please contact us at YES Psychology & Consulting.

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Trauma Informed Practice Training

TIP Training for leaders and workers can introduce the key principles and practice examples, allow teams to reflection on existing TIP and opportunities for change. READ MORE about trauma informed practice training.