Conferences, presentations & workshops

A structural approach to trauma-informed social work practice

Canadian-wide presentation to the Canadian Association of Social work

Trauma is a major public health issue affecting the health of individuals, families, and communities across New Brunswick. Social workers frequently work with service users with a history of trauma. The exposure to trauma may have occurred in the distant or recent past, be generationally transferred, and create pervasive symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, hyperarousal, emotional dysregulation and unhealthful coping strategies. The literature suggests that social workers often feel ill-equipped to be helpful to the trauma related needs of these individuals, leading to chronic conditions, poor treatment outcomes, and substantial health and mental health care costs (Knight, 2015; Levenson, 2017). Part of the difficulty may be in how trauma is understood. Trauma is often defined with an emphasis on the event and the traumatizing and pathological effects it has on individuals, negating the social, cultural, and economic contexts that contribute to and maintain trauma. Recent conceptualizations recognize that trauma is experienced differently based on social, cultural, and individual factors (Knight, 2014). Integrating structural considerations in trauma-informed approaches can help individuals understand the context of trauma and provide additional strategies for addressing trauma. This webinar will provide an alternative approach that integrates existing trauma informed approaches with a structural social work lens.