Trauma-focused care involves examining the holistic aspects of an individual's history, and views problems with physical and mental health as potentially originating from a traumatic source that must be examined as the root cause.
Trauma-focused care attempts to:
- Understand that trauma is widespread and impacts the road to recovery
- Recognize the signs/symptoms of trauma;
- Attempt to insert knowledge about trauma into policies and practices;
- Avoid re-traumatization
What are the principles of trauma-informed care?
- Safety --- patients and staff must feel physically and psychologically safe in the office
- Trustworthiness + Transparency --- organizational methods are created with transparency, with the goal of creating and sustaining trust within and out of the office
- Peer Support --- individuals who have shared experiences are encouraged to share their stories
- Collaboration --- power differences between clinicians and clients are on an even playing field to collaborate on shared decisions
- Empowerment --- clients' strengths are understood and built on, including a belief in resilience and the ability to heal
- Humility + Responsiveness --- biases (explicit and implicit) and historical trauma are acknowledged and actively worked against
Here at Madrigal, we are committed to addressing trauma in a holistic manner.
*This information was adapted from the Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center. Click this link for more information.*