Part I: Mindfulness – Finding Balance When the World is Upside Down

This is the first in a series of blog posts on the role of mindfulness in sustaining trauma-informed care.

Our Current Challenge

Adopting and sustaining trauma-informed care can be overwhelming. Senior leaders, managers and direct care staff must accept the reality that creating a culture of trauma-informed care is more journey than destination.

Measuring Whether an Organization’s Trauma-Informed Care Efforts Are Working

As the movement toward trauma-informed care (TIC) continues to grow and evolve, organizations, systems, governing bodies, and funders are understandably asking, "How can we tell if we are making progress?" Many of us have experienced these powerful “aha” moments of TIC:

While efforts to implement trauma-informed care are trending, TIC measurement is still in its infancy. So, as human service, education, and health organizations increasingly strive to become trauma-informed, it’s essential to measure whether desired results are being achieved.

Angela is very upset. As the Coordinator of the Group Home she has worked hard to be supportive and caring towards her staff. She has been proud of her team, their good relationships, and their low turnover. She has provided many staff recognition and fun activities. But lately she is hearing only complaints. A recent staff survey revealed that staff feels that management undercuts them with the youth. Staff have issues with her, the unit supervisor, and the therapist. Furthermore, Angela is starting to not like the staff much, either. The team has asked for an outside consultation.

What exactly does “new normal” mean? It is an expression that has become mainstream vernacular since the COVID-19 pandemic. But in the field of trauma response and recovery, it is a term that has long been used to provide hope for survivors.

White People Need to Own Our Discomfort

For those of us who are white, the role we find ourselves occupying is that of white supremacy. In her book, What Does It Mean To Be White?, Robin DiAngelo describes white supremacy as:

Day-to-day life was altered so swiftly and thoroughly as a result of COVID-19—a collective whiplash. As a result, many may feel frustrated, lonely, or are mourning the way things changed and the normal activities we are now unable to do. We may be saddened by losing loved ones or by being unable to visit them. But we may also be finding some sources of joy or re-calibration within this time.

Supporting Trauma-Informed Transformation in Settings Serving First Nation Communities

Beginning in 2010, the Traumatic Stress Institute began supporting the Yukon Territory (Canada) child welfare system to make the transition to trauma-informed care (TIC).

New federal funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes critical funding for advancing trauma-informed care services in tribal communities.

We are all under noticeably increased stress in this time of the COVID-19 virus changing our lives. We have many things to attend to, from the practical to the personal to the emotional. Our organizations are confronting immediate and longer term challenges from closed programs, potential layoffs, and financial uncertainty.