Creating a Trauma-Informed Community Through University-Community Partnerships:An Institute Agenda

Abstract

The impact of trauma on wellness has been identified as a community health crisis. The alliance of universities and communities is a plausible response to address the scope of the problem given their wealth of resources. The Institute on Trauma and Trauma-informed Care (ITTIC) is an exemplar of a university-community partnership and unique approach that has fostered a common language within and between organizations to foster at the community level an awareness and understanding of trauma. The present article provides an overview of university-community partnerships and their importance to social work practice. It describes the formation of the Institute and discusses its model and contributions to the local community and abroad. The implications of ITTIC for the School, University and community are discussed. An iterative process that includes active engagement, evaluation, and reflection, is recommended for the integration and advancement of trauma-informed care through university-community partnerships.

Trauma‐Specific Treatment for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Review of the Literature From 2008 to 2018

“…The keywords or phrases were entered systematically in combinations. The trauma‐specific treatments were selected based on the broader body of trauma literature (Keesler et al, 2017; Lancaster et al, 2016) and the researcher's knowledge of trauma treatment. Reference lists from included studies and reviews in related areas were screened for possible inclusion.…”

“…Trauma‐specific treatments are those treatments that have been developed for trauma sequalae and post‐traumatic stress disorder. They include cognitive processing therapy, trauma‐focused cognitive behavior therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and prolonged exposure (PE; Keesler, Green, & Nochajski, 2017; Lancaster, Teeters, Gros, & Back, 2016). Notably, these interventions are evidence‐based for the general population, and, as such, the generalization of their efficacy to individuals with IDD may be inappropriate and their implementation contraindicated (Osugo & Cooper, 2016; Stenfert Kroese et al, 2016).…”

The application of Awareness Integration Theory, a trauma-informed care modality: A systematic review

“…AIT helps clients learn the importance of collaboration, which can result in more choices and help them positively experience their treatment journey (Keesler et al, 2017;Zeine, 2016). Additionally, the more choice an individual has and the more control they have over their service experience through a collaborative effort with service providers, the more likely the individual will participate in services and the more influential the services may be.…”

“…Collaborating with friends, family, colleagues, and the community to form sustainable structures around goals ensures attaining a fulfilled life (Zeine, 2016). (Keesler et al, 2017)…”