Advocating for Trauma-Informed Approaches in Your Community

Darby Penney, M.L.S., and Ann Rider, M.S.W.

While the vast majority of people who find themselves – by choice or by force – in the mental health system are trauma survivors, relatively few local mental health systems have adopted trauma-informed approaches to treatment, services, and supports. This workshop will describe the impact of trauma on people with psychiatric labels and explain the principles and practices of trauma-informed approaches. The two presenters will describe the approaches they have taken to introduce trauma-informed approaches into peer-run programs. We will also introduce a framework for planning and implementing a campaign advocating for the adoption of trauma-informed approaches in local systems. Participants will also get access to a range of plain-language handouts and fact sheets on trauma-informed approaches that can be used in advocacy.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Define trauma and describe its impact on people who have been psychiatrically labeled and people served by other human service systems.
2. Explain the principles and practices of trauma-informed approaches to treatment, services, and supports.
3. Describe at least 3 steps involved in developing an advocacy campaign to bring trauma-informed approaches to local service systems.