Shelter from the Storm: Trauma-Informed Care in Homelessness Services Settings~!2009-08-20~!2009-09-28~!2010-03-22~!

Abstract

It is reasonable to assume that individuals and families who are homeless have been exposed to trauma. Research has shown that individuals who are homeless are likely to have experienced some form of previous trauma; homelessness itself can be viewed as a traumatic experience; and being homeless increases the risk of further victimization and retraumatization. Historically, homeless service settings have provided care to traumatized people without directly acknowledging or addressing the impact of trauma. As the field advances, providers in homeless service settings are beginning to realize the opportunity that they have to not only respond to the immediate crisis of homelessness, but to also contribute to the longer-term healing of these individuals. Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) offers a framework for providing services to traumatized individuals within a variety of service settings, including homelessness service settings. Although many providers have an emerging awareness of the potential importance of TIC in homeless services, the meaning of TIC remains murky, and the mechanisms for systems change using this framework are poorly defined. This paper explores the evidence base for TIC within homelessness service settings, including a review of quantitative and qualitative studies and other supporting literature. The authors clarify the definition of Trauma-Informed Care, discuss what is known about TIC based on an extensive literature review, review case examples of programs implementing TIC, and discuss implications for practice, programming, policy, and research.

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Their Association With Smoking Outcome Expectancies Among Homeless Smokers in Boston

“…These findings suggest that smoking cessation programs for homeless smokers should incorporate PTSD screening, be sensitive to the needs and vulnerabilities of trauma survivors, and incorporate behavioral counseling approaches that attempt to identify and address the potential linkages between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking behavior in a fashion that emphasizes autonomy and control. 57 In some cases, homeless smokers with particularly severe symptoms of PTSD may first require trauma-focused treatment and stabilization. Intervention strategies that have shown promise in smokers with PTSD 58 may merit testing in this population.…”

Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: Becoming Gender-Sensitive and Trauma-Informed

“…In traditional systems of care, trauma is not well understood or taken into consideration, which leads client problems or behaviors to be viewed as separate, discrete, and unrelated to past trauma experiences (Clervil & DeCandia, 2013;Harris & Fallot, 2001) With a traumainformed approach individuals are viewed through a 'trauma lens' that views behaviors, emotions, responses, and attitudes as an accumulation of survival skills created in response to trauma experiences (Clervil & DeCandia, 2013). Hopper, Bassuk, and Olivet (2010) describe a consensus-based definition of trauma-informed care as: a strengths-based framework that is grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both providers and survivors, and that creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment. (p.82) Although males and females may experience the same kinds of trauma, how they process and respond to these experiences may present differently based on the social expectations of each gender role (Crable, Underwood, Parks-Savage, & Maclin, 2013;Fallot & Bebout, 2012).…”

Integrating a Trauma-Informed Care Perspective in Baccalaureate Social Work Education: Guiding Principles

“…et al, 2008), in-patient psychiatric settings (Azeem, Aujla, Rammerth, Binsfeld, & Jones, 2011;Huckshorn, 2004;Regan, 2010), with inmates (Levenson, Willis, & Prescott, 2014), and the homeless (Hopper, Bassuk, & Olivet, 2009;McKenzie-Mohr, Coates, & McLeod, 2012). Generally, in trauma-informed care settings, staff a) assess for and understand the impact of trauma on their clients, b) provide clients the knowledge and skills needed for recovery, and c) actively address treatment barriers and service delivery practices that may lead to potential re-traumatization (Elliott, Bjelajac, Fallot, Markoff, & Reed, 2005;Gatz et al, 2007).…”