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.

Delivering trauma-informed care (TIC) is challenging. Measuring TIC is even more difficult. More and more school systems, human service agencies, juvenile justice programs, behavioral health organizations and others are moving to become more trauma-informed - and struggling to measure the impact of their efforts. That’s why the Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI) developed the Online ARTIC.

Looking to begin your program's transformation to trauma-informed care but don't know where to start? Or don't have the funding to invest in a whole-system change initiative right now? Here are some suggestions: