Gonzalez-Pons, KwynnSpence-Almaguer, Emily MSW, PhDThomas, PatsyHagan, Nancy2019-08-222019-08-222016-03-232016-03-02https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12503/26811Purpose: The Mental Health Connection (MHC) of Tarrant County supports the incorporation of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) practices for all organizations serving trauma survivors. Trauma-informed organizations are able to respond to signs of trauma using specific policies, practices, procedures, and knowledge aimed at preventing re-traumatization (SAMHSA, 2015). The MHC conducted a survey regarding the current state of TIC incorporation within various organizations in order to gauge the community’s current ability to provide comprehensive trauma-informed care. The purpose of this study was to determine how effectively the principles of TIC were implemented in the MHC’s organizations. Methods: The MHC TIC survey was administered to 495 participants, representing over 60 organizations. The survey prompted employees to report the level of TIC implementation in various areas of their organization. Response frequencies were determined and composite variables were created for five key areas: policy, leadership, organization structure, training, and finance. Within each category, the top, moderate, and lowest progress items were identified to determine which aspects of TIC were implemented effectively and which could be improved. Responses relating to the participants’ confidence levels and most recent TIC trainings were further analyzed. Results: The results indicated that the top policy, organizational structure, and training items were better implemented than the top leadership and finance items. Within policy, 64% of respondents reported that confidentiality measures were effectively implemented. Furthermore, the difference in the mean response for policy items was significant at the 90% confidence level between those who did and did not participate in TIC training. Those who participated in TIC training were also significantly (95% confidence level) more confident in their ability to provide TIC than those who did not participate. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that employees who participated in TIC training were more confident in their ability to provide trauma-informed care than those who did not receive training. Apart from highlighting the importance of TIC training, the respondents reported areas where participating organizations were excelling, as well as areas of improvement. Overall, the study reinforces the importance of TIC training and avenues for further item implementation that will aid organizations in becoming fully trauma-informed.application/pdfenposter