Creating a Trauma-Informed School of Social Work: Curriculum, Policies and Practices and University-Community Partnerships

A trauma-informed school of social work recognizes that individuals and communities have likely experienced adversity, trauma, inequities and discrimination. Being trauma-informed requires a comprehensive, whole-school approach to neutralize the environment by preventing re-traumatization of students, personnel and others in the school's community. A school-wide trauma-informed approach involves not only making structural changes, but also ensuring individual interactions are anchored in safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and empowerment with an intentional focus on promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, belonging and justice. This chapter will explore a model for schools of social work to be trauma-informed through three foundational and four relational areas of functioning and provide concrete