Trauma Informed Care is one of the most important mental health initiatives being promoted by national organizations such as the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Council for Behavioral Healthcare. This two hour presentation will review the research foundations of Trauma Informed Care in the original Adverse Childhood Experiences study and subsequent replications and extensions of this research. Participants will be introduced to the 7 domains of Trauma Informed Care and ways that their organization can address those domains. The second half of the presentation will focus on the impact of trauma on treatment providers such as therapists and case managers. Important concepts such as vicarious trauma, secondary stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, and resilience will be defined and discussed. Warning signs of vicarious traumatization and burnout and strategies for self care will be discussed. Finally, the important role of supervisors in preventing vicarious traumatization and burnout will be discussed.
Objectives: As a result of attending this training, participants will be able to:
- Explain the most important general findings of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research
- Explain what Trauma Informed Care is and describe domains of Trauma Informed Care
- Describe at least three common effects of trauma on mental health staff
- Describe at least three self-care strategies they can implement to prevent vicarious traumatization and burnout.