An Association Between Implementing Trauma-Informed Care and Staff Satisfaction

Hales, Travis; Nochajski, Thomas H.; Green, Susan A.; Hitzel, Howard K.; Woike-Ganga, Elizabeth

doi:10.18060/21299

Cited by 45 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…An examination of the literature on organizational aspects of TIC, including impact on staff, produced limited empirical work and concurs with other reports on the need for empirical evidence [6]. Improvement in staff satisfaction along several dimensions after their implementation of a TIC approach was measured in a substance abuse and mental health services agency [33]. Modest improvements in worker connection with the workplace and alignment with agency aims were found, along with improvements in management understanding of direct service staff and program needs as well as management care, concern and encouragement of new ideas.…”

supporting

confidence: 71%

Staff Exposure to Trauma and the Impact of Trauma-Informed Care

Schiff¹,

Liu²,

Wenger³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Background: Working with client populations who experience high levels of traumatic stress can result in direct traumatization of staff. This in turn often results in high levels of sick leave, stress leave, employee absenteeism and staff turnover. The extent to which staff stress may be mitigated by the presence of a culture of trauma informed care (TIC) has not previously received attention. This study reports on the extent to which staff report traumatizing experiences as part of their job, related traumatic stress and a causal analysis that suggests the potential impact of a TIC environment on mitigating these difficult emotional experiences.Methods: The study surveyed 321 frontline workers in 27 programs within 19 organizations that provide intervention and support services to persons experiencing homelessness. The survey included the PROQoL, LEC-5 and the PCL-6, and a set or questions on organizational functioning. Statistical analysis included examination of the correlation of traumatic stress, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and organizational factors of trauma informed care. We conducted a mediation analysis using the framework proposed by Hayes [1] to examine the role of organizational environment on staff traumatic stress. Results: The study affirms the high rates of traumatic experiences and the high rate of stress reported by frontline workers. The mediation analysis establishes model that shows a direct link between trauma-informed organizational practices and reduction in staff reported traumatic stress symptoms.Conclusions: Previous studies have concentrated on secondary traumatic stress. This research highlights that high rates of direct traumatic stress on frontline workers and demonstrates a potential pathway of stress reduction in organizations that have a trauma-informed environment.

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supporting

confidence: 71%

Staff Exposure to Trauma and the Impact of Trauma-Informed Care

Schiff¹,

Liu²,

Wenger³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…These results indicate that after implementation of TIC, youth welfare staff in these institutions showed significantly reduced stress levels and experienced fewer client physical aggression compared to staff who did not receive training in TIC. The significant reduction after T4 indicates that training and knowledge of psycho-traumatology are not enough to change institutional practice and reduce the stress level of staff [22,66] and that such implementation processes take time and the allocation of resources [20]. It appears necessary to develop and implement TIC key procedures in those institutional processes and structures focusing on client and staff safety and self-efficacy in interactions, towards a kind of supply chain in which the management supports staff and staff support clients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The challenge for youth welfare, juvenile justice, mental health institutions regarding the implementation process of TIC is that lies in the process of organization development which includes fundamental changes in attitudes and key processes and scrutinizes established institutional practice and structures [20,21]. However, overall the implementation of TIC is associated with higher staff satisfaction [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of trauma-informed care on hair cortisol concentration in youth welfare staff and client physical aggression towards staff: results of a longitudinal study

et al. 2020

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Background: Professional caregivers working in child and youth welfare institutions are frequently faced with the complex mental health issues, emotional needs and challenging coping strategies of clients with cumulated traumatic experiences, leaving them prone to developing high levels of stress, burn-out and compassion fatigue. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a milieu-therapeutic approach that aims to promote the self-efficacy and self-care of youth welfare staff by guiding them to a better understanding of their own and their clients' stress symptoms and countertransference. Despite increasing efforts to implement TIC practices, and more widespread recognition of their value in youth welfare systems, there is a lack of studies evaluating the effectiveness of this approach. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of TIC practices in youth welfare institutions on both the physiological stress of staff members and clients' physical aggression towards their caregivers. . Methods:Data was obtained from a longitudinal study investigating the effectiveness of TIC in 14 residential youth welfare institutions. Our sample consisted of 47 youth welfare employees (66.0% female) aged from 23 to 60 years (M = 37.4, SD = 10.4 years). Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and occurrences of client physical aggression were assessed at four annual measurement time points (T1 to T4). Results: Participants in five institutions employing TIC practices (intervention group) showed significantly lower HCC at T4 than staff members from institutions who did not receive training in TIC (control group), indicating reduced physiological stress levels. At T4, the intervention group reported significantly less physical aggression than the control group.Conclusions: TIC might be a promising approach for reducing the emotional burden of employees and institutions should invest in training their staff in TIC practices. More research is necessary, to investigate the benefits and efficacy of TIC, both to youths and staff members, and to foster a better understanding of which specific factors may contribute to stress reduction.

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“…This approach is relevant for people seeking abortion globally, as trauma exposure is associated with many of the hardships that are also reported by abortion patients, such as poverty and homelessness (Ely et al, 2017b;Mihelicova, Brown, & Shurman, 2017). By applying TIC social work principles of safety, trust/transparency, collaboration, choice, and empowerment during abortion referrals, service delivery, and policy formation, the impacts of stress, traumatic stress, and any trauma exacerbation that might occur during the abortion seeking process can be minimized, while staff satisfaction can be potentially be increased (Bowen & Murshid, 2016;Ely et al, 2018c;Fallot & Harris, 2009;Hales, Nochajski, Green, Hitzel, & Woike-Ganga, 2017;Harris & Fallot, 2001).…”

Section: Tic Social Work Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections of stress in US abortion narratives

Sperlich¹,

Ely

Rouland

et al. 2019

Journal of Social Work

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A trauma-informed, thematic analysis that identified stress-related themes evident in 39 personal abortion narratives from the Tennessee Stories Project in the United States is presented in this paper. Using the Braun and Clarke model of thematic analysis, guided by the trauma-informed social work framework, researchers examined these narratives to identify stress related themes. Findings An overall theme of stress and traumatic stress was found to be present throughout the abortion narratives. These themes were categorized into subthemes, including: (a) existing life stressors preceding the abortion experience, (b) stressors while trying to access abortion services, (c) stressors while obtaining abortion services, and (d) stressors arising after the procedure. Applications These results suggest that stress and traumatic stress were reflected in these abortion narratives throughout the abortion seeking experience. This finding supports the need for social work practice responses that are designed to address and eliminate stress during the process of seeking and obtaining an abortion in the United States. A trauma-informed framework is recommended for guiding social work education about abortion, social worker interactions with clients who are seeking abortions, and the development of abortion policy in the United States in order to better align the abortion seeking experience with the principles of trauma-informed care.

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An Association Between Implementing Trauma-Informed Care and Staff Satisfaction

Abstract: Despite its widespread adoption there is limited research on the influence of trauma-informed care (TIC

Cited by 45 publications

References 32 publications

Staff Exposure to Trauma and the Impact of Trauma-Informed Care

Staff Exposure to Trauma and the Impact of Trauma-Informed Care

Effect of trauma-informed care on hair cortisol concentration in youth welfare staff and client physical aggression towards staff: results of a longitudinal study

Reflections of stress in US abortion narratives

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