Trauma-Informed Care: Exploring Concepts & Contemporary Mental Health

This essay explores trauma-informed care (TIC) through the lens of three interconnected concepts: person-centered, strength-based, and recovery-focused approaches. It defines TIC as a treatment framework that recognizes, understands, and responds to the effects of trauma. The person-centered approach emphasizes patient choice and involvement in their recovery, while the strength-based approach focuses on enhancing individual capabilities and positivity. The recovery-focused approach highlights resilience, self-discovery, and community support in the healing process, with families playing a crucial role in the patient's journey. The essay supports its arguments with references to relevant research literature, illustrating how these concepts serve as valuable additions to traditional biomedical care in contemporary mental health practices. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study resources for students.

Running head: TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE 1
Concepts of Trauma-Informed Care
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

CONCEPTS OF TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE 2
Concepts of Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-Informed Care
This is a treatment framework and organizational structure that comprises of
determination, understanding, and responding to all consequences associated with trauma. Some
of the trauma victims may show signs of posttraumatic stress disorder while others display signs
of brief subclinical that may not be recognized during the diagnostic criteria. Trauma has various
destructive impacts including insidious, subtle and outright as well. . It is important to note that
an intervention or a specific therapy but rather an appreciation of traumatic stress reactions on
various people and the responses on them (Gilburt et al., 2013). The trauma informed care can be
approached in three main concepts which include a Person-centered, strength-based and
recovery-focused approach as well.
Personal- Centred approach
The concept focuses on the hope to fit the patience back to their life and society before
undergoing any diagnoses (Scott, 2012). It focuses on the patient’s say and choice after which
the family oversees the treatment process from the health professional. While the expertise
brings their experiences and skills, the individual is needed to bring the personal expertise. The
patient is required to give his ideal conditions for recovery after which his family monitors their
implementation. The recovery is based on the individual’s voice as the central locus of recovery.
Strength Based Approach
The concept may be also referred to as positive phycology. The concepts seek to improve
the individual's strength and capabilities. The process starts with accentuating the individual’s
positivity. An individual is exposed to an environment that makes him or her forget her former

CONCEPTS OF TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE 3
life. As an asset model, this concept is seen to focus on the individual’s development above the
traditional deficit approach. All the services are coordinated in a manner that allows the patient
to gain access to the required resources for their healing. The patient’s choice, empowerments,
and strengths are recognized and incorporated in the adopted skills being developed in the person
(Alasmee et al, 2014).
Recovery Based approach
This is the most common method of trauma-informed care. It has been proven to be very
effective in solving critical issues. The process is personal manifesting itself in many ways. The
patient’s health and continued growth are then taken as a reflection of their recovery. In addition,
resilience is involved as a component to cover the natural setbacks. The individual’s identity,
social domain, responsibility and power is reinstated. It takes the aspect of self-discovery and
community hope where both the individual and the family goes beyond limits to ensure that the
individual achieves his experience (Xie, 2013). The family acts protectively over the individual’s
situation as they have more expectations in the recovery than the health professionals.

CONCEPTS OF TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE 4
References
Alasmee, N., Cross, W., & McCauley, K. (2014). Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
40th International Mental Health Nursing Conference–Honouring the Past, Shaping the
Future. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23(1), 1-45.
Gilburt, H., Slade, M., Bird, V., Oduola, S., & Craig, T. K. (2013). Promoting recovery-oriented
practice in mental health services: a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study. BMC
psychiatry, 13(1), 167.
Scott, A. L., Doughty, C., & Kahi, H. (2012). Peer Support Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Xie, H. (2013). Strengths-based approach for mental health recovery. Iranian journal of
psychiatry and behavioral sciences, 7(2), 5.