Building a trauma-informed organization

Key principles of a trauma-informed approach

There are six key principles of a trauma-informed approach:

1. Safety
2. Trustworthiness and transparency
3. Peer support
4. Collaboration and mutuality
5. Empowerment, voice, and choice
6. Cultural, historical, and gender issues

Safety

Safety considers both the physical and emotional safety of staff and individuals with which we work. Physical safety can include:

• Physical space for trainings
• Accessibility of work spaces
• Timing of workshops/training

Emotional safety requires constant feedback from staff and individuals to ensure their physical safety needs are met. For instance, supervisors conduct regular check-ins to ask about workload, mental health, needs, etc.

Trustworthiness and transparency

Trustworthiness and transparency involves providing clear information about what is being done, by whom, when, and why. This can include job descriptions, roles clarity, expectations. It also means maintaining respectful boundaries, prioritizing privacy and confidentiality. It can include:

• Providing the people we work with the reports we write that involve them
• Involving the people we work with in decision-making about the project
• Providing a clear job description and expectations to staff

Peer Support

Peer Support and mutual self-help establish safety, hope, trust. “Peers” refers to people who have shared experiences of trauma or stress. It also acknowledges that the trauma itself may be used as a galvanizing tool for action, solidarity, etc.

Collaboration and mutuality

Collaboration and mutuality levels power differences between staff and those who we work with. It demonstrates that healing can happen in relationships and in meaningful sharing of power. The organization recognizes that everyone has an important role to play. It is the attitude of doing something “with” someone, not “to” or “for”. It emphasizes autonomy and agency.

Empowerment, voice and choice

Empowerment, voice and choice requires the organization to place people above projects. The organization seeks to empower both staff and stakeholders. It allows those we work with decision-making power, a voice in our projects, the ability to say no without fear of punishment or ostracization. It also focuses on individual’s strengths over weaknesses.

Cultural, historical and gender issues

Cultural, historical and gender issues involves the organization conscientiously acknowledging the role it has played in perpetuating harm (e.g. the aid sector or “international development” and the consequences of that) as well as structural forms of racism, ableism, sexism, etc. It moves past acknowledgement into action: how can we transform the organization and those within it to ensure that we are not upholding harmful stereotypes, world systems, or oppression?

All six principles are intertwined and do not exist in a vacuum. They are interdependent.

What is a trauma-informed organization?

"A trauma-informed organization is one that operates with an understanding of trauma and its negative effects on the organization’s employees and the communities it serves and works to mitigate those effects." (Source: Harvard Business Review)

Trauma-informed organizations are able to:

• Realize the impact of trauma
• Recognize the signs and symptoms
• Respond by integrating this knowledge into policies, procedures, practices
• Resist re-traumatization

Recognize the signs and symptoms

Physiological responses to threat

Humans, like all animals, have built-in responses to threats that have helped us survive as we’ve evolved as a species. When we perceive acute danger, many of these responses kick in without our being able to control them: they are hard-wired to our bodies and minds.

• The 'freeze response' is when a person becomes utterly still while remaining highly alert and poised for action. This response relies on escaping notice until the danger has passed. For example, we might cease the work that we are doing, stop communicating through our usual channels, or reduce communication with someone with whom we are in conflict. In each case, we are hoping that the unwelcome attention will pass if we become inactive.
• The 'flight response' is when a person quickly tries to get as far away from the danger as possible. We might move our operations to a safer location, abandon certain activities or modes of communication, or separate ourselves from people who might cause us harm.
• The 'comply response' involves doing what an aggressor instructs in the hope that our cooperation will result in the attack ending quickly and without injury. We might agree to suspend or abandon certain objectives or activities, or give up passwords to secure information.
• The 'tend response' happens when people try to protect other, more vulnerable people who are being victimized. Many human rights defenders are motivated to help others because of our own experiences of oppression and exploitation.
• The 'befriend response' involves trying to build some kind of relationship with the aggressor in the hope that this will limit the harm perpetrated against oneself or others. For example, by telling aggressors about our families we might try to humanize ourselves in their eyes, a strategy that is sometimes useful in reducing violence.
• The 'posture response' is an attempt to drive off the danger by pretending to have greater power than one actually does. As human rights defenders, we often threaten to expose threats of violence in order to publicly embarrass our adversaries.
• The 'fight response' is when a person attacks with the intent of driving off or destroying an aggressor. (There are many ways to fight, and we all make our own ethical choices about this.)

