513 | Compassion and Comfort: Assessing and Developing Trauma-informed Care Communities

There is a movement to create trauma-informed care in organizations so that traumatized children, adults, and families feel safe and understood. The experience of trauma has a widespread impact on the lives of those we serve, including mental disorders and physical health conditions. It is time to apply the current well-established trauma-informed care protocols to churches and Christian ministries within the Christian framework of loving and caring for hurting people. This workshop is designed to inform, inspire and equip licensed mental health professionals, ministry leaders, and pastors to create trauma-informed care communities for their clients and members. Information will be presented about trauma, its effects on individuals and communities, current best practices for trauma recovery, the impact of caring for the traumatized on caregivers, and the key standard ingredients for creating trauma-informed care in an organization. The presentation will be rich with resources and suggestions for assessing an organization’s current trauma-informed care status and identifying and implementing staff changes, the environment, service models, and policies.