Trauma-Informed Care with Military & Law Enforcement-Affiliated Clients

Course overview

This presentation provides a comprehensive examination of trauma-informed care, specifically as it applies to military and law enforcement-affiliated populations, to prepare mental health professionals with the skills and understanding needed to better serve these clients. Specifically, the presentation recognizes that military and law enforcement members and their families represent unique populations with distinctive cultures and experiences that leave them vulnerable to traumatic events that can lead to physical, psychological, social, and spiritual consequences. Through members responsibilities to protect themselves and others through severe threats and in challenging environments, often at the expense of their own physical and emotional safety, they incur stress and navigate traumatic experiences that may additionally impact their families. Despite these risks, affiliated clients may be hesitant and have challenges accessing responsive mental healthcare due to concerns of clinicians lack of cultural understanding, personal fears and hesitancies, impacts to career trajectory, logistics of the position, pervasive mental health stigma, and lack of availability, leaving them at risk of increased post-traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, and serious mental health concerns, including risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. While awareness of these mental health needs is increasing, clinicians often are not adequately trained and prepared to aid military and law enforcement members, veterans, and their families. Incorporating the most up-to-date research findings and evidence-based practices, the presenters will provide tools to bridge this gap and enable participants to develop a deeper awareness of these populations, to overcome barriers to care, and to gain practical knowledge and trauma-informed clinical skills to navigate experiences and symptoms of trauma with military and law enforcement clients.