Envisioning a Trauma-Sensitive Public Health Department: Implications for Practice, Policy, and Research

Abstract

Historically, the concept of trauma and long-term sequelae has rested primarily in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. However, recent attention and research around the health implications of trauma have unmasked this concept as a pervasive public health issue. This has catalyzed a movement to create a paradigm shift that transforms a formerly myopic understanding of trauma towards one that acknowledges the complexity and wide reaching impact trauma. At the core of this paradigm shift is an understanding of the interconnectedness between trauma and socio-ecological constructs at the individual, family, community, and organizational level. Public health departments are well positioned to be leaders in this change. This paper will explore the role that early childhood trauma, organizational trauma, and resilience play in the public health field and how these concepts help to inform the need for a coordinated, multi-tiered approach to addressing trauma as a public health issue. Additionally, a three month pilot project, implemented at the City of Berkeley Public Health Department, will be discussed including implications learned from this case study that help inform practical applications, policy, and future research for public health departments