Trauma-Informed Care and Practices Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the core principle of trauma-informed care?

Answer: Shift from asking 'What is wrong with you?' to 'What happened to you?'

Trauma-informed care reframes the perspective from pathology-focused to understanding that behaviors are often responses to past traumatic experiences.

According to SAMHSA's framework, which of the following is NOT one of the six key principles of trauma-informed care?

Answer: Mandatory trauma disclosure

SAMHSA's six principles include safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity — never mandatory disclosure, which would re-traumatize individuals.

A recovery support specialist notices a peer becomes suddenly agitated and withdrawn during a group session. A trauma-informed response would be to:

Answer: Calmly check in privately, offer a break, and ensure the peer feels safe

A trauma-informed response prioritizes safety and de-escalation by quietly checking in, which avoids public confrontation that could worsen distress.

What is 'secondary traumatic stress' (STS) as it relates to recovery support specialists?

Answer: Emotional strain resulting from exposure to peers' traumatic stories and experiences

Secondary traumatic stress occurs when helpers absorb the emotional weight of others' trauma, leading to symptoms similar to PTSD in the support worker.

Which trauma response pattern is often misidentified as 'non-compliance' or 'resistance' in recovery settings?

Answer: Hypervigilance and avoidance behaviors

Hypervigilance and avoidance are common trauma responses that can look like resistance or non-engagement but are actually protective survival mechanisms.

The concept of 'retraumatization' in a recovery support setting most commonly refers to:

Answer: Practices or interactions that unintentionally trigger or worsen previous trauma

Retraumatization occurs when environmental triggers, power imbalances, or insensitive interactions recreate the conditions of past trauma, worsening the individual's distress.

Which of the following best supports a trauma-informed environment in a peer support setting?

Answer: Informing peers about what to expect, who is present, and reasons for procedures

Providing transparency about processes and expectations builds trust and reduces the unpredictability that often triggers trauma responses in survivors.