Trauma-Informed Care Training's Profound Impact on Individuals and Systems

In an article published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, global prevalence of traumatic events and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), emphasizes their impact on public health. Trauma and ACEs are often linked to a range of physical and mental health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, depression, and substance use disorders. In response, there has been a growing interest in implementing trauma-informed care (TIC) practices across various fields and organizations. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has outlined core principles and implementation domains for TIC, serving as a framework for training and policy changes.

The study focuses on the effectiveness of a 12-hour TIC training program, "Training for Change," and the Survey for Trauma-Informed Systems Change (STISC) developed to measure its impact. The research collected pre- and post-training data from a diverse group of participants from various professions. Results indicate significant improvements in participants' knowledge and attitudes related to TIC, both on an individual and organizational level.

Six months after the training, participants reported sustained changes, including applying a trauma-informed lens, improving client services, and implementing new practices. Many participants also noted that their organizations reevaluated and modified resources, prioritizing wellness and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Although not all participants communicated these changes to clients, the overall impact of the training on both individuals and organizations was evident. "While there are still limitations to generalizing these changes in some organizations, we have proven that changes can also be made on the individual level," said researchers.

Findings underscore that the training had a lasting and direct positive influence on individuals, which in turn had an indirect effect on the larger system. "Healing happens on a spectrum. Our results emphasize that the training had a long-lasting direct positive impact on the individual and indirect impact on the system. Furthermore, since individuals are part of the system itself, we can conclude that the system itself changed following the training," said researchers.

Reference

Mangus AR, Webb EK, Bar-Halpern M, et al. Training for lasting change: Trauma-informed training results in improved and sustained individual and organizational knowledge, attitudes, and policies. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2023;84(6):49701. doi:10.4088/JCP.23m14904