Becoming a trauma-informed advocate

SAMHSA 6 Principles of Trauma-Informed Care

Safety: Throughout the organization everyone feels physically and psychologically safe.

What you can do:

• Clearly explain confidentiality
• Recognize and know how to respond to signs of trauma responses
• Meet in physically secure and accessible locations

Trustworthiness and Transparency: Clarify and maintain appropriate boundaries Explain the reasons behind policies, procedures, and approaches

What you can do:

• Maintain privacy and confidentiality
• Explain defined advocacy role
• Decisions are made with transparency and the goal of building and maintaining trust

Empowerment, Voice and Choice: Communicate adaptive trauma responses and validate resilience and the ability to heal from trauma

What you can do:

• Communicate adaptive trauma response and validate resilience
• Allow victims and survivors to provide feedback on the services they receive
• Highlight strengths

Offer choices in meeting environment (e.g. door locked or unlocked, where to sit)

Cultural Humility and Responsiveness: The impacts of biases, stereotypes, systemic oppression, and historical trauma are recognized and addressed.

What you can do:

• Respect names and pronouns Recognize the impact of historical and cultural trauma
• Make appropriate referrals to culturally specific organizations within the community
• Actively engage in cultural and community honoring practices

Collaboration: Power differences between and among staff and clients are leveled by supporting shared decision-making.

What you can do:

• Share power in decision-making
• Acknowledge that victims and survivors are the experts in their own lives
• Avoid leading discussions about trauma like a teacher and involve victims/survivors in the learning process

Peer Support: Individuals with shared experiences, who volunteer to do so, are integrated into the organization and viewed as integral to service delivery.

What you can do: Offer victims and survivors opportunities to be with other victims and survivors and offer mutual support

Adapted from: Strengthening Our Practice: The Ten Essential Strengths of Sexual Violence Victim Advocates in Dual/Multi-Service Advocacy Agencies (2016). Resource Sharing Project.

SAMHSA’ Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (2014). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Mivan.org/resources

Becoming a Trauma-Informed Advocate

Being trauma-informed means providing services in a way that is accessible to those who have experienced trauma.

What can advocates do:

• Provide options to victims/survivors
• Shift the focus from ‘what is wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’
• Minimize re-traumatization
• Acknowledge the experiences of the victim/survivor
• Focus on ensuring safety
• Emphasize strengths and resiliency
• Play a part of a system-wide approach to realizing the widespread impact of trauma and potential paths for healing

Three Things Every Advocate Should Know About Trauma-Informed Care

#1 What is it?

Trauma-informed care involves adapting an organization’s policies, practices, and physical environments, not just training individuals.

#2 How does it work?

Being trauma-informed means providing all services in a way that is accessible to trauma survivors, not simply understanding the impacts of trauma or directly treating trauma.

#3 Who practices it?

Everyone at all levels of an organization can do their work in a trauma-informed way, not just those treating trauma or working directly with trauma survivors.

The Four Rs of Trauma-Informed Care

Adapted from SAMHSA’ Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (2014). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand potential paths to recovery. Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff and others involved with the system. Respond by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices. Resist re-traumatization of clients and those providing services.