Six Guiding Principles to a Trauma-Informed Care Approach

The CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR), in collaboration with SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC), developed this infographic depicting the six guiding principles of Trauma-Informed Care.

CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR), in collaboration with SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC), developed and led a new training for OPHPR employees about the role of trauma-informed care during public health emergencies.

The training aimed to increase responder awareness of the impact that trauma can have in the communities where they work. Participants learned SAMHSA’S six principles that guide a trauma-informed approach, including:

1. Safety

2. Trustworthiness & Transparency

3. Peer Support

4. Collaboration & Mutuality

5. Empowerment Voice & Choice

6. Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues

Adopting a trauma-informed approach is not accomplished through any single particular technique or checklist. It requires constant attention, caring awareness, sensitivity, and possibly a cultural change at an organizational level. On-going internal organizational assessment and quality improvement, as well as engagement with community stakeholders, will help to imbed this approach which can be augmented with organizational development and practice improvement.

The training provided by OPHPR and NCTIC was the first step for CDC to view emergency preparedness and response through a trauma-informed lens.