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RESOURCES GUIDE

Trauma-Informed
Care
WHAT’S INSIDE

Key Trauma-Related 6 Guiding Principles 7 Tips for Preventing De-escalation

Concepts to a Trauma-Informed Re-Traumatisation Preferences Form
Approach

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Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed Care

Experiencing trauma
can change the way
a person perceives
the world.

Whether trauma is caused by a single event such as a natural

disaster or by repeated or prolonged exposure to abuse, an
individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are filtered through
their experience and perspective.
Increasing your awareness about the This guide will give you:
trauma a person has experienced and
• Deeper awareness about key
the impact it has on them can help you
trauma-related concepts.
when they become anxious or disruptive.
• A greater understanding of
As you sharpen your understanding of trauma’s effects on behaviour.
their experience, your relationship will
• 6 Guiding Principles to a
strengthen, and that rapport can make
Trauma-Informed Approach.
your interventions more successful.
• 7 tips for preventing
When you have the trust of someone re-traumatisation.
who exhibits challenging behaviour,
• A helpful De-escalation
you know how to reach them, how to
Preferences Form.
communicate with them, and what will
help them calm down. • Resources to explore the subject
further with your staff.

A trauma-informed perspective asks: “What happened to you?” instead

of “What’s wrong with you?”

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Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed Care

Defining Terms
Trauma Triggers
An emotional response to a terrible event Signals that act as signs of possible danger,
like an accident, rape or natural disaster. based on historical traumatic experiences
Immediately after the event, shock and and which lead to a set of emotional,
denial are typical. Longer term reactions physiological, and behavioural responses
include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, that arise in the service of survival and
strained relationships and even physical safety (e.g., sights, sounds, smells, touch).
symptoms like headaches or nausea.
Triggers are all about one’s perceptions
Trauma-Informed Care experienced as reality. The mind/body
A framework of thinking and interventions connection sets in motion a fight, flight,
that are directed by a thorough or freeze response. A triggered individual
understanding of the profound neurological, experiences fear, panic, upset, and agitation.

mental
biological, psychological, and social effects
trauma has on an individual—recognising
that person’s constant interdependent needs

trauma
for safety, connections, and ways to manage
emotions/impulses.

is one of the most common

psychological health conditions.

Trauma can serve as a

filter, or lens, through
which a person views
the world. Think of
sunglasses: You put them
on and everything is
shaded differently. Trauma
can have that type of
effect on how a person
perceives their world.

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Trauma Types
There are three main classifications of trauma.

Acute trauma results from exposure to a Complex trauma results from exposure
single overwhelming event. to varied and multiple traumatic events,
often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.
• Examples: Rape, death of a loved one,
natural disaster. • Examples: Child abuse (sexual,
physical or emotional) by a caregiver
• Characteristics: Detailed memories,
or trusted family friend.
omens, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated
startle response, misperceptions • Characteristics: Difficulties with
or overreactions. regulating emotions, shame, guilt and
even disassociation.
Chronic trauma results from extended
exposure to traumatising situations.
• Examples: Prolonged exposure to
violence or bullying, profound neglect, Traumatisation occurs
series of home removals. when internal and
• Characteristics: Denial and external resources are
psychological numbing, dissociation, inadequate for coping.
rage, social withdrawal, sense of
foreshortened future.

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Guiding Principles to a
Trauma-Informed Approach
Below you will find six principles* that can help guide a trauma-
informed approach.
CPI Safety Intervention™ provides a dive into these concepts, which
can help with the trauma-impacted individuals in your care.

1 Safety 5 Empowerment and Choice

The physical setting provided is safe, A focus on recognising, empowering,
and the interpersonal interactions and building upon the strengths and
further promote that sense of safety. experiences of trauma-impacted
individuals.
2 Trustworthiness and Transparency
The organisation’s operations and 6 Cultural, Historical, and
decisions are made based on trust and Gender Issues
transparency. The trust of individuals The organisation makes an effort to
served is built and consistently move past cultural stereotypes and
maintained. biases: utilising policies, protocols, and
processes that respond to racial, ethnic,
3 Peer Support and cultural needs.
Peer support is a key vehicle for
establishing safety, building trust,
enhancing collaboration, and utilising
lived experience to promote recovery “Adopting a trauma-informed
and healing. approach is not accomplished
through any single particular
4 Collaboration and Mutuality technique or checklist. It requires
The effectiveness of mutual decision- constant attention, caring awareness,
making and sharing of power is sensitivity and possibly a cultural
harnessed. This concept highlights the change at an organisational level.”
role everyone in an organisation plays (Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control)
in providing trauma-informed care.

*These 6 principles have been developed by the United States CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Re-
sponse (OPHPR), in collaboration with SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC).

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Vicarious/Secondary Trauma and

Compassion Fatigue
Also known as compassion fatigue, vicarious/secondary trauma
is a process through which one’s own experience becomes
transformed through engagement with an individual’s trauma.

That is, trauma may not only impact the Risk Factors for Compassion Fatigue:
individual who experienced it. It can also
• Being new to the field.
impact those around them, including you
as the staff member. • Having a history of personal
trauma or burnout.
Signs of Compassion Fatigue:
• Working long hours and/or having
• Reduced sense of efficacy at work. large caseloads.
• Concentration and focus problems. • Having inadequate support systems.
• Apathy and emotional numbness.
• Isolation and withdrawal.
• Exhaustion.
• Jaded, bitter pessimism.
• Secretive addictions and
self-medicating.

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Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed Care

The Effects
of Trauma on
Behaviour
An example: You approach a service user to
join the group in an icebreaker to welcome
someone new. It appears your service
user is finishing up an earlier task. You
ask, “Want to play?” while touching their
shoulder lightly. The person turns suddenly
and strikes out at you, screaming, “Get
away from me! Don’t touch me!”
How would you look at this through a
trauma-informed lens?
Think about:
• What type of trauma could be at
play here?
• What are some possible triggers?
They could be obvious or subtle.
• How could you respond in a
trauma-informed way?

Model a person-centred,
strength-based approach
to working with clients.
This will help create a
cultural shift in how staff
and clients interact.

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Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed Care

7 Tips for Preventing

Re-Traumatisation
1. Learn as much as you can. 5. Provide consistency, predictability,
Collect data and screen for trauma and choice-making opportunities.
histories. Use the De-escalation Meet the person where they are, in
Preferences Form on the a way they understand. Consistency
following pages. and predictability provide feelings
of safety for the individual, helping
2. Grow your skill of attunement. to reduce anxiety. And by providing
That is, develop your capacity and choice-making opportunities, you
the capacity of staff and clients to allow that person to have control. All
accurately read each other’s cues and of this can go a long way to empower
respond appropriately. the person.

3. Look for the causes of behaviours. 6. Always weigh the physiological,

psychological, and social risks of any
Seek to understand the function of
physical interventions.
behaviours and what the behaviours
are communicating. What you might Be sure to choose the least-restrictive
view as a frustrating behaviour may option possible in every situation.
actually be a coping mechanism
attempt. If your response is not 7. Debrief.
trauma-informed, it could play right Prioritise debriefing after any crisis.
into causing the individual to feel less This will help you find patterns and
safe and even more disconnected. triggers—and prevent crises from
reoccurring. It will also help you
4. Use person-centred, strength-based help the person foster resilience and
thinking and language. develop successful coping skills.
Help staff shift from a deficit-based
mindset to a strength-based mindset.
Instead of looking at how a person is Common functions of
“a victim” or “damaged,” we can view behaviour include access,
them as a survivor. Focus on what
they can do, and not on what they
avoidance, and meeting a
cannot do. sensory or emotional need.

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De-escalation Preferences Form

This form is a guide to help you gather information and develop
personalised de-escalation strategies. Person-centred, trauma-informed
de-escalation strategies are powerful prevention tools to help you avert
difficult behaviours, and avoid restraint and seclusion. Use this form to
develop strategies that are unique to your environment and to the service
users and colleagues you’re surrounded by.

Name:

Date:

1. It’s helpful for us to be aware of the things that can help you feel better when you’re having a
hard time. Have any of the following ever worked for you? We may not be able to offer all these
alternatives, but I’d like us to work together to figure out how we can best help you.

🔲 Listening to music 🔲 Playing a computer game

🔲 Reading a newspaper/book 🔲 Using ice on your body
🔲 Sitting by the waiting room, reception, etc 🔲 Breathing exercises
🔲 Watching TV 🔲 Putting your hands under
running water
🔲 Talking with a peer
🔲 Walking the halls 🔲 Going for a walk with staff
🔲 Talking with staff 🔲 Lying down with a cold facecloth
🔲 Calling a friend 🔲 Wrapping up in a blanket
🔲 Having your hand held 🔲 Using a weighted vest
🔲 Calling your therapist 🔲 Voluntary time out in a quiet room
🔲 Getting a hug 🔲 Voluntary time out (anywhere specific?):
🔲 Pounding some clay
🔲 Punching a pillow
🔲 Physical exercise 🔲 Other:
🔲 Writing in your diary/journal

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2. Is there a person who’s been helpful to you when you’ve been upset?

🔲 Yes 🔲 No
If you are not able to give us information, do we have your permission to call and speak to:

Name: _____________________________________________ Phone:______________________________________

🔲 Yes 🔲 No

If you agree that we can call to get information, sign below:

Signature: _______________________________________________________________________________________

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Witness:________________________________________________________________________________________

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are some of the things that make it more difficult for you when you’re already upset?
Are there particular “triggers” that you know will cause you to escalate?

🔲 Being touched.
🔲 Being isolated.
🔲 Door open.
🔲 People in uniform.
🔲 Loud noise.
🔲 Yelling.
🔲 A particular time of day (when?): ________________________________________________________________
🔲 A time of the year (when?):______________________________________________________________________
🔲 Specific scents (please explain):__________________________________________________________________
🔲 Not having control/input (please explain):_________________________________________________________
🔲 Others (please list):
________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed Care

4. Have you ever been restrained?

🔲 Yes 🔲 No
When:

Where:

Please describe what happened:

5. Do you have a preference regarding the gender of staff assigned to respond during a crisis?

🔲 No 🔲 Yes (please provide gender preference):

6. Is there anything that would assist you in feeling safe here? Please describe:

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Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed Care

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