Over 2 years ago, the Board of Directors and Senior Management at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay made a commitment to become a Center of Excellence in providing Trauma Informed Care. 

Trauma Informed Care is a framework that includes acknowledgement of the prevalence and impact of violence and trauma on human development and behavior.  It implies that staff sensitively engage people with histories of trauma, recognize the role that trauma has played in their lives, and address potential physical and emotional symptoms.  Trauma Informed Care seeks to change the paradigm from one that asks, "What's wrong with you?" to one that asks, "What has happened to you?" with principles that include safety, choice, collaboration, inclusiveness, trustworthiness, transparency, and empowerment.  

The framework is applied to how staff members treat those seeking help AND each other, so the process involves top-down, bottom-up culture change for the organization. Trauma Informed Care champions the notion that survivors of trauma can not only recover, but can also build resiliency. 

In order to become a center of excellence in providing Trauma Informed Care, the Crisis Center  examined and revamped all aspects of planning, organization, leadership, communications, employee practices, and external relations to be in keeping with trauma sensitive practices and principles. 

It has been an extensive process and more work is being done, but the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay has become a trauma informed organization.  A committee comprised of Board Members, staff and volunteers have developed specific, measureable goals, benchmarks, and internal assessments to determine progress in establishing a culture of trauma informed care. In addition, the Training & Outreach department provides trauma informed education in the community and to Crisis Center employees and volunteers.   

Our dedication to providing trauma informed care is just one example of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay's commitment to delivering top quality care to people in their time of crisis. If you've never been to the Crisis Center for a tour, we'd like to invite you to join us. To learn more about Crisis Center tours, please click HERE.