Trauma-Informed Care
How trauma affects people and how organizations and staff can respond: trauma and stress responses, SAMHSA's trauma-informed approach and six principles, safety and trust, supporting emotional regulation, avoiding re-traumatization, therapeutic communication, trauma-informed environments, and caring for staff.
Online, self-paced · about 35 minutes · graded exam and certificate
Who should take it
All staff. Trauma-informed care is an organization-wide approach, not only a clinical treatment.
Introductory, organization-wide trauma-informed care education. It doesn't train clinicians in trauma-specific treatments such as evidence-based therapies for PTSD.
What employees will learn
- ✓Describe trauma and common stress responses.
- ✓Explain SAMHSA's four assumptions and six principles of a trauma-informed approach.
- ✓Build safety and trust in everyday interactions.
- ✓Support emotional and behavioral regulation.
- ✓Recognize and avoid practices that can re-traumatize.
- ✓Contribute to a trauma-informed environment and address secondary traumatic stress.
Topics covered
- •Trauma and stress responses
- •Safety and trust
- •Emotional and behavioral regulation
- •Avoiding retraumatization
- •Therapeutic communication
- •Trauma-informed environments
Sources this course is based on
- SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (HHS Publication No. SMA 14-4884, 2014) · SAMHSA
- TIP 57: Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services · SAMHSA
- Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach (2023) · SAMHSA
- About Adverse Childhood Experiences · CDC
This course is not accredited for continuing education credit and is not approved by a government agency. Training supports, but does not guarantee, your organization's compliance. Course content explains federal rules and accepted practice; state requirements may differ.