Step 1: Actively Demonstrate Leadership’s Commitment NEW

Step 1: Actively Demonstrate Leadership’s Commitment

Leaders at all levels have opportunities to support their organization’s ability to become Trauma-Informed and Responsive (TIR).

Leaders must actively demonstrate their commitment on multiple levels.

Lead by example

Participating in training on trauma and its effect on children and families.

Modeling healthy relationship behaviors and interaction skills.

Clearly communicating roles, responsibilities and expectations to youth, families and staff members.

Inviting input from staff as well as youth and families to provide meaningful, ongoing input and feedback into organizational decision-making.

Being visible members of the agency/organization and within the community.

Tending to their own self-care, to ensure they are able to do all of the above.

Funding

Leaders who control organizational budgets should use their decision-making authority to prioritize the needed financial and time investments to implement the TIR actions.

Policies

Leaders who make decisions about organizational policies should:

Articulate the Guiding Principles of a TIR approach in their mission and/or vision statements and help staff understand how these principles apply in their work.

Incorporate TIR principles into all policies, programs, and practices.

Develop and implement equality assurance procedures to ensure principles are followed.

Staff Hiring, Development, and Support

Strive to ensure that staff at all levels of the organization – from entry-level through senior leadership – as well as organizational materials (curricula, communication materials, etc.) are representative of the diversity of the community being served.

Understand the negative and potentially traumatic impact high staff turnover rates can have on youth being served and the overall organization, and advocate for solutions designed to reduce turnover, such as higher pay rates and supports to mitigate the impact of secondary trauma.

Institute policies and practices that support self-care activities and positive relationship-building among staff.

Step 2: Create a Trauma-Informed and Responsive Workforce

A group of multi-ethnic young adults sit around a boardroom table discussing the future of the business. They are all dressed very casually and are brainstorming new ideas for the company, and the woman in the middle is taking notes for the meeting.