Public agencies and community-based providers interact with vulnerable individuals every day, many of whom have experienced trauma. To ensure staff have the proper tools to support those seeking help, and to avoid potentially re-traumatizing them, organizations must implement a trauma-informed approach. What does that mean? Being “trauma-informed” means that an agency and its staff members understand that upsetting events can affect people in negative ways and work to minimize those effects. By delivering “trauma-informed care” (or “trauma-informed services”), agencies avoid re-traumatizing people who seek help from their organization.

View the brief here.