Abstract
The social work profession is facing a critical gap in its provision of effective services to an increasingly large number of clients who are affected by trauma. To explore for the presence of common components in evidence-based trauma treatments, a qualitative content analysis of 8 trauma treatment manuals was undertaken. Analysis resulted in the identification of 35 Intervention Objectives and 59 Practice Element codes. These were further organized into nine domains: trauma assessment, safety, engagement, attachment, core treatment interventions, attention to the social context, trauma processing, post trauma growth, and therapist self-care. Future work for the profession may involve synthesizing and integrating what has already been learned, and translating that knowledge into the classroom. Significantly, three domains which stress activities with the client in their social context were found to be common to trauma treatments, including safety promoting activities. Implications for social work education, practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Highlights
The social work profession is facing a critical gap in its provision of effective services to an increasingly large number of clients who are affected by trauma
35 intervention objectives and 59 practice elements were identified for the coding manual
An example of an Intervention Objective code is: Address Adversities in the Social Environment: Includes activities aimed at addressing adversities which either pre-exist the trauma or are a secondary effect of the trauma experience with the goal of enhancing the ability of the social environment to support the child/family with needed resources and services
Summary
The social work profession is facing a critical gap in its provision of effective services to an increasingly large number of clients who are affected by trauma. Adults and their families have often had exposure to community violence, war-related refugee experiences, combat violence for returning veterans, medical trauma, natural disasters, and traumatic loss When these experiences are unaddressed, clients are at greater risk for a range of behavioral, emotional, educational and social problems in childhood and later in life. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACES), using a sample from a non-clinical population of adults presenting for routine annual physical exams found a significant relationship between negative childhood experiences (including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, interpersonal violence, divorce, mental illness, alcoholism and family member incarceration) and a range of lifelong serious physical and mental-health problems. These adulthood problems included, but were not limited to, higher rates of adult depression, drug use, juvenile arrest, obesity, diabetes, and overall occupational health and job performance impairment as they were reported by those with histories of adverse childhood experience (Anda et al, 2006; Felitti et al, 1998)
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