TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - Addressing trauma-informed principles in public health through training and practice JO - International journal of environmental research and public health A1 - Parker, Shan A1 - Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki SP - e8437 EP - e8437 VL - 19 IS - 14 N2 - The increasing prevalence of traumatic events requires our public health workforce to be knowledgeable about ways trauma influences population and individual health. There is a gap in student training about the various ways that traumatic events affect their capacity to perform public health work and the communities they serve. While other human services disciplines explicitly use trauma-informed terminology and concepts in student training, references to trauma-informed approaches are more implicit in public health curricula. This study examined trauma-informed principles and related terminology for use in public health coursework in the context of a community-wide water contamination public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, USA. We addressed the principles of trauma-informed approaches across key competency areas common to USA public health accredited programs, including discussion to support student understanding of the principle in action. Using trauma-informed language (1) enhances our capacity to name and respond empathetically in traumatized communities, (2) provides guiding principles for less community-engaged efforts, and (3) fosters stronger relationships for more community-engaged initiatives by providing areas of accountability for unintended consequences throughout the program's development and implementation processes. Rising public health professionals equipped with knowledge of trauma-informed approaches can more intentionally minimize unintended negative consequences of public health initiatives.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1661-7827 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148437 ID - ref1 ER -