--- title: Tribal Communities:  Advancing Trauma-Informed Care description: 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. image: https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hubfs/FatherandSon215432265resized-1.jpeg --- [![Traumatic Stress Institute](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/tsi-logo-transparent-sm-3.png?width=1500&height=329&name=tsi-logo-transparent-sm-3.png "Traumatic Stress Institute")](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/) - [About](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/) - [Vision - Mission - Values](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/mission/) - [Traumatic Stress Institute Staff](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/staff/) - [TSI Faculty Trainers](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/rc-faculty-trainers/) - [Sidran](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/sidran-redirect/) - [History of Traumatic Stress Institute](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/company-history/) - [Klingberg Family Centers](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/klingberg-family-centers/) - [Careers](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/careers/) - [Trauma-Informed Care](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/) - [What Is Trauma Informed Care?](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/) - [Trauma-Informed Care for Organizations](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/trauma-informed-care-for-organizations/) - Risking Connection - [RC 25th Anniversary](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/rc-25th-anniversary/) - [Risking Connection Change Model to Trauma-Informed Care – Standard](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/risking-connection-change-model/) - [IDD Organizations & Systems](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/risking-connection-change-model-idd/) - [Current Client Agencies of the Traumatic Stress Institute](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/whole-system-transformation-to-trauma-informed-care-tic/agencies-using-rc-as-training-model/) - [Risking Connection® (RC) Training](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/risking-connection-training/) - [Restorative Approach® (RA) Training](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/restorative-approach-training/) - [ARTIC Scale](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/the-artic-scale/) - [Training Events](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/events/) - [Trainers' Corner](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/trainers-corner/) - [Blog](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog) - [Books](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/books/) - [Helplines](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/hotline-list/) - [Contact](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/contact/) ### Subscribe to updates ### Categories - [Whole-System Change (52)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/whole-system-change) - [Measurement & Research (27)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/measurement-research) - [Mindfulness (24)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/mindfulness) - [IDD Organizations (11)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/idd-organizations) - [Crisis Response (8)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/crisis-response) - [Head Start (8)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/head-start) - [Insider (1)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/insider) See all This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Recent Posts [![Native American Tribal Communities CARES Act Funding TIC](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hubfs/FatherandSon215432265resized-1.jpeg)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tribal-communities-advancing-trauma-informed-care) # [Tribal Communities:  Advancing Trauma-Informed Care](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tribal-communities-advancing-trauma-informed-care) May 21, 2020 / by [John Engel, MA](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/author/john-engel-ma) 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. The devastating impact of historical, intergenerational and current traumas experienced by tribal communities has long overwhelmed chronically underfunded health care, education, mental health, social service and legal systems in Indian Country. The current impact and anticipated aftermath of the coronavirus will surely add significant stresses to these vulnerable communities, families and children. A recent post in The National Law Review, [CARES ACT Funding:  Opportunity for Trauma-Informed Programs in Indian Country](https://www.natlawreview.com/article/cares-act-funding-opportunity-trauma-informed-programs-indian-country), called on tribal leaders to: “…encourage the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) to devote some of their CARES Act funds to address trauma in order to mitigate the inundation of trauma-triggered problems these agencies are likely to face in the near future. In addition to the immediate need for these programs, spending money on trauma-informed programs will continue to benefit the tribe long after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.” While tribal communities move quickly to access CARES ACT funding essential to advancing trauma-informed care, now is an important time to identify strategies and tools essential to planning and measuring the impact of trauma-informed initiatives. An early education center in California, K-12 school system in Nebraska, and a health center in Idaho – all serving tribal communities - recently adopted the [ARTIC (Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care) Scale](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/online-artic-details/?__hstc=122918548.3ac1c1dac64bfcb5bd5efa567319d59c.1588788069002.1589297728662.1589374661016.15&__hssc=122918548.8.1589477982054&__hsfp=558475273), a widely-used and psychometrically valid assessment that measures staff attitudes toward trauma-informed care. Using the Online ARTIC, baseline data on current staff attitudes toward trauma-informed care can be easily collected using a smart phone, tablet or computer and additional data collections can be repeated to assess the impact of training and coaching over time. Detailed reports automatically offer leaders greater confidence when making data-driven decisions about trauma-informed quality improvements and demonstrating to partners progress in becoming trauma-informed. Confidential individual reports are also included, building staff confidence and capacity to deliver trauma-informed services. Currently, the [Traumatic Stress Institute](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/?__hstc=122918548.3ac1c1dac64bfcb5bd5efa567319d59c.1588788069002.1589297728662.1589374661016.15&__hssc=122918548.8.1589477982054&__hsfp=558475273) is offering a 30% COVID-19 Hardship Discount on all Online ARTIC purchases, providing relief to organizations and communities that would like to proceed with TIC measurement during financially challenging times. [![Learn More About the ARTIC](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6854647/6c8f26cb-fa28-4de7-aef7-9c53196e2255.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6854647/6c8f26cb-fa28-4de7-aef7-9c53196e2255) **Measure what matters, measure trauma-informed care** Tags: [Crisis Response](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/topic/crisis-response), [Measurement & Research](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/topic/measurement-research) ![John Engel, MA](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/09.29.18%20JE%20Headshot%20-%20thumbnail.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=09.29.18%20JE%20Headshot%20-%20thumbnail.jpg) #### Written by [John Engel, MA](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/author/john-engel-ma) John Engel, Program Coordinator at the Traumatic Stress Institute of Klingberg Family Centers, where he serves as a trainer and consultant for agencies adopting whole-system change to trauma-informed care. John also facilitates strategic change initiatives and product development for TSI, including development and launch of the Online ARTIC Scale. John also leads mindfulness in the workplace initiatives, including design and delivery of a webinar entitled, ‘Mindfulness in the Workplace: Practices for Sustaining Trauma-Informed Care,’ a day-long virtual training event, ‘Mindfulness: The Inner Work of Racial Healing and Trauma-Informed Care, ‘Monthly RC Mindfulness’ pilot and a ‘30-Day RC Mindfulness Challenge.’ John is a Certified Workplace Mindfulness Facilitator (CWMF), is certified in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and has participated in virtual and in-person Mindfulness in the Workplace Summits by Mindful Leader. Copyright 2026 | Traumatic Stress Institute