When our approach is trauma-informed, we are sensitive to the ways in which trauma may be impacting on our clients. Six principles, originally developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the US are often used to to guide this work¹. These are:

• Safety
• Trustworthiness and transparency
• Peer support
• Collaboration and mutuality
• Empowerment, voice, and choice
• Cultural, historical, and gender issues

We also feel it can be important to undertstand the ways in which interpersonal dysfunction may be partly linked to trauma.

The training covers topics like:

• What is trauma and how does it impact?
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and their impact on social cognitive development in childhood
• The evidence base for trauma-informed practice
• The difference betwen trauma-informed practice and trauma treatment
• The possibilities and challenges for implementing trauma-informed practice in services that work with interpersonal dysfunction
• Preventing vicarious trauma

Our approach to training

Training topic examples

Motivational Interviewing

Mental health

Multi-agency collaboration

Assessment