Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-Informed Care
At Anna Marie’s Alliance, we provide a safe place for women who are survivors of domestic abuse and their children and pets. Due to the nature of our work and the people we serve, we are dedicated to being a trauma-informed organization.
We strive to understand the many ways that trauma can impact a person’s health – physically, emotionally, and mentally. We connect women with the community resources that exist to help them through the difficult process of starting over. We advocate for our clients and support them from their first day in our shelter, and for months after leaving our care for new homes of their own. Breaking the cycle of domestic violence is made possible through ongoing support, advocacy, and access to basic needs.
Anna Marie’s Alliance staff receives ongoing training in trauma-informed care practices. In doing so, we reduce the risk of re-traumatization, build a trusting, caring environment in our facility, and create the space needed to allow our residents to heal.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a broad term with many definitions. Traditionally, trauma has referred to any event that is (or is perceived to be) life-threatening. Current and emerging research indicates that it is not only overwhelming events that present long-term physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral issues. Findings show that when stress levels outweigh a person’s capacity to cope, long-term difficulties often ensue. While some stress is beneficial, significant and prolonged stress is considered toxic.
Toxic stress affects us on a biological level. It rewires the brain and hormonal systems to remain on high alert. Trauma and toxic stress can alter our beliefs about ourselves and others, creating a sense of mistrust and causing chronic anxiety. While toxic stress causes damage at every stage of life, children are particularly susceptible. Childhood is a time of rapid growth and development, during which time the presence of toxic stress can affect every stage of development from the time it occurs until adulthood.
For additional information on childhood trauma, visit Feeling Good MN at National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
All experiences with violence are traumatic, for victims as well as for witnesses. Domestic violence expert Lundy Bancroft writes that domestic violence is particularly traumatic for several reasons.
Often, abuse is unpredictable and intermittent, forcing victims to “walk on eggshells”, always anxious about what will happen next and when it might happen. Violent relationships frequently begin showing no sign of the abuse that is to come. When it does, victims are shocked, many reporting a feeling of betrayal due to the change in the relationship dynamics. Abusers seek to maintain power and control over the victim through fear-based intimidation and violence. Victims and their children find themselves constantly on edge, living in fear.
Due to the trauma they have experienced, the ways that it has shaped their world views, and the mistrust engendered by abuse, many women lack the ability to reach out for help or the motivation to seek out people and organizations that exist to help. To eliminate the barrier between those in need and the resources that can help, Anna Marie’s Alliance staff uses trauma-informed approaches. Understanding the effects of domestic violence and being sensitive to individuals’ different experiences and triggers makes our work with residents more effective and creates the space they need to come to understand that the experiences in the past do not have to define the future.
To learn more about what it means to be a trauma-informed organization, please visit The National Council for Behavioral Health.
For additional information on domestic abuse and trauma, visit National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health.