This chapter discusses trauma-informed care and why it is important you understand the impacts of trauma when working with young people. We will discuss the impact of trauma, especially childhood trauma, and the principles that underpin trauma-informed care.
By the end of this chapter, you will understand:
- The short- and long-term impacts of trauma for children and young people
- Trauma-informed care as it relates to understanding care for children and young people experiencing child abuse and neglect
- The key principles of trauma-informed practice
We respond to injury with our whole being: psychologically, emotionally, physically and behaviourally..
Trauma-informed approaches are currently ‘best practice’ in several areas of community service work, including the mental health and child protection sectors, so it is important for you to understand what they are.
Trauma-informed approaches provide a framework for human services based on knowledge and understanding of how trauma affects people and their service needs in both the short and long term. They consider the impact of trauma on an individual, a family and/or a community.
What Is ‘Trauma’?
In common usage, the word ‘trauma’ means injury, usually in the sense of a serious injury. We respond to injury with our whole being: psychologically, emotionally, physically and behaviourally. The injury itself does not have to be a physical one – psychological and emotional injury can be just as damaging.
In the context of trauma-informed care, ‘trauma’ is used to refer to the psychological, behavioural and emotional responses to an experience or an event that is deeply distressing, painful and disturbing.
Watch below a video explaining how to be trauma informed.
Trauma-Informed Practice at a Glance
The principles underpinning trauma-informed practice are:
- Possess ‘trauma awareness’ (awareness of the impact of trauma)
- Emphasise safety and trustworthiness.
- Provide opportunities for choice, collaboration and connection.
- Utilise strength-based and skill-building approaches.
Additional key principles of trauma-informed practice include:
- Do no harm – avoid re-traumatising the person through the provision of services.
- Encourage optimism and demonstrate belief that recovery is possible.
- Treat survivors of trauma as individuals who have managed the best they can in abnormal situations.
- Work from the understanding that:
- Many people with mental health conditions have experienced trauma
- Trauma may be a factor for people in distress
- The impact of trauma can be lifelong
- Trauma can impact on the person, their emotions and their relationships
- Trauma is defined by its impact on the individual, not by the event itself
Children and trauma informed practice.
Children who are abused and neglected suffer trauma, so trauma informed practice is an appropriate approach to working within a child protection context. Depending on the age and developmental stage of the child, practices may need to be adapted to meet the child’s needs. For example, with younger children, using concrete means of communication such as dolls to help the child explain what has happened to them, or using simple diagrams such as the circle of safety to clarify what behaviour is acceptable within different relationships. Whatever the age and developmental stage, the key principles of trauma informed care and practice should be followed to recognise the short and long term impact of abuse on the child, and to work in ways that provide a safe environment and as many opportunities as possible for the child to regain and retain control.
Explore the following links for more information about trauma-informed care and practices:
- 'Trauma-Informed Care in Child/Family Welfare Services' from the Australian Institute of Family Studies
- 'Fact Sheet: Talking About Trauma' from the Blue Knot Foundation
- 'What Is Trauma-Informed Care and How Is It Implemented in Youth Healthcare Settings?' from Orygen
- Trauma-Informed Practice Guide by the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
Watch the following videos to learn more about trauma-informed care:
Providing Trauma-Informed Care: A Case Study of Weave Youth and Community Services’ from the New South Wales Mental Health Commission
'Trauma Informed' from Emerging Minds
Q1: What is trauma-informed care?
Trauma-informed approaches provide a framework for human services based on knowledge and understanding of how trauma affects people and their service needs in both the short and long term. They consider the impact of trauma on an individual, a family and/or a community.
Q2: What are the principles underpinning trauma-informed practice?
Possess ‘trauma awareness’ (awareness of the impact of trauma), Emphasise safety and trustworthiness, Provide opportunities for choice, collaboration and connection, Utilise strength-based and skill-building approaches.
Q3: What are the possible short- long-term impacts of trauma for children and young people?
Depending on the age and developmental stage of the child, practices may need to be adapted to meet the child’s needs. For example, with younger children, using concrete means of communication such as dolls to help the child explain what has happened to them, or using simple diagrams such as the circle of safety to clarify what behaviour is acceptable within different relationships. Whatever the age and developmental stage, the key principles of trauma informed care and practice should be followed to recognise the short and long term impact of abuse on the child, and to work in ways that provide a safe environment and as many opportunities as possible for the child to regain and retain control.
Q4: Provide examples of trauma-informed care that educators might implement for a child in their service.
An example could be providing dolls in home corner for the children to use to act out and interact with. Pencils and paper to help them draw and express how they feel.
