If you work in health care, education or any community-based industry, it’s important to be educated in trauma-informed care to understand, respond to and aid in the recovery of those who have experienced trauma.

 

What is Trauma?

Trauma can be defined as a psychological, emotional response to an event or experience that is profoundly distressing or disturbing. The trauma can be upsetting, such as losing a job, divorce, having an illness or an injury or it can be an extreme trauma like being involved in a natural disaster, terrorism or losing a loved one.

Trauma and its impact on an individual are subjective as everyone’s experience will be unique to them. However, complex trauma can be more challenging to overcome.

 

What is Complex Trauma?

Complex trauma happens repetitively and often results in direct harm to the individual. The effects of complex trauma are cumulative. This type of trauma experience frequently occurs within a particular time frame, relationship and setting.

 

What is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-informed care can be described as a framework that is based on knowledge and understanding of how trauma affects people’s lives and their service needs.

A program, workplace, or system that is trauma-informed:^1.

• Realises the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery
• Recognises the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system
• Responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices.
• Seeks to resist re-traumatisation actively

 

If a person has been affected by trauma, working with a therapist or therapy that is trauma-informed will ensure that a combination of therapy modalities addressing trauma are facilitated to aid in recovery.

 

Trauma Informed Care as Professional Development

Trauma-informed care is important across many industries, including human services, criminal justice, education, community services and health care.

Traumatic experiences are common, and when workplaces and professionals are trauma-informed, they understand how past trauma can affect an individual throughout their lifespan.

The way in which professionals and workplaces respond to those affected by trauma leads to better engagement and outcomes for the individual and the workplace.

The benefits of understanding trauma-informed care in the workplace are numerous, but include:

 

• A better understanding of behaviours that result from trauma
• Promotes safety, empowerment and healing
• Understanding trauma leads to greater compassion
• Reduced stress and burnout in the workplace
• Increased engagement with clients/patients/staff
• Increased staff retention and reduced sick days/absences
• Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of trauma
• An emphasis on safety, reliability and trustworthiness
• Promote strong and safe relationships
• Develop strengths and resilience of those suffering trauma

 

An organisation with a trauma-informed model understands that trauma affects not only the survivor of the trauma but also others in the workplace and the organisation as an entity.

If you work in a profession, industry or organisation where trauma-informed care would benefit your clients, patients or workplace, consider an online professional development course in trauma-informed care to gain the knowledge and skills to work in trauma-informed ways.

 

Australian Online Courses

Australian Online Courses offers contemporary, online professional development courses coupled with exceptional student support to provide a superior eLearning experience.

Visit us online to discover hundreds of industry-relevant, flexible, online courses covering almost every industry sector. Alternatively, contact one of our friendly Learning Consultants today on 1300 762 221 or via Live Chat.

 

Certificate of Trauma Informed Care

The Certificate of Trauma Informed Care is an online professional development program that will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to practice trauma-informed care using a range of strategies.

 

Certificate of  Complex Trauma and Attachment Management

The Certificate of Complex Trauma and Attachment Management is an online professional development program that will provide you with the skills and knowledge required to recognise indicators of trauma in children and young people of different ages and at various stages.

 

Certificate of Trauma Counselling

The Certificate of Trauma Counselling is an online professional development program that will provide you with the conceptual framework and skills for counselling people who are suffering from trauma-related stress.