Trauma-Informed Care

Bethesda provides Trauma-Informed Care training, which equips individuals and organizations with the understanding and skills to recognize and respond effectively to the impact of trauma, fostering safer and more supportive environments.

Who should participate: Anyone who interacts with individuals or works within systems where trauma may be a factor, including:

  • Healthcare professionals

  • Behaviour Consultants/Therapists

  • Registered Behaviour Analysts

  • Social workers

  • Educators

  • Mental health providers

  • Direct support staff

  • Caregivers

  • Organizational leaders and policymakers

What does it mean to be Trauma Informed?

A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.

https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed-approaches-programs

What is Trauma?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association describes trauma as: Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

Discover the Powerful Benefits

of Trauma-Informed Care

For Individuals and those we Serve

  • Improved Engagement and Adherence

  • Enhanced Trust and Therapeutic Relationships

  • Reduced Re-traumatization

  • Empowerment and Choice

  • Improved Long-Term Health Outcomes

  • Sense of Safety

  • Increased Resilience and Healing

For Organizations

  • Improved Staff Wellness

  • Increased Job Satisfaction

  • Enhanced Understanding of Trauma

  • Reduced Negative Encounters

  • Improved Quality of Services

Our Trauma-Informed Services:

Trauma-Informed Care 101

Training Length: 8 hours

This training provides learners with a foundational knowledge and understanding of Trauma and its impact on the brain and our nervous system. Learners will gain a new perspective on how to understand behaviours that have historically been viewed as non-compliance, manipulative, attention-seeking, etc.

By changing our approach from asking the question “What is wrong with the person?” to “What happened to the person”, we begin to shift the way we understand individuals who have experienced trauma. Learners will gain a deeper understanding of the Principles and Values of Trauma Informed Care and will leave with a toolbox of evidence-based strategies to effectively implement Trauma-Informed Care into their everyday interactions with those they serve, work alongside and how they support their own well-being.

Impact of the Work

Training Length: 3-6 hours

Supporting the Mental Health needs of our Direct Care professionals: This 3-6 hour training explores the impact of Human Services work on the lives of the professionals providing these services. Learners will gain a deeper understanding of the signs and symptoms of Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Vicarious Trauma or Secondary Stress Responses. In addition, learners will develop strategies to prevent or minimize the impact of their work through the creation of Wellness Kit filled with practical strategies and resources.

Trauma-Informed Care Consultation

Training Length: To be determined

Consultations can be provided to follow up with individuals or teams following a TIC training. These consultations may include providing TIC recommendations for case or situation specific needs, an additional “booster session” that further expands one key concepts learned from initial TIC training, or other specialized requests.

Organizational/System Implementation

of Trauma-Informed Care

Training Length: To be determined

Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities are at much higher risk of experiencing traumatic events.

Evidence of trauma may manifest in symptoms like developmental regression, real communication loss, or behavioural outbursts – but many caregivers fail to recognize that these could be the result of a traumatic event and may be inadvertently re-traumatizing individuals through their policies and procedures.  Research is showing that a Trauma-Informed approach results in improved client’s experience and higher levels of workplace satisfaction. This training will introduce learners to an evidenced-based framework to effectively implement Trauma Informed Care.

Specialized Training Requests

Training Length: To be determined

We offer individualized and specialized training in the area of Intellectual Developmental Disability and Mental Health and Wellness Supports.

If your organization is looking for a specialized service, reach out to Leah Jeffery at traumainformedcare@bethesdaservices.com
to schedule a free consultation where we will work with you to develop a training that meets your agency’s needs.