CPHSSWCE0471 - Trauma-Informed Organizations

Course Description

This course will explore trauma-informed care from the organizational lens. While many social work practitioners understand the impact of trauma on individuals, families, and communities, implementing the values of trauma-informed care at the organizational level can be challenging. This course will review the nature of trauma and the impact of parallel processes on organizational structures. We will review the values of trauma-informed care and how to incorporate these values into program policies, with the overarching goal of creating healing spaces for those we serve, our coworkers, and stakeholders. We will apply these values to organizational processes ranging from hiring to termination, learning how clearly defined policies support staff to provide caring, compassionate service; protect from burnout; and enhance creativity. As program goals are driven by policy, participants are asked to bring examples of program policies to review and will have opportunity to practice writing policies that align with the values of trauma-informed care. 

Target Level Audience:  Intermediate

Course Outline

Learner Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:  

• Articulate the impact of parallel processes between staff and those they serve, and how this process impacts organizations; and 
• List the values of trauma-informed care and articulate why they are important. 

When participants return to the workplace, they will be able to:  

• Understand how program policies impact service delivery and write policies which incorporate trauma-informed values; and 
• Discern the unique role of leadership in trauma-informed organizations.