Trauma Informed Education Grounded in a Systemic Analysis Reflexive Practice Tool

Abstract

The Trauma-Informed Education Reflexive Practice Tool is a complementary resource to the “Cultivating Trauma-Informed Spaces in Education Promising Practices Manual”. The Reflexive Practice Tool highlights the areas where Trauma-Informed Education can be integrated at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of post-secondary education. It is an inventory of promising practices for employees, departments, and organizations to assess in areas of strength, enhancement, and development.

The reflexive practice tool invites the reader to complete a basic knowledge assessment; explore Micro Level Employee Strategies, explore Mezzo Level Departmental Strategies that can be applied to both academic and student service departments; and explore Macro Level Organizational Strategies, including leadership and human resources. In each section, the reader has the opportunity to assess themselves/department/organization in areas of strength, areas to enhance, or areas to develop. Due to the prevalence of trauma inside and outside of educational settings, not integrating a Trauma-Informed Approach can cause harm and negatively impact learning and organizational outcomes. Organizations are encouraged to ask themselves if their approaches are “trauma-indifferent”; “trauma-inducing”; “trauma-aware”; or “trauma-informed”?