What Is the Importance of Trauma-Informed Care in the Workplace?

“What is the importance of trauma-informed care in the workplace?” is a question you may be asking when it comes to helping those in your workplace who are dealing with mental health concerns such as PTSD. Trauma-informed policies ensure that all employees with anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are respected and treated well, irrespective of their social status, abilities, or health conditions. These policies guarantee that trauma survivors feel safe and acknowledged, which may not happen outside of work.

By embracing a trauma-informed approach and encouraging individuals to seek out mental health treatment, you will prevent re-traumatizing trauma survivors, enhance colleague collaboration, boost employee satisfaction, and reduce absenteeism.

This blog will highlight how PTSD negatively impacts people at work and how to reduce these negative occurrences by making the workplace more inclusive.

What Is Trauma?

When most people hear the word “trauma,” they immediately think of a terrifying event or injury that causes emotional or physical pain. However, trauma can also be caused by marginalization, discrimination, and generational stigma. Due to changes in the brain caused by trauma, these memories get stored in the wrong place, causing them to resurface frequently. This leaves the individual in a state of survival, resulting in difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and feeling on edge.

No matter what kind of trauma an individual experiences, they will often suffer from short-term and long-term effects as a result. Any person who experiences the above-listed symptoms for some time after the event may have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder often have difficulty feeling settled and calm. These disruptions follow them from home to work, often making it hard for them to concentrate or be productive.

What Is the Importance of Trauma-Informed Care?

The common response to trauma is to either ignore it or avoid discussing it. However, this approach often leaves trauma survivors without the support they need to move forward. Additionally, it can reinforce negative behaviors and cause mental health issues such as depression and anxiety stemming from feelings of isolation and stigma.

Some people are blamed for how they feel after a trauma, often being asked, “What’s wrong with you?” A trauma-informed approach encourages trauma survivors to feel safe and seen by changing the question to “What happened to you?”

Trauma-informed care considers the physical and mental effects of trauma, implements practices to avoid re-traumatization, and provides PTSD treatment options to help trauma survivors heal.

Principles of Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed care provides individuals with PTSD the chance to heal the areas of their lives that were impacted by the trauma. Because everyone experiences trauma differently, one person’s needs may not be the same as another’s. This is why adopting a universal trauma-informed approach to care is crucial – one that incorporates principles likely to help everyone.

These principles include:

1. Safety: Providing a safe environment for all employees, regardless of their trauma status.
2. Trustworthiness: Establishing trust by outlining clear boundaries and responsibilities for all employees.
3. Awareness: Being aware and raising awareness of the effects that trauma can have on survivors by providing educational materials or mental health workshops.
4. Inclusivity: Implementing policies that include employees of all backgrounds, including disabled or marginalized groups.
5. Empowerment: To instill a sense of empowerment, employees should be included in company policy decisions and regularly asked for feedback.

Although these principles may take several years to become part of a company’s policies, some can be implemented immediately without any disruption and may benefit the workplace.

Five Ways to Implement Trauma-Informed Care

Making organizational changes, creating safe spaces, and incorporating trauma-informed principles can revolutionize a company’s culture, reducing absences and boosting productivity.

If you’re eager to start implementing trauma-informed practices, here are a few ideas to help you get started.

• Keep all exit signs well-lit and in highly visible areas.
• Ensure there is no loitering or congregating around these exits.
• Keep open communication with employees.
• Incentivize participation in physical activities and mindfulness practices.
• Encourage employees to take advantage of mental health screenings by posting resources in the break room.

Be Aware of the Legalities of Discussing Mental Health in the Workplace

When addressing mental wellness in the workplace, it’s important to remember that employees have rights. They have the right to keep their condition private and not to have it disclosed to others. According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an employer is only allowed to ask medical questions in four specific situations:

• When an employee asks for reasonable accommodations.
• Before employment begins, but only after a job offer (if everyone in that position is asked the same question).
• When an employee tracks the disability status of their application to assess recruiting and hiring efforts.
• If they can prove that an employee cannot do their job without posing a safety risk.

You may also ask questions about your employee’s condition to establish FMLA benefits. However, they reserve the right to keep this information confidential.

Keeping these things in mind, remember to leave an open door for your employees to report any form of discrimination or harassment due to their mental health condition. This is one way to implement an inclusive workplace and also avoid re-traumatizing employees with PTSD.