Trauma-Informed Practice

It is essential for community and justice workers to have a solid understanding of and empathy for the ways in which trauma can impact behaviour. Using a strengths-based perspective, students develop an understanding of the connection between trauma and criminalization. They focus on the relational and systemic components of trauma including: intergenerational trauma, interpersonal violence, trauma of oppression and colonization, as well as war and genocide. Students learn interventions that support clients to find a sense of safety in the present and connect with resources. Students also examine vicarious trauma and the importance of self-care to this work.