Trauma-informed care for families experiencing homelessness

Abstract

Homelessness is a devastating experience that can signifi cantly impact the health and well-being of adults and children. Often these families have experienced ongoing trauma in the form of childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and community violence, in addition to the trauma associated with the loss of home. Traumatic experiences impact how children and adults think, feel, behave, and relate to others, and trauma that goes unrecognized and unaddressed can have potentially devastating implications for development across the life span. Within social service settings, a lack of awareness of trauma increases the risk of causing additional harm. In recognition of this signifi cant public health issue, there is a call to adopt traumainformed care as a best practice for meeting the needs of trauma survivors across service systems. Trauma-informed care is an organization-wide approach that is grounded in an awareness, understanding, and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, and emphasizes the need to create environments that ensure safety, choice, control, and empowerment for survivors. Often this means changing the policies, practices, and culture of an organization. Key components of trauma- informed care for families experiencing homelessness include: Supporting Staff Development; Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment; Assessing and Planning Services; Providing Services and Trauma-Specifi c Interventions; Involving Families; and Adapting Policies. This chapter explores the need for a trauma- informed approach to serving families who are homeless, how trauma-informed care is operationalized in homeless service settings, and steps to sustain trauma- informed practice.