Many now refer to “trauma-informed care” as any assessment or intervention that acknowledges the possibility of a traumatic event(s). It then evaluates the effects it has had on the individual’s overall mental health. But isn’t that just “care”? Trauma-informed care began as a noble effort that gets at particular effects of trauma in very specific types of care.
How it started: Trauma-informed care is a specific framework originally developed for hospital and medical care. It recognizes the importance of understanding the history of trauma among individuals and communities. It also attempts to understand how that history may continue to impact patient health outcomes.
Studies show that individuals from marginalized communities who may have higher incidence of direct and indirect (e.g., intergenerational) trauma tend to have more negative health outcomes. Examples include heart disease, high blood pressure, autoimmune difficulties, and more.
Directions: Someone who has a specialization in trauma assessment or treatment has historically taken on the title of “trauma specialist” or “trauma expert”. This may make more sense to some than the new use of “trauma-informed”. This is because a good initial intake for therapy assesses for trauma. So every effective episode of therapy is “trauma-informed” by definition. Our therapist resources page provides more on working with trauma in any setting!
Trauma-informed care as developed in medical settings creates great opportunities for trauma assessment, referrals, and counseling. These modes can help an individual’s physical and mental health in an integrated care setting. They can also create a good pathway for patients to therapists in outpatient settings who can help.
Terminology aside. We will just want to make sure we stick to standards of care for our mental health field if we opt to use umbrella terms for any type of care we employ for trauma.
