Created by Sashaun Ranger, MPH

Trauma Informed Toolkit

Trauma Competence and Impact

Cultural Competence

Vicarious Trauma

Navigating Trauma Exposure

Domain 1

Trauma Competence and Impact on Youth and Young Adults



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Trauma

Adverse experiences that physically or emotionally harm and impairs an individual's physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACEs)

Traumatic experiences/events that occur during childhood that can have deleterious health and social consequences leading into adulthood


RESILIENCE

The capacity to rise above adversity

"Resilient people don't walk between the raindrops; they have scars to show for their experience. They struggle—but keep functioning anyway"

Individual trauma
is not linear

Domain 1

Trauma Competence and Impact on Youth and Young Adults



Traumatic events are often unexpected and are categorized by situational triggers that produce a sense of fear, helplessness, and vulnerability

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Survivors of trauma differ in how they express and process their reactions.


Experiences can vary based on developmental factors, individual history​, sociocultural characteristics


Domain 1

Trauma Competence and Impact on Youth and Young Adults



Potentially traumatic experiences can include:

  • community or school violence
  • serious accidents or life-threatening illnesses
  • psychological, physical, or sexual abuse
  • exposure to domestic violence, neglect
  • sudden or violent loss of a loved one
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Monoline Cartoony Impact

Domain 2

Cultural Competence and Sensitivity

Traumatic experiences can be linked to various factors, including:

  • Cultural and ethnic beliefs
  • Access to and availability of social support
  • Developmental stages of individual

Understanding what healing and recovery looks like for everyone based on their own cultural and ethnic differences is imperative

Culture can determine what qualifies as an acceptable health concern

Suggestions

  • Avoid being judgmental, biased, and/or prejudice
  • Adopt strength-based perspectives in complex conversations
  • Be mindful in how responses and questions are framed

Domain 3

Vicarious Trauma

Trauma that impacts, traumatizes, or re-traumatize individuals who witness or are exposed to the suffering of those with complex trauma backgrounds

Domain 3

Vicarious Trauma Impact

Compassion Fatigue

  • Caused by vicarious trauma, burnout, and compassion satisfaction
  • Can lead to decreased empathy towards patients


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Risks of Compassion Fatigue

  • Ignoring health boundaries to overextend yourself
  • Exposure to large volumes of patients with complex trauma
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Prevent Compassion Fatigue

  • Engage in habits of self-care
  • Set healthy boundaries during visits
  • Seek out guidance from Streetlight directors

Examples & Recommendations

Domain 4

Navigating Trauma Exposure

Patient:

"Honestly, this is the first time in a while I've felt so alive and joyful since my diagnosis. It just gets so hard sometimes. Being the only child to a person who is basically an alcoholic doesn't help. Sometimes I just feel like I want to end all this pain and suffering."

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"Not to say that you are depressed or anything, but I think it's a little scary that you feel like this. I think this is enough for me today. You got this, see ya!"

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"I'm so proud of how far you've come. I may not know exactly how you're feeling nor what you've been through but your presence has so much purpose in it. I'm so glad that I'm able to share these joyful experiences with you too. What are some things that usually motivate you?"

Call to Action: --> Notify Streetlight Directors

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Domain 4

Navigating Trauma Exposure

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"Oh my gosh that is insane. Can you walk me through the details of how it happened? If I was you, I would have hurt them back"

Examples & Recommendations

Patient:

"There is something I wanna talk about but I'm honestly very scared and don't know what to do. A few weeks ago, I was abused by my mom's partner. I haven't mentioned anything to my mom because she won't believe me, she never does. I told my nurses something different but this is the real reason why I came here, I haven't felt like myself since.

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"It sounds like you've endured a lot these past few weeks. I want you to know that you aren't alone in this and that your voice matters. Have you shared this information with anyone yet? I would like to make sure you are connected with more support, so I will reach out to my Director, who I trust, to see what resources are available."

Last Updated 02/2023