Approaching Service Roles through a Trauma-Informed Lens

We’re constantly in awe and grateful for those who offer local assistance as:

• Community kitchen staff
• First responders
• Faith-based community members and volunteers
• Youth program faculty
• Animal shelter employees and volunteers
• And so many more!

For local volunteers and service providers, being trauma-informed is essential to ensure that individuals in need receive as much compassion, care, and understanding as possible.

In this blog, we’ll cover why trauma-informed service is vital and how to approach service in these various impactful roles through a trauma-informed lens.

Trauma occurs when someone’s system is overwhelmed by stress. Trauma could result after a single incident or be caused by a series of events or circumstances in which an individual feels physically or emotionally harmed or threatened.

What constitutes a traumatic event looks different from person to person. What sets trauma apart, particularly when it occurs in childhood, is its potential for long-term impact on physical and mental health and brain development.

Trauma becomes lodged in the body, creating a long-term impact and often underlying many adult behaviors and responses.

If you’re a service provider or volunteer, chances are extremely high that you’ll interact with and work closely with individuals who have experienced trauma.

Having the awareness that trauma is a part of someone’s story is important to meeting them with understanding and compassion, and offering as stress-free an experience as possible.

Being trauma-informed means asking, “What’s happening for this person that I can’t see?”

Consider this…

Depending on your role, you may encounter individuals of all backgrounds and walks of life. As a trauma-informed service provider, it’s important to realize that you’ll never fully be able to understand the exact circumstances another person went through to bring them where they are today. You must let go of biases, generalizations, assumptions, and preconceived beliefs about anyone’s experience.

Oftentimes, trauma can leave a person feeling very alone, vulnerable, isolated, and that no one understands what they’ve been through (or are going through).

As a trauma-informed service provider, you can be the beacon that reassures them they’re not alone. You have the unique opportunity to foster an environment and culture of safety by being a source of social connection and support for someone else.

4 Trauma-Informed Skills to Bring to Your Role

1.) Provide Safety and Connection

As humans, we instinctually mirror each other’s nervous systems. We all can help to regulate or dysregulate one another as we communicate and display cues of safety or threat. Regulating our nervous systems is a powerful gift to those around us and can help someone you’re interacting with to feel safe, welcome, and connected – often without you needing to say a word!

2.) Be a “Protective Factor” For a Child/Youth in Need

A protective factor is an invested, trustworthy, caring adult who’s resilient and has strong social-emotional competence. Improving your own emotional intelligence and social skills will help children and youth experience trust and support in your presence. Being a protective factor allows them to know you’re someone who can reliably provide a sense of safety.

3.) Acknowledge Your Own Trauma and Adversity Experiences

Your trauma background informs how you show up and interact with others, especially during challenging and stressful situations. Know your own limitations, capacity, and needs for support, and be willing to communicate them openly to others so you can provide at your best.

4.) Complete Your Stress Cycles

Especially when working in a high-stress environment or witnessing trauma on a regular basis, service providers need to move trauma and stress through their own bodies, rather than allowing it to remain “trapped”. Completing the stress cycle is crucial and can be done through many means such as exercise and movement, dancing, shaking, and getting grounded in a calm, comforting environment.

5.) Learn and Educate Yourself on Do’s and Don’ts

Here are a few we compiled:

DON’T:

• Assume things about those you’re interacting with
• Diminish their worries or concerns by providing generic reassurances
• Attempt to relate by providing a lesser example from your own experience
• Diminish someone’s intelligence or capability
• Solve their problem for them or attempt to be their savior

DO:

• Be compassionate. It’s always okay to say, “I’ve never experienced that, but it sounds really hard!” or, “I’m sorry you’re in this situation”
• Be open to what else might be going on that you can’t see

You can and do make a difference in an individual’s lives every day. By approaching service through a trauma-informed lens, you can help people feel a sense of safety, security, and belonging.