Foundations of Trauma-Informed Care: Assessment and Stabilization

Trauma is not a specialty — it is a context that shapes every clinical encounter. This 3-hour continuing education course provides licensed mental health professionals with a rigorous foundation in trauma-informed care: the neurobiology of traumatic stress, the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences, the six principles of trauma-informed care (safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, cultural sensitivity), trauma-informed assessment approaches, and the specific clinical adaptations that transform standard interventions into genuinely trauma-responsive care. The course addresses the difference between trauma-specific treatment and trauma-informed practice — and why every clinician working in mental health, regardless of specialty, needs both. Includes attention to secondary traumatic stress and organizational trauma-informed systems.