Becoming a Trauma-Informed Organization

POIC + RAHS All-Staff Summer Celebration 2023

At POIC + RAHS, we value continuous reinvention, relationship building, and staff development. These values are integral to our organizational mission, and we strive to achieve them daily. We're excited to share some updates on the initiatives and opportunities shaping our journey toward a more compassionate and resilient workplace culture through Trauma-Informed Care.

Trauma Informed Oregon is a collaboration of university, public and private partners, individuals with lived experience, youth, and family members that are committed to creating and sustaining a trauma-informed system of care in Oregon.

What is Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)?

“TIC is based on growing knowledge about the negative impact of psychological trauma. Trauma is common in society and among service recipients. The service system can retraumatize individuals, affecting their willingness to participate and engage.”

Trauma-Informed Oregon has served as the guide in our journey to become a more Trauma-Informed Organization. With training, surveys, and documentation, this resource has been integral in implementing the multi-year process.

Champions of Change

Since 2021, the Trauma-Informed Champions (a group of staff members who opted into the program) have led these efforts. These Champions can participate in three leadership tiers to help move TIC (Trauma-Informed Care) efforts forward: Influencer, Workforce Wellness Committee Leader, and TIC Champ.

TIC Influencer: Participates in the TIC learning community—opportunities for dialogue on practices through cross-collaboration. Provides input on policies and practices. Becomes a role model for TIC in their departments and brings new knowledge to team meetings.
Workforce Wellness Committee: Helps lead a workforce wellness activity or event. Participates in planning meetings and implements the activity/event through recognition, team building, and wellness.
TIC Champ Leader: Members of this tier commit to up to eight hours of extra responsibilities monthly through meetings and program delivery. They must lead a workforce wellness committee and TIC organizational culture change. They must attend meetings twice monthly in addition to committee meetings.

“ I am extremely proud of the work that we have done as the TIC Champs team to make improvements for staff and the organization as a whole. While some of the steps might seem small, they are all a part of the process to make some larger changes.”
- TIC Champ Member

Trauma-informed Steps Taken

Here are just some of the changes to POIC policy and practice that the TIC Champions have spurred on:

Executed an environmental survey of all locations with a trauma-informed lens to inform the design and enhance the overall safety of our spaces for participants.
Created a company-wide calendar for all-staff meetings and training days, allowing staff to better plan and organize their workloads.
Changed Sick Days to Wellness Days for all employees to mitigate burnout and promote resiliency.
Revamped the onboarding process to prepare new employees and managers better.
Facilitated ongoing training in the fundamentals of TIC for all new staff members, equipping the POIC + RAHS team with essential skills to navigate challenging situations with composure and empathy.
Developed intentional recognition in every all-staff meeting to highlight exceptional work. Created annual event in 2023 to honor long-term team members who have dedicated 5, 10, 15, and 20 years of service to POIC + RAHS.

Continuing Transformation

Work to make POIC + RAHS a Trauma-Informed Organization continues through restorative justice training, staff celebrations, and more.

Eleven staff members embarked on a six-week Golden Repair Transformation Institute this month as part of professional development that aligns with the TIC mission. The primary focus of this institute is to equip our team with essential skills in conflict transformation processes and restorative justice. By fostering a deeper understanding of these principles, we aim to implement robust community-building practices within our organization, fostering stronger connections and healthier relationships among our staff.

“The Golden Repair” comes from the Japanese art of Kintsugi, in which broken objects are often repaired with gold. Instead of “the flaw,” the fractured object fixed by gold is seen as a unique part of the object’s history and thus only adds to its beauty.

All Staff Celebration + Teambuilding Activities

Our upcoming All Staff Celebration promises an evening of joy, laughter, and team bonding. This event, organized by our Teambuilding Committee, will reinforce our commitment to teamwork and collective achievement. In addition, all staff members are invited to participate in the Shamrock Run Portland 2024 on March 17th to promote healthy goals for staff that build camaraderie.

Training Opportunities

A series of training opportunities designed to enhance professional growth and cultivate a learning culture continues this month. In addition to Trauma Informed Care Foundations Training offered by the Staff Development Committee, they’re also preparing a de-escalation training session for March.

POIC + RAHS takes pride in fostering a workplace culture that is caring and resilient; the focus on trauma-informed care (TIC) has helped to create that culture for staff and participants. Furthering this goal requires continuous innovation, collaboration, and reinvention. The Trauma-Informed Champions group is stewarding that change. They will continue to charge forward in the implement of various initiatives for the well-being of team members, students, trainees, and families. To create a culture that promotes healing, understanding, and compassion, we recognize that TIC is essential in those efforts.