If we have been through dangerous, stressful or traumatic experiences, sometimes these reactions can kick in when we are stressed or frightened, even if there is no 'real' danger present. Therefore, it is a good idea to look for indicators in our behavior when we are under stress, and to work with them in order to reduce our stress.

(Source: Holistic Security Training Manual, page 53)

Group responses to threat

Threats and stress affect group dynamics in a number of ways, and this varies greatly due to organizational culture and many other factors. There are some common reactions, however. Consider these potential changes to group dynamics under stress and see if they resonate.

1. Harder group boundaries - One predictable change experienced by groups under threat is the boundaries that define the group becoming less permeable. Those within the group become more closely connected to each other, and those outside the group become more distant. It also becomes more difficult for people to join or leave the group. While such changes can be protective, there are also some potential difficulties with this. The impermeable boundaries of the group may distance the group from existing and potential allies, leaving it more isolated than it might otherwise be. These boundaries also reduce the flow of information into and out of the group. This may result in members of the group being less informed than they might otherwise have been, and having fewer opportunities to check their perception of the world with those ‘outside’ of their group. Less permeable boundaries also make it difficult to leave groups. Members who wish to leave might be branded as traitors or sell-outs in a way that is harmful to the individual and those perceived to be his or her allies. It is very helpful for groups to regularly discuss the ways in which people and information enter and leave the group, and how to manage this in a holistic way that truly promotes security.
2. Fixed patterns - Secondly, patterns of behaviour become more fixed and harder to change. This makes it more difficult for members of the group to question (supposedly) shared beliefs, or challenge the behaviour of other members. When we lose the ability to question each others’ assumptions or point out potentially unhealthy behaviours, our ability to constructively and compassionately build group security is greatly compromised. For this reason, it is important for groups to regularly revisit and discuss their shared values in an honest way.
3. Authoritarianism - A third predictable change relates to leadership and power dynamics within groups. When groups feel unsafe, group members tolerate greater authoritarianism from leaders or more powerful members of the group. This results in reduced levels of information exchange within the group, and fewer opportunities for group members to check their perceptions of the world with other members of their team. In extreme cases, powerful members of the group may become abusive, and the increased rigidity of the group boundaries may prevent victims of such abuse from escaping. Again, it is important for groups to talk about power dynamics and leadership styles on a regular basis, and to make sure that every person has an opportunity to contribute.

Looking into the links between decision-making processes and security, we should not underestimate the positive effects of having fair and transparent decision-making processes. If a group has shared knowledge and responsibilities, it reduces the impact when perpetrators target the leaders of a group.

(Source: Holistic Security Training Manual, page 57)

Respond by integrating knowledge into policies, procedures, practices

Crisis management

Being prepared to handle crisis situations is a crucial part of the organization’s commitment to protecting the physical and emotional well-being of its staff.

Conveys a strong message that staff safety is a top priority.

Before the crisis (preparedness)

1. Determine what types of crisis events might be faced by an organization, and develop a list of potential risks.
2. Gain an understanding of how staff respond to crisis events and what stress reactions they might have before, during, and after such events.  This will help determine what strategies might be useful to individuals or groups (see the section above on Physiological responses to threat)
3. Create a staff support plan that can be used in the event of a crisis.
4. Create a crisis response team with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. It is crucial that the crisis team understands the psychosocial and mental health effects of trauma, how to provide support, and the options available to staff requiring specialized assessment and care.
5. Prepare a list of internal and external resources available to staff in the organization. Ensure that these lists are reviewed regularly and kept up to date.
6. Develop communication plans that include how to inform staff members immediately about the nature of the event, how to protect themselves in case of danger, and how to keep them informed about the crisis.
7. Practice responding to different crisis scenarios with all staff members.

During the crisis

Look

1. Identify people who need immediate attention or support.
2. Focus on safety.
3. Pay attention to physical and emotional reactions.
4. Be attentive to staff members who want to share their reactions.
5. Assess how the crisis is impacting staff members’ decision making and abilities to fulfill their given roles and responsibilities.

Listen

1. Listen with your eyes, ears and heart
2. Pay attention to body language and words
3. Validate staff reactions to the crisis
4. Provide comfort and reassurance where possible
5. Obtain multiple perspectives on the situation if possible

Link

1. Remind staff members about the internal and external resources available to them if they need support
2. When you suspect any staff member is having a difficult time dealing with his or her situation or having severe symptoms, recommend that they seek professional support
3. Give permission for anyone who is severely impacted to step away from their responsibilities if possible and get the support/rest that they need.

After the crisis

1. Debrief the event as an organization. Analyze how the incident occurred, how to prevent it from happening again, and what measures must be taken in the meantime to control the risk.
2. Consult with staff members about the effectiveness of the existing plan. Update the procedures and protocols as necessary.
3. Follow-up with staff about how they were impacted by the incident, and what ongoing needs them might have.
4. Make adjustments to work schedules according to staff capacity and needs.

Resources for building a trauma-informed organization

Articles

We need trauma-informed workplaces (Harvard Business Review, 2022)

For the past few years, we’ve been experiencing collective trauma. But trauma is not new in our organizations, and it’s not going away, either. Estimates are that six in 10 men and five in 10 women experience at least one trauma, and approximately 6% of the population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. As we’ve seen the lines between work and home blur and a fundamental shift in our expectations of the places we work, organizations have struggled to provide the support and leadership that their employees and customers need. That’s why it’s so important that they take steps now to build the cultures that can see them through this crisis and the ones we’ll all inevitably face in the future. To do that, we need to build trauma-informed organizations. A trauma-informed organization is one that operates with an understanding of trauma and its negative effects on the organization’s employees and the communities it serves and works to mitigate those effects. It may not be possible to predict or avoid the next crisis our organizations will face. However, with forethought, planning, and commitment, we can be prepared to meet the next challenge — whatever it may be — and come through it stronger.

Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: empirical evidence (Stevan E Hobfoll, 2007)

Given the devastation caused by disasters and mass violence, it is critical that intervention policy be based on the most updated research findings. However, to date, no evidence-based consensus has been reached supporting a clear set of recommendations for intervention during the immediate and the mid-term post mass trauma phases. Because it is unlikely that there will be evidence in the near or mid-term future from clinical trials that cover the diversity of disaster and mass violence circumstances, we assembled a worldwide panel of experts on the study and treatment of those exposed to disaster and mass violence to extrapolate from related fields of research, and to gain consensus on intervention principles. We identified five empirically supported intervention principles that should be used to guide and inform intervention and prevention efforts at the early to mid-term stages. These are promoting: 1) a sense of safety, 2) calming, 3) a sense of self- and community efficacy, 4) connectedness, and 5) hope.

‘The Search for People’s Well-Being’: Mainstreaming a Psychosocial Approach to Transitional Justice (ICTJ, 2024)

The field of transitional justice is increasingly recognizing the relevance of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in contexts of massive human rights violations. Despite growing advocacy and awareness at the global policy level, however, the field lacks a systematic approach to the issue. This study contributes to the development of such an  approach, one that applies a psychosocial lens to analyze contexts, assess needs, and design and implement programming that has a positive impact on the well-being of victims and communities and broader social systems.

Assessment resources

• Trauma-Informed Workplace Assessment by the Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute
• Organizational Self-Assessment: Adoption of trauma-informed care practice by the National Council for Behavioral Health
• Trauma-Informed Organization Assessment Manual(PDF) by National Healthcare for the Homeless Council (NHCHC), 2020
• Creating Cultures of Trauma-Informed Care (CCTIC): A Self-Assessment and Planning Protocol - This assessment tool provides guidelines for agencies or programs interested in facilitating trauma-informed modifications in their service systems. For use by administrators, providers, and survivor-consumers in the development, implementation, evaluation, and ongoing monitoring of trauma-informed programs. (Source: Community Connections; Washington, D.C. Roger D. Fallot, Ph.D. and Maxine Harris, Ph.D., 2009)

Resource hub

The Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub (RSH) is a programme that aims to support organisations in the aid sector to strengthen their safeguarding policy and practice against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH). RSH supports organisations working in both the humanitarian and development sectors but is driven by the needs of smaller national or local organisations in developing countries. RSH has an Online Hub website available in English, Arabic, French and Swahili and is free for anyone working in the aid sector to use.