Introducing trauma-informed care principles in the workplace

Abstract

What constitutes a traumatic event and how trauma victims receive treatment has evolved. Individuals can now access treatment through a more person-centered approach. In contrast, the client is viewed as a person and not a diagnosis and receives treatment in less restrictive environments with the client being more involved in their care plan. This trauma-informed care approach has proven beneficial in clinical settings (Bloom in Natl Abandon Infants Assist Resour Center 16:12–17, 2007; Bloom in Levin and Becker (eds), A public health perspective of women's mental health, Springer, New York, 2010; Fallot RD, Harris M. Creating cultures of trauma-informed care: a self-assessment and planning protocol. Community Connections. 2011. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272167009_Creating_Cultures_of_Trauma-Informed_Care_A_Self-Assessment_and_Planning_Protocol.; Isobel et al. in Int J Ment Health Nurs 30:495–505, 2021). However, this way of thinking could be valuable in non-clinical settings. The purpose of this qualitative conceptual review was to introduce how trauma-informed care principles could be integrated into the workplace. Tools and guidelines shown to be beneficial for introducing a more trauma-informed approach in clinical settings are reviewed. Recommendations are then made on how said tools and procedures can be manipulated and used in various workplaces. This paper is a starting point for the conversations that need to occur at all levels of an organization interested in applying a trauma-informed care approach to a non-clinical work environment.