Trauma-Informed & Culturally Responsive Care in Housing and Employment Services: Practical Approaches for FCS Providers

Brought to you by HCA:

Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions invite you to join us for the April Cultural Responsiveness series. 

Supported Employment and Supportive Housing programs help people with severe mental health conditions (SMHCs) build stability, purpose, and connection in their communities. According to SAMHSA, up to 98% of people with SMHCs experience one or more traumatic events during their lifetime. Providing trauma-informed services requires more than recognizing trauma responses, it requires culturally attuned practices and service environments that promote dignity, safety, and belonging.

This 90 minute interactive learning community session looks at trauma-informed care in everyday practice and why cultural responsiveness is a necessary component of preventing re-traumatization. Using ideas from SAMHSA Trauma Informed Care TIP 57 manual, Healing-Centered Engagement, and the Sanctuary Model, we will explore how programs and interactions can either increase safety or unintentionally recreate stress. Participants will learn practical ways to build collaboration, attend to trauma responses, and support progress within a culturally responsive framework.

Objectives:

• Define trauma and recognize trauma responses within Supported Employment and Supportive Housing services.
• Explain how culture, identity, and systemic oppression influence safety, trust, and service engagement.

Apply trauma-informed and culturally attuned strategies that increase collaboration, autonomy, and participation in FCS services.