Healing-Centered Organizations
What is a Healing-Centered and Trauma-Informed Organization?
A healing-centered and trauma-informed organization works to help people by focusing on their strengths and what they need to feel better. It also understands that people heal best when they feel connected to their culture, work together with others, and when the causes of harm in their lives and communities are fixed.
Steps to Doing a Trauma-Informed Check-Up at Your Agency:
1. Get the staff and organization ready for the trauma-informed and healing-centered check-up by creating a Trauma-Informed Leadership Team and giving basic trauma training to all staff.
2. Work together to complete the trauma-informed and healing-centered check-up.
3. Read through the feedback and organize what you learned.
4. Make a plan for change using the information and feedback you collected.
5. Do the work described in the Strategic Plan: A Guide to Implementation.
Some ideas that could end up in your plan for change:
- Create a training plan for staff, volunteers, and board members using national or statewide resources.
- Set up special rooms or spaces where staff and community members can relax and feel safe.
- Do real and honest work to reach, hire, and keep staff, volunteers, and board members who are like the people and communities you serve.
- Use best practices to include and listen to people who have been through things like the ones your organization aims to support.
- Help leaders learn how to support their teams in trauma-informed and kind ways.
- Make sure to regularly talk about how the stress of helping others can affect workers and find ways to support them.
