What is Trauma?

The TARA Project has adopted SAMHSA (2023) definition of Trauma as resulting from an event, series of events, or a set of circumstances that an individual experiences as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening, which may have lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual wellbeing. Trauma is associated with widespread health challenges across demographic groups and can have far-reaching implications across individuals, families, and communities.

The TARA Project expanded SAMHSA (2023) 's ‘3 Es of trauma’ - Event/s or circumstances that are experienced as harmful or threatening that may have lasting adverse Effects on the individuals’ wellbeing, also to include Environment, recognising that events and experiences occur in multi systemic, cultural, relational contexts that interlink and overlap within trauma experience.

What is Trauma-informed Care?

TARA has adopted SAMHSA's (2023) definition for Trauma-informed Care (hereafter TIC)  as "a program, organisation, or system that is trauma-informed srealises the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery;  srecognises the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatisation." (SAMHSA, 2023, p. 2). TIC is guided by values/ principles of safety (physical and  emotional), trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment as proposed by Harris and Fallot in 2001.

What is Trauma-informed Practice?

TARA defines Trauma-informed Practice (hereafter TIP) as a "holistic therapeutic practice approach that reflects a mindset and skillset that promotes empowerment and growth for both the service user with lived and /or living experience of trauma and for the practitioner working with trauma" (Lotty, 2023,p. 9).

• TIP involves an integration of existing practice wisdom that already exists within aligned professional practices and programmes
• TIP therefore supports best practice with children and families

What are Trauma-informed Practices?

TARA defines trauma-informed practices as the day-to-day initiatives, interventions and practices that are carried out within the core processes of working with children and families within the specific professionals' role that reflect principles of person-centred care and trauma recovery principles. For example, in case discussions, report preparation, analysis and assessment, supervision, and team meetings.

TARA and the Parallel Journey

TARA emphasises that trauma‑informed practice is not only about supporting the people we work with, it also requires awareness of the practitioner’s own internal experience. This is known as the parallel journey. When we work alongside trauma, we are inevitably in its presence, and this calls for an understanding of: