Trauma-Informed Approaches for Service Providers
Professional Certification Series

A 7 WEEK COURSE
Develop the skills to provide quality trauma-informed services

Many persons who have experienced homelessness will be impacted by trauma. This course will help you understand the widespread impact of trauma at the individual, community, and system levels. Each session will help prepare you to better support the needs of persons affected by trauma and minimize the potential for re-traumatization.

  • You will learn how to recognize how trauma shows up in the people you work with, from tenants to staff.
  • You will learn how to respond safely and effectively to the needs of individuals and families.
  • You will learn how to craft an individualized approach to being trauma-informed for the people you care for
This Course is For:
Housing Providers
Service Providers
Supervisors
Leadership
Volunteers/Peers

THE CURRICULUM

Course Schedule

Week 1: Understanding Trauma: Building Blocks of Trauma-Informed Approaches

This foundational course will explore the experience of trauma and how unaddressed issues may manifest in tenants and in the workplace.

Week 2: Introduction to Trauma-Informed Approaches

Providing quality housing and services requires a trauma-informed approach. In this foundational webinar, participants will learn how trauma-informed practices can serve as a model for the delivery of housing and services.

Week 3: Safe Spaces and Places

This course will explore how organizations can develop programs and services that help persons to be as “safe” as possible. Participants will take a critical eye to their physical settings and how services are provided to understand where there is an opportunity to create brave spaces, promote safety and minimize re-traumatization.

Week 4: Foundations for Trusting Relationships: Boundaries & Transparency

This course will explore strategies to help housing and service providers identify and set boundaries, coach the people they work with in setting their own boundaries, investigate opportunities for increased transparency, and develop trust and rapport with clients/tenants. Building on the concepts learned in the “Safe spaces and Places” course, this course will dive deeper by exploring scenarios and strategies for establishing trusting relationships.

Week 5: Meaningful & Collaborative Service Planning - Elevating & Supporting Voice & Choice

In this course, participants will explore how the foundations of a trusting relationship can support individuals and families to be self-directed and engage in programs and services that can help them to meet their goals. This course will include steps for person-centered service planning, engagement of tenants at all levels of the organization, and strategies for working with individuals and families.

Week 6: Cultural Humility - Centering Racial Equity & Anti-Oppressive Practices

This course will actively encourage participants to explore how their own privilege and power will impact their relationship with the people they work with. Participants will learn skills for evaluating practices and policies and identify ways to provide culturally appropriate services and embed anti-racist practices.

Week 7: Workplace Wellness - Strategies for Resilience & Thriving at Work

This course will look at ways to promote workplace wellness to reduce burnout and incorporate trauma-informed leadership and supervision to help employees thrive rather than simply survive at work. This course will look at compassion fatigue and burnout—how to recognize when burnout is impacting employees and steps to reduce burnout. In addition, this course will explore retention strategies that reduce burnout and promote equity and inclusion.

The next course July 9 - July 30, 2024