It is not surprising that many people who struggle with mental illness and substance use disorder have experienced some form of profound trauma in their lives. Trauma is more common than many people think, and findings from the CDC on the prevalence of abuse-based trauma include:
It is not surprising that many people who struggle with mental illness and substance use disorder have experienced some form of profound trauma in their lives. Trauma is more common than many people think, and findings from the CDC on the prevalence of abuse-based trauma include:
●One in four women is a victim of domestic violence
●One in five women is a victim of rape
●One in 71 men is a victim of rape
●One in four children is a victim of abuse
Trauma can come from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. In other cases, trauma can come from exposure to natural disasters, the loss of a loved one, or the ongoing impact of historical trauma.
At Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, we recognize that people struggling with mental illness and addiction can be extremely vulnerable to the effects of trauma. Accordingly, we provide trauma-informed care that promotes a culture of safety, healing, and empowerment. By being mindful of each patient’s possible history of trauma and the ongoing effects of that trauma, we can help ensure that each patient achieves optimal treatment outcomes.
What Trauma-Informed Care Means
Trauma-informed care seeks to treat the whole personby taking into account any past trauma that patients have experienced and helping patients build coping mechanisms. By more fully understanding the impact of trauma on patients, the treatment team can better help patients improve their behavioral health.
At Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, we implement trauma-informed care practices simultaneously addressing patients’ underlying trauma as well as the behavioral health challenges that brought them into treatment. By doing so, we can more fully understand where the patient is coming from and help the patient learn effective and healthy strategies for healing.
Trauma-Informed Care and Best Practices
All of our programs are consistent with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) trauma-informed best practices, including
●Realizing the widespread impact of trauma and understanding potential paths for recovery
●Recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma in patients, families, and loved ones
●Responding by fully integrating trauma knowledge into policies, procedures, and practices
●Seeking to actively resist retraumatization
Retraumatization occurs when a patient recalls his past trauma and relives the past emotions and memories associated with that trauma. When people experience retraumatization, they can experience heightened anxiety and fear, and they may be unable to continue their treatment programs. Accordingly, avoiding episodes of retraumatization is important for ensuring a patient’s positive treatment outcome.
In addition to the above behavioral health best practices, we adhere to the five guiding principles of trauma-informed care. The five guiding principles ensure that we can implement trauma-informed care methods across clinical and non-clinical patient interactions. The five guiding principles of trauma-informed care are:
●Safety - We ensure that patients feel physically and emotionally safe during their treatment programs. Experiences of trauma almost always involve a lack of safety, and fostering a safe environment helps avoid retraumatization.
●Choice - We ensure that the patient knows they have a choice during treatment. Traumatic events often involve the patient not having control over a situation. We help avoid retraumatization by making sure patients know they can leave at any time and can decline any treatment session that makes them uncomfortable.
●Collaboration - We foster a collaborative relationship between patients and their care teams. During trauma, people often experience power-imbalances in their relationships, and we can help avoid retraumatization by including patients in the planning and review of their treatment plans.
●Trustworthiness - We build professional relationships with each patient on a foundation of trust. Trauma often involves the abuse of trust, and we work to avoid retraumatization by setting clear expectations and boundaries with each patient.
●Empowerment - We help empower patients to improve their behavioral health. As a result of trauma, patients may feel unable to enact change. To avoid having patients revisit those feelings, we build on each patient's strengths and develop self-advocacy.
It is through implementing the above practices that we can not only help patients find healing but also educate families and loved ones. We share best practices with each patient’s family members on how to improve their interactions with the patient and create a supportive home environment.
Learn More about Trauma-Informed Care in Reno
We provide trauma-informed therapy in Reno, NV, and the surrounding communities. Trauma-informed care is part of the culture at Reno Behavioral Health Hospital, and it is part of all that we do. We understand that trauma-informed care is vital to helping people who struggle with a history of trauma overcome their behavioral health issues.
We offer both outpatient programs for behavioral health treatment and inpatient residential trauma treatment programs. The best program for each patient depends on the level of care the patient needs. We also offer a range of customized programs, such as programs at our residential PTSD treatment center, for specific conditions. To see what program may be right for your or a loved one, take our free mental health assessment.
Many people do not fully understand the effects of trauma or how experiences of trauma impact a patient years into the future. Through public education, prevention, early detection, and trauma-informed care programs, people can better manage their trauma and receive the help they need.
In addition to helping patients, Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital works to help the public learn more about mental health. To learn more about mental health and about how we operate, visit our mental health FAQ page.
If you or a loved one is struggling with mental illness, contact Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital today. Help is only a phone call away.