Program Goals:

Trauma is a public health issue with individual and systemic impact. The proposed trauma-informed ethical decision-making model provides helping professionals with a two-part framework for addressing ethical dilemmas with client survivors of trauma. The 10 Principles of Trauma-informed Practice (authors, 2021) and decision-making framework enable the clinician to utilize their knowledge of individuals’ response to trauma to inform how they interpret and understand the client’s behavior, thought process, and emotional experience. This understanding informs every step of the ethical decision-making process. The principles outlined below build upon the SAMHSA (2014) three E’s, four R’s, and eight key principles of trauma-informed care. Key concepts, to include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and their long-term impact (Anda, 2007; Edwards et al., 2015; Felitti et al., 1998; Felitti, 2009; Wade et al., 2016) further inform the principles of trauma-informed ethical practice. The 9 Principles of Trauma-informed Practice (authors, 2021) include:

1. Attachment…