SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) defines trauma-informed
care as an approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands
potential paths for recovery. It involves recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma in individuals, responding
by integrating trauma knowledge into policies and practices, and actively working
to prevent re-traumatization. Essentially, it shifts the focus from "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" when interacting with individuals who have experienced trauma.
Trauma-Informed Principles
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Promote a Culture of Care
A culture of care in school signals to students that they are being looked after and
support is always available. There are many ways to create and promote a culture of
care in schools.
Talk about mental health in multiple settings, including the classroom, sports, and
clubs and extracurriculars, to reinforce messages of help-seeking and normalize mental
health concerns and difficult emotions.
Prioritize life skill development and mental health education to empower students
to recognize and discuss mental health challenges and know how and when to seek help
for themselves and others.
Offer social media literacy lessons to help teens navigate help-seeking in digital
spaces.
Provide peer mentorship programs to promote connectedness and help-seeking.
Create pathways for students to receive mental health support outside of school hours
to reduce concerns about missing class and falling behind academically.
Encourage counselors and wellness center staff to build relationships and trust by
joining students during free periods or lunch.
Empower student leaders to design programming that builds cultural awareness and inclusivity
on campus.
