An official State of Texas website.
Service providers and systems of care should use trauma-informed care to establish and maintain a culture of safety, integrity and healing. Trauma-informed care should be incorporated into organizational structures and used when interacting with clients, staff and participants.
Trauma-informed care provides a treatment framework for understanding, recognizing and responding to all types of trauma. It focuses on physical, psychological and emotional safety, and helps survivors rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.
The Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Care
Cross-Systems Trauma-Informed Care is founded on six principles that help reduce the likelihood of re-traumatization. The principles are:
- Safety
- Trustworthiness and transparency
- Peer support
- Collaboration and mutuality
- Empowerment and choice
- Humility
Rather than providing a set of practices and procedures, the principles can be interpreted and applied in ways that are appropriate for a specific type of service setting.
Read the Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Care Guide (PDF) for more information on each principle and how they should be applied.
Cross-Systems Trauma-Informed Care
The Cross-Systems Trauma-Informed Care initiative provides a framework to help individuals, service providers and systems of care advance a coordinated statewide approach in delivering timely and accessible behavioral health services. This initiative aligns with the Texas Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan (PDF).
This framework supports a Texas behavioral health system that is healing-centered and unified in a person-centered and family-focused approach.
Shifting the Culture of Trauma-Informed Care
To fully integrate trauma-informed care and create a cultural shift regarding trauma, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Office of Mental Health Coordination is transforming its Cross-Systems Trauma-Informed Care system. This involves collaborating with other Texas state agencies receiving state funding for behavioral health training or services in advancing trauma-informed organizations, culture and services.
As part of the transformation, HHSC has established a Trauma Transformation Team with representatives from different divisions and departments within the agency. Team members are trauma champions who facilitate change within HHSC.
Addressing trauma from a systemwide perspective requires a multipronged public health approach involving public education and awareness, prevention and early identification, and effective trauma-specific assessment and treatment. Services must be provided in an organizational or community context that is trauma-informed.
Beginning in 2020, the Cross-Systems Trauma-Informed Care Projects Committee collaborated with the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center at The University of Texas at Austin to develop free trauma-informed care training modules for professionals seeking high-quality, in-depth training. Over several years, the committee helped develop a multi-session, trauma-informed care training available at HealthEKnowledge.