The six principles of the trauma-informed approach and practice are :
Safety
We must ensure we understand what safety means to individual, families and communities. If we don’t, we will not be able to ensure a sense of safety for ALL. We must ensure we create safety for those who have different experiences form our own. This means we must consider all ages, cultures, races, and demographics of people. We must consider staff and co-workers. Safety means awareness of the physical, emotional, and interpersonal safety.
Trust
Services, operations, and decisions must be made with transparency to ensure that we build and maintain trust with service recipients and staff. When we uphold trust and transparency, we are open about the process of making difficult decisions and we invite other voices to participate and collaborate.
Trust starts with a culture of connection in relationships. Many people who have experienced trauma have experience unsafe and disrespectful interactions and do not support the building of resilience to deal and manage with difficult life situations.
Peer support
This principle is about the culture of peer support into the whole services. Creating opportunities for peer support and self-help throughout the service, including staff support. A service that promotes peers support focuses on mutuality and possibility. Authenticity and vulnerability are essential to this work. Creating deeper mutual connections with service recipients and staff and between staff members and leaders is vital.
Collaboration
A collaborative approach demonstrates an intentional shoulder to shoulder approach and breaks down hierarchies. It is essential that power differentials are broken down and the principle of multiutility and standing together it embedded throughout the organisation.
Empowerment, voice and choice
Organisations, staff, and communities must believe in the possibility of recovery. Services must shine a light on the strengths and abilities we see with people and communities and support and build inner resilience. Many people with past trauma have experienced coercion therefore choice is important. A person must always have choice.
Cultural, historical and gender issues
The service that actively moves past cultural stereotypes and biases (e.g., based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, geography) offers a gender responsive service, promotes the value and worth of cultural connections and addresses historical trauma.