Trauma-Informed Care Principles & Practices Flashcards

A 9-year-old survivor of domestic violence repeatedly draws pictures of houses on fire during art therapy. A trauma-informed interpretation of this behavior is:

Answer: Possible trauma narrative processing through symbolic expression

Children often use symbolic and creative expression to process traumatic experiences, and such drawings should be understood within the context of the child's history.

Which of the following best illustrates the trauma-informed principle of 'empowerment, voice, and choice' in a residential setting?

Answer: Youth participate in creating house rules and provide input on their daily schedule

Empowerment is practiced when children have genuine opportunities to exercise agency in decisions that affect their daily lives.

Developmental trauma, as distinct from single-incident PTSD, is characterized by:

Answer: Chronic, repeated interpersonal trauma occurring within caregiving relationships

Developmental trauma involves repeated trauma within caregiving systems during critical developmental periods, profoundly affecting attachment, self-regulation, and identity.

A trauma-informed consultant is training a child welfare team. Which statement about trauma triggers is most accurate?

Answer: Triggers are sensory or situational cues that activate trauma-related survival responses

Triggers are conditioned cues — sensory, emotional, or situational — that activate the nervous system's threat-response based on past trauma associations.

In the context of trauma-informed care, 'restorative practices' in schools serve primarily to:

Answer: Repair relationships and community harm while addressing root causes of behavior

Restorative practices focus on repairing relational harm and rebuilding community, which aligns with trauma-informed principles of safety and connection.

A child welfare professional feels emotionally numb, detached from clients, and stops finding meaning in their work after months of caseload exposure. This is most consistent with:

Answer: Compassion fatigue / secondary traumatic stress

Emotional numbing, detachment, and loss of meaning in work are hallmark signs of compassion fatigue, which includes secondary traumatic stress symptoms.

Which approach best reflects the trauma-informed principle of 'peer support' within an agency serving traumatized youth?

Answer: Training and employing youth with lived experience as peer mentors or advocates

Peer support in trauma-informed care involves individuals with lived experience providing relational support, which uniquely promotes hope and reduces shame.