Realizing Trauma/What is Trauma?
Introduction
A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed REALIZES the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery in individuals, families, organizations and communities. In a trauma-informed setting, a person’s experience and behavior is understood in the context of the coping strategies the individual developed to survive difficult circumstances. This is true whether the difficulties occurred in the past (i.e., a client dealing with prior child abuse), are happening now (i.e., a staff member living with domestic violence in the home or the daily micro-aggressions experienced by people of color through a multitude of expressions of racism), or are related to the emotional distress of hearing about the firsthand experiences of another (i.e., secondary traumatic stress experienced by a direct care professional.).
In a trauma-informed setting, there is a realization that trauma is not confined to the behavioral health service sector but is often a barrier to effective outcomes in other systems, such as child welfare, justice, education, healthcare, and community organizations. (Adapted from SAMHSA, 2014)
Glossary
As we work to build a common language across North Carolina about trauma, healing, and resilience, the following definitions have been assembled and adapted from the Building Healthy & Resilient Communities Across North Carolina: One Community at a Time Landscape Analysis by NCPC, Resilient North Carolina: Supporting Statewide Efforts to Build Community Resilience Report by the Kellin Foundation, National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other sources and reviewed by members of the NC Healthy & Resilient Communities State Advisory Council and others. We encourage NC organizations to adopt these definitions so that our work begins with a common language.