Structural, Intersectional & Authentic
Trauma Informed Social Work
Helping students receive crucial education & authentic learning in trauma-informed social work practice.
Why trauma-informed social work?
- Many social workers will encounter individuals who experienced trauma in settings like addictions, mental health, child welfare, and corrections, where these individuals are particularly likely to require services.
- Unaddressed trauma leads to chronic conditions, poor overall wellbeing and substantial health and mental health care costs (Levenson, 2017).
- The literature suggests that social workers often feel ill-equipped to be helpful to the trauma related needs of these individuals, resulting in the history and impact of trauma being overlooked leading to poor treatment outcomes (Knight, 2015).
- CASW recommended that social workers utilize trauma-informed practice strategies while working in practice settings.
- Trauma informed practice helps individuals “develop their capacities for managing distress and for engaging in more effective daily functioning (Gold, 2011, p. 60).”
- Proving advanced education in trauma informed practices will aid in creating knowledge and skills necessary to improve the well-being of service users, but also increases employment desirability.
Students will learn:
- To formulate a trauma-informed social work plan to work with individuals at various stages of practice.
- How to apply a trauma-informed approach to their social work practice.
- To analyze the implications of applying a trauma-informed practice framework to diverse populations through a structural and intersectional lens.
Community Informed
Dedicated social workers with over 200 years of combined practice experience came together to build these modules to meet community & agency needs.
Engaging community helped to understand the current community needs & addressed issues identified in public reports.
Special Thanks
Dr. Marilyn Dupré, Hilda Meyer, Barb Wilkins, Pam Savary, Wendy Chisholm-Spragg & Nicole Augustine, plus all the actors and feedback from peers that made this project possible.
Overview of modules
Introduction
A critical, structural approach to trauma informed social work practice is explored in detail.
Module 1
Assessment: Telling their story
Module 2
Learning about trauma
Module 3
Identifying Triggers
Module 4
Developing healthful coping skills
Module 5
Trauma processing and Integration
Dr. Jenni Cammaert
About Me
I am an associate professor of social work at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I have ~ two decades of social work practice experience in direct practice, leadership, clinical supervision, and education. I am passionate about advancing social work education and practice, reducing barriers to accessing health and mental health services, and eliminating gender-based violence. Ongoing engagement with community is central to this process.
For more information check out my professional website