Trauma-Informed Care Training for the Community at Lincoln Memorial
Hospital
[May 27, 2025]
The public was invited to an annual Trauma-Informed Care Training
at Lincoln Memorial Hospital (LMH) on Thursday, May 15. Trauma-informed
care is particularly pertinent for caregivers, educators, medical
providers, church leaders, counselors, and anyone who works in a service
or interpersonal role with other people. Traumatic experiences are
widespread throughout the general population, and knowing how to best
interact with someone displaying signs of trauma can create a safer and
more supportive environment for everyone.
The training was presented by Tisha Bayliss, LCPC, CCTP of Memorial
Behavioral Health. She began by introducing the four objectives of
trauma-informed care training: Realize, Recognize, Respond, Resist. The
first objective is to realize the widespread impact of trauma on the
people we serve and understand potential paths for recovery. The second
objective is to recognize signs and symptoms of trauma in clients,
families, staff, etc. The third objective is to respond in a
trauma-informed manner by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into
policies, procedures, and practices. The final objective is to learn how
to actively resist re-traumatization.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA),
a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services,
defines trauma-informed care as an “approach that is grounded in an
understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that
emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both
providers and survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.”
SAMSHA describes individual trauma as an event or circumstance resulting
in physical harm, emotional harm and/or life-threatening harm. The event
or circumstance has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s mental,
physical, emotional, social, and/or spiritual health and well-being.
Examples of events that may lead to trauma include assault, accident,
neglect, violence, illness, grief, or other harm or being witness to
harm.
The prevalence of trauma in community mental health consumers who had
experienced at least 1 previous trauma was between 91-98%. However, this
estimate is likely underreported and only considers those who have
sought mental health support. This is another good reason for people to
be trauma-informed.
Trauma may come with a variety of cognitive, physical, behavioral,
and/or psychological symptoms. It is important to recognize symptoms of
trauma in order to respond appropriately.
Cognitive symptoms might include mood swings, flashbacks or recurring
stressful thoughts, and nightmares. Physical symptoms may include
edginess, insomnia, fatigue, and digestive problems. Behavioral symptoms
include social isolation and withdrawal, lack of interest in previously
enjoyable activities, and avoidance of places and activities that
trigger memories of the event. Psychological symptoms may include fear,
depression, emotional numbness, shame, anger, anxiety, sadness, and/or
hopelessness.
A person’s trauma responses are survival responses that we do not choose
including, fight, flight, or freeze. They are designed to protect us
from danger in the moment of the threat. Trauma may develop after real
harm when the body continues in the survival response as a protective
mechanism and has difficulty returning to a sense of safety.
When interacting with and supporting a person with trauma, creating
safety is a priority. There are many ways to achieve this. We can create
emotional safety by building rapport and trust. We can create emotional
and physical safety by being non-judgmental and non-coercive, and by
being welcoming to this person. We can create trustworthiness and
transparency by consistency, active listening, and a calm demeanor and
tone of voice. We build trust through honesty and clear expectations. We
can signal peer support through body language, shared stories, mutual
understanding, and respect for their lived experience. Collaboration and
mutuality is created through shared decisions, collaborative
discussions, mutual respect, and balanced communication. Empowerment is
encouraged when rights and responsibility are clear, self-advocacy is
promoted, and strengths are recognized, built on, and validated.
Cultural, historical, and gender issues may be overcome by respect for
differences, nonjudgmental stances, and asking questions out of respect
and understanding of another’s worldview.
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It is important to understand the goals of trauma work, so that we can
support healing with our interactions with a person who has experienced
trauma. Trauma work for someone who has experienced trauma includes: 1.
Drawing out somatic symptoms and sensory information that has been
stored and stuck in the body. 2. Befriending and developing compassion
for the responses we’ve had. 3. Preserving and identifying strengths
that have developed despite positive and negative experiences. As
friends or service providers, approaching individuals with patience and
compassion supports the work of the person healing from trauma.
A person who has experienced trauma may demonstrate rigid and protective
behaviors.
These behaviors may influence attachment to others, which is
intrinsically dependent on how neuropathways are built. A rigid,
protective behavior initially served a purpose to assist and ensure
survival, but may not be working for the person now. It is important to
approach protective behaviors with understanding rather than shame and
guilt and with validation rather than judgment, as these behaviors
served an important protective purpose at one point in the person’s
life, even if the behaviors are no longer useful.
Individuals who have experienced trauma and demonstrate rigid or
protective behaviors may address these behaviors with the right
understanding and support. Balancing validation with introspection for
other options can be a beginning. It is important to understand that
changing a behavior that was once protective can feel unsafe for a
person with trauma. They may be less able to cope with day-to-day life
for a time. The behavior can be addressed through exploring the pros and
cons of the role, teaching and developing self-acceptance, and
developing new ways of coping.
In approaching and supporting an individual with trauma, our goals are
to be authentic and relatable, to establish rapport and help alleviate
guilt or shame, to carry realistic expectations of a trauma survivor,
and employ emotional regulation skills ourselves. An important change in
approach in recent years has been with the initial questions. Replace
“What’s wrong with this person” with “What’s happened to this person?”
Understand that their need to control their environment and body is a
survival skill and not intended disrespect toward providers and
professionals trying to serve that individual. Trauma does not stay in
the past, it affects all aspects of life moving forward. Current
problems and symptoms are interrelated and are responses or coping
mechanisms. Friends and service providers can partner in healing, but
should also practice self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-care.
There will be virtual Trauma-Informed Care Trainings on June 3 from 1
p.m. to 3 p.m. and on August 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Anyone working in
community-based organizations, education, healthcare, or with any
vulnerable populations is encouraged to attend. There is no cost, but
registration is required.
Tisha Bayliss has started a support group at LMH on the first Monday of
each month for caregivers, caregiver fatigue, and grief support for
anyone over the age of 18. The first meeting was in May, and the next
will be June 2 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at LMH in the Wambacher conference
room. The support group is free to attend, and the topic for June’s
meeting is Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and Grief.
[Stephanie Hall]
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