Survivor Informed Trauma Responsiveness Care
WHAT IS TRAUMA?
a type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a distressing event.
The disease of trauma is born in the rape of innocence, when someone experiences or causes great emotional or other physical harm to anyone and that person (female, male, youth) suffers through years of heinous abuse, their soul becomes heavy, their spirit erratic what emerges is a survivor whose only means of surviving is to fight every moment of every day to stay alive and the behaviors that result from that should not be punished but seen as an opportunity to help relieve the suffering”
Trauma Transformation Specific Services
WORKING TO MINIMIZE THE HARM TO TRAUMA SURVIVORS
As the behavioral health field grows aware of trauma’s impact, they realize the value of trauma-informed approaches to care. Trauma-informed care acknowledges the need to understand a participant’s life experiences to deliver effective care and has the potential to improve participant engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes, and provider and staff wellness. U.N.I.T.Y. aspires to be a leader in the Trauma Responsive movement by incorporating Survivor Trauma Responsiveness Care (STRC) practices as a social movement, human services intervention in direct care programs and groups, and offering training to those interested in incorporating STRC-led practices into their programs and groups.
Our primary program modules include: a) Concepts of Childhood Trauma, b) Types of Childhood Trauma and Understanding of Your Own Trauma, c) Ways Trauma Disrupts Your Life, d) How Trauma Can Impact Our Behaviors and Choices, and e) Mindfulness and Trauma. Our method is evidence-based but also a peer advocate counselor survivor model. The lived experience of our seasoned facilitators provides a powerful motivation to help others. Our modality is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and Restorative Justice practices.
The Language Around Trauma
STRUCTURE OF TRAUMA CARE
Trauma Informed
An organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding’ recognizing and responding to the effects of all types of trauma.
Trauma Sensitive
Care that incorporates working
respectfully and collaboratively with an
individual who has experienced trauma
to promote personal healing and recovery.
Key Concepts For Determining Trauma
Key Concepts For Determining Trauma
Traumatic Experiences are Inherently Complex
Every traumatic event—even events that are relatively circumscribed is made up of different traumatic moments. These moments may include varying degrees of objective life threat, physical violation, and witnessing of injury or death.
Traumatic Events Often Generate Secondary Adversities.
Traumatic events often generate secondary adversities such as acts associated with episodes violence, financial hardship, social stigma, ongoing treatment for injuries and/or physical rehabilitation, and legal proceedings.
Youth victims can exhibit a wide range of reactions to trauma and loss.
Trauma-exposed victims can exhibit a wide range of reactions that vary in their nature, onset, intensity, frequency, and duration.
Danger and safety are core concerns in the lives of traumatized victims.
Traumatic experiences can undermine a youth’s sense of protection and safety, and can magnify their concerns about dangers to themselves and others. Ensuring physical safety is critically important to restoring the sense of a protective shield.
Working with trauma-exposed youth can evoke distress in care providers that makes it more difficult for them to provide good care.
Interventionists must deal with many personal and professional challenges as they confront details of a youth's traumatic experiences and life adversities, witness youth's and caregivers’ distress, and attempt to strengthen youth's and their families’ belief in the social contract.
Protective and pro-motive factors can reduce the adverse impact of trauma.
Protective factors buffer the adverse effects of trauma and its stressful aftermath, whereas pro-motive factors generally enhance a youth's positive adjustment regardless of whether risk factors are present.