An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Care

Course overview

For many years, trauma was believed to be relatively rare in the U.S. In truth, about 61 to 80% of individuals in the general population experience one or more traumatic events during their lifetimes (Mann & Marwaha, 2020). Due to these findings and other important studies (e.g., the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study), it is increasingly understood that trauma-informed care should be a universal standard of care in health and human services and other systems of care. Trauma that occurs in childhood and adulthood produces lasting physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual effects. Trauma changes the way we see ourselves and the world around us. In this course, you will examine best practices as well as how to avoid actions that may be unknowingly harmful to clients. Importantly, you will learn what it means to provide trauma-informed care, and why you should use this approach with every client you serve as well as with colleagues and staff.