What is Trauma-Informed Practice in Technical Assistance?
- Recognizing and responding to the broad impact of chronic stress and trauma in order to create a safe and effective working relationship.
- Trauma-Informed practice is NOT diagnosing or treating trauma (but it IS understanding how trauma impacts thinking and behavior and when a referral to a behavioral health provider might be warranted.)
- It is important to be aware of signs in farmers that might indicate prolonged and/or acute stress.
Signs to Watch For
- Change in mood
- Physical illness
- Change in routine and/or sleep disruption
- Memory issues
- Behavior issues in kids
- Change in appearance of farm, livestock, and/or fields
- Change in physical appearance
- Increase in farm accidents
- Avoiding or ignoring paperwork
Trauma-Informed care is understanding the brain and what farmers might be experiencing if they are experiencing chronic or extreme stress. Trauma is a normal response to abnormal situations. A Trauma-Informed approach changes the conversation from “What’s wrong with me?” to
“What’s happening to me?”
Important Facts About Trauma
- Traumatization occurs when our internal and external resources are insufficient to cope with a threat.
- Fight, flight, and freeze are trauma responses and each can show up when you are working with a farmer.
- Plan for continuation bias, the concept that humans tend to keep doing things according to their original plan.
- Trauma can be related to an acute situation but chronic and repetitive stressors also contribute to trauma.
- Every person has an innate drive for predictability – uncertainty is painful and to be avoided.
- Stress is a well-known risk factor in the development of addiction and in addiction relapse vulnerability.
Remember the SELF Model
The SELF Model is a non-linear model outlining issues to address when working with people experiencing chronic or acute stress and trauma.
- Safety: Includes Physical Safety (physical environment), Psychological Safety (mind and thoughts), Social Safety (relationships with others), and Moral Safety (ability to live true to values).
- Emotions: Increase emotional intelligence and explain rather than express emotions.
- Loss: Recognize, honor, and grieve loss, which is at the heart of every trauma.
- Future: Cultivate hope and stay connected to people and activities that provide a sense of meaning and purpose.
Supporting Resilience is a Key Part of Trauma-Informed Care
- Encourage play and humor when appropriate.
- Emphasize the power of social connection.
- Get familiar with professional support that you can connect farmers with: therapists, doctors, religious leaders, financial experts, legal experts, etc.