Trauma-Informed Care – Texas System of Care

Overview

Trauma researchers, practitioners, and survivors have recognized that the understanding of trauma and trauma-specific interventions is not sufficient to optimize outcomes for trauma survivors nor to influence how service systems conduct their business. The contexts in which trauma is addressed or treatments deployed contributes to the outcomes for the trauma survivors, the people receiving services, and the individuals staffing the systems. Referred to as trauma-informed care, this framework is essential to the context of care.

Assumptions – The Four R’s

A trauma-informed organization:

Realizes that trauma can affect families, groups, organizations, and communities as well as individuals
Recognizes the signs of trauma and understands that these signs may be gender-, age-, or setting-specific and may be expressed by people seeking service as well as those providing services;
Responds by infusing principles of a trauma-informed approach into every aspect of the organization and service provision; and
Resists re-traumatization of clients as well as staff.

How We Support

Trauma-Informed Care Learning Collaborative

In collaboration with the Texas Children Recovering from Trauma initiative, Texas System of Care supported a statewide learning collaborative focused on trauma-informed approaches to care. Behavioral health providers participated in a year-long learning collaborative facilitated by the National Council for Behavioral Health. Sixteen organizations identified implementation teams, including parents, youth, and adults with lived experience and participated in three face-to-face training and networking events over the course of the year. They also participated in monthly learning collaborative calls with National Council coaches and had access to webinars and other resources on trauma-informed care.

Trauma Screening

Texas System of Care collaborated in the development of the Texas Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS 2.0), which incorporated a trauma screening tool. The CANS 2.0 has been adopted by the Department of Family and Protective Services and is being piloted in East Texas and Collin County Systems of Care.

Training and Technical Assistance

Texas System of Care staff provide training and technical assistance to support organizations in incorporating trauma-informed approaches to care. In addition to individualized training on elements of trauma-informed approaches, staff are trained in:

National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Core Competencies in Childhood Trauma
National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environment’s Trauma Sensitive Schools

Webinars

Key Resources

Sources:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014.