Trauma-Informed Care
Red Oak began its journey to become a trauma-informed organization in the Fall of 2019 and joined the National Council for Behavioral Health’s 2020-2021 Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Approaches Learning Community in February 2020.
We formed a Core Implementation Team (CIT) for trauma-informed care that included staff, consumers, and community partners, and with support from a National Council trauma-informed service consultant, we assessed Red Oak’s current trauma-informed practices and began building our transformation plan.
Trauma-Informed Care Vision Statement
We believe in you and join you on your journey to heal and grow.
At Red Oak, it is safe to share your story.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is any event or series of events that is experienced or witnessed by an individual and has long-lasting social, physical, spiritual, or psychological effects (SAMHSA, 2012).
Trauma can affect different individuals or groups in different ways. Two people may be exposed to the same event or series of events but interpret these events completely differently. Regardless of the severity or type of the trauma, the immediate or long-term effects of the trauma can be met with resilience, or the ability to overcome the circumstances and meet new challenges with fortitude. (SAMHSA 2014)
The Pillars Of Trauma
6 Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Care:
- Safety
- Trustworthiness and Transparency
- Peer Support
- Collaboration and Mutuality
- Empowerment, Voice and Choice
- Cultural, Historical and Gender Issues
About Trauma-Informed Care
Language is an important aspect of Trauma-Informed Care. At Red Oak, we understand that our language choices can affirm experiences and build trust.
- Important words: safe, nonjudgmental, empathy, compassion, understanding, inclusiveness, believe my story, acceptance, trust, welcome, genuine, encouraging, empowerment, collaborative.
- Trauma-Informed, resilience-oriented care is an organizational culture, structure and treatment framework built on understanding, recognizing, and responding to all kinds of trauma.
- Trauma-Informed, resilience-oriented care doesn’t ask “What’s wrong with you?” but instead asks “What happened to you?” and “What’s strong with you?”
Video Resources
[Trauma-Informed Care] has helped me realize that I am not alone. Many other people also have traumatic experiences in their lives and it’s okay to have trauma. No traumatic experience is “more serious” than any other traumatic experience. We should treat all trauma the same: in a professional, loving, and gentle manner.
At Red Oak, we are committed to welcoming you into a safe environment and providing a genuine spirit of collaboration and the promise of the highest quality of care by using trauma-informed evidence based practices.
