Develop a roadmap

Hopefully you gained some clarity about how to apply TIPs in your work in the last step.

In this step, we will apply the learning into action. Remember to include those you serve along with potential partners.

First, consider the landscape.

  • Make sure you have a good understanding of the population you are serving:

    • age

    • gender

    • race / ethnicity

    • socioeconomic status

    • primary language

  • Understand cultural sensitivities to trauma within this population. (Look into cultural responsiveness here)

  • Assess language capacity and language barriers that may exist.

Next, identify other potential partners

  • Identify mental health professionals or organizations experienced in trauma-informed care.

  • Collaborate with community leaders and advocates who understand the population's needs.

  • Consider other providers, such as lawyers, law enforcement agencies that may serve the same population.

  • Establish what partnerships are already working. Repair or reach out to others.

  • Recognize existing efforts and explore ways to improve.

  • Continue to ask: Who is missing? Remember: The people you serve often know best!

Next, cultivate relationships with open communication.

  • Invite partners from the last step to work together.

  • Identify a primary contact person.

  • Talk about TIPs for shared understanding.

  • Host a meeting to explore how trauma affects the population you serve. Remember: If possible, include the people you are giving services to and the community.

  • Share and invite others to take workshops that have been helpful in your work. Here are some suggestions, including online modules.

Then, identify what is already happening and build a vision for the future.

  • Build on strengths as you envision the future. Here is a useful practice using scaling questions.

Imagine that your work together is a 10 out of 10 (we got this!) in your efforts to implement trauma-informed principles into practice.

  • What would that look like?

  • What would the people you serve notice? What would staff notice?

You can then ask, where are we now? On a scale of 1 (we are just getting started) to 10 (we are making excellent progress).

  • For whatever number you have given, why have you given it this number (and not 1 lower?)

  • What are you and others already doing?

  • What is helping you to get to this number?

  • What else is needed? What small steps can we take together?

Use this checklist as an example to guide you when providing services and adapt it as needed. In Spanish here.