Addressing Trauma-Informed Principles in Public Health through Training and Practice

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of traumatic events requires our public health workforce to be knowledgeable about ways trauma influences population and individual health. There is a gap in student training about the various ways that traumatic events affect their capacity to perform public health work and the communities they serve. While other human services disciplines explicitly use trauma-informed terminology and concepts in student training, references to trauma-informed approaches are more implicit in public health curricula. This study examined trauma-informed principles and related terminology for use in public health coursework in the context of a community-wide water contamination public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, USA. We addressed the principles of trauma-informed approaches across key competency areas common to USA public health accredited programs, including discussion to support student understanding of the principle in action. Using trauma-informed language (1) enhances our capacity to name and respond empathetically in traumatized communities, (2) provides guiding principles for less community-engaged efforts, and (3) fosters stronger relationships for more community-engaged initiatives by providing areas of accountability for unintended consequences throughout the program’s development and implementation processes. Rising public health professionals equipped with knowledge of trauma-informed approaches can more intentionally minimize unintended negative consequences of public health initiatives.

Primus Inter PARES: First among equals—practical strategies for young adult PAtient RESearch partners (PARES) by young adult PARES

“…The fifth principle, empowerment, voice, and choice, is about recognizing the unique strengths of each team member and creating opportunities for those strengths to be utilized and valued. Lastly, an awareness of cultural, historical, and gender issues obliges us to consciously avoid perpetuating stereotypes and to address historical traumas with humility and inclusivity [ 47 ].…”

Trauma-Informed Approaches and Community Engagement: Community Engaged Research (CEnR) and Programming for Public Health and Health Inequities

“…We encourage researchers to explore existing continuing education opportunities about TIAs within their own fields, disciplines, and professional organizations. 76 With a CEnR approach, advisory groups representative of intended intervention/ program participants are often engaged in intervention or program design. This may be the case when a shared leadership approach is not feasible.…”

Transforming Higher Education: Building Trauma-Informed Communities for Healing and Intergenerational Wellbeing

“…Carello and Butler (2014) caution against the use of trauma as a teaching strategy, even though such experiences can contribute to learning and resilience building. It follows that public health courses should integrate trauma-informed principles, as outlined by SAMHSA (2014), such as safety, transparency, peer-support, collaboration, empowerment, and recognizing cultural, historical, and gender issues, especially in the context of ongoing crises like the COVID-19 pandemic (Parker & Johnson-Lawrence, 2022). Several higher education institutions, including Griffith University in Australia, have developed trauma-informed teaching frameworks that extend learning beyond the classroom, encouraging participatory engagement and promoting equality and inclusivity in diverse communities like First Nations Communities (Heris et al, 2022).…”