Many people will experience a traumatic event at some point in their lives. Trauma might occur as a result of violence, abuse, neglect, loss, disaster, war, or other emotionally harmful experiences. Trauma has no boundaries with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, geography, or sexual orientation. However, women, several racial/ethnic minority groups, and LGBTQ+ people are at greater risk of experiencing trauma.
Most people with substance use disorder have experienced trauma and therefore addressing trauma is a central component of recovery. People can overcome trauma with appropriate support and intervention. Yet many don’t receive the services they need and unaddressed trauma significantly increases the risk of mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and chronic physical diseases.
In recent decades, there has been an increased understanding of the pervasiveness of trauma and traumatic stress and how it impacts an individual’s physical and behavioral health and well-being. This has led to the implementation of trauma-informed care.
Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” According to SAMHSA’s definition, trauma-informed care seeks to:
- Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand paths for recovery;
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, and staff;
- Integrate knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and
- Actively avoid re-traumatization.
Trauma-informed care at The Haven
At The Haven, we believe in Recovery with Respect and that means seeing each one of our clients as an individual with their unique circumstances. We do not judge our clients, but rather try to understand their experiences and where they are coming from.
Many of The Haven’s clients have experienced trauma in the form of childhood neglect or intimate partner violence. All staff seek to prevent exposing clients to situations that cause an increase of trauma related symptoms while also helping clients to implement strategies that reduce trauma related symptoms.
The Haven has implemented a trauma-informed approach and that means our staff members are trained in trauma-informed care, all clients are assessed for histories of trauma, service plans address trauma related symptoms as indicated, we utilize trauma focused therapies including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and trauma-informed care is factored into all program decisions.
Based on our experience, adopting trauma-informed practices improves patient engagement and health outcomes, as well as staff wellness. By building a resilient and trauma-informed community, we can help our clients and their families heal from trauma and reach their full potential.
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