The varied input stemming from a number of fields and concentrations has resulted in a truly interdisciplinary piece of scholarship, and for that I am very grateful. I am especially grateful to have garnered the participants that made this project so exception. Their lived experiences give meaning and importance to the subject matter. It is a pleasure to thank those who have supported me in other facets of my life. Thank you to my parents, Frank and Ann Marie, and my sisters, Celeste and Chrissy, for being patient with me throughout this process. I know I can be a difficult person. I would also like to express my gratitude to my friends and colleagues who shared their ideas and helped me keep going until I finished writing: Amanda Rich, Kelley Perkins, Caitlin Bailey, and Sarah Yarrusso. On the home front, thank you to Katherine Fallon for giving me the space I needed to focus all of my energy on this project; you truly are the bee's knees. I would also like to thank SAGE Publications for permission to use a copyrighted figure, originally published in J.W. Creswell's (2007) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches" (2 nd ed.), p. 151.
Traumatic life events have pervasive impacts on health and well-being. A growing body of literature shows that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are disproportionately impacted by trauma. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a philosophy of service provision that is committed to preventing traumatization and re-traumatization and promoting healing. This study explores the perceptions of 130 leaders in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities services on the adoption and practice of TIC through the analysis of quantitative data. Results indicated a disconnect between the level of TIC integration and perceptions detailing how well organizations are currently performing in aspects of TIC. Barriers to TIC included high staff turnover, lack of accessible mental health providers, lack of affordable training, stigma, and restrictive funding structures. Implications and recommendations for service organizations and educators are provided.
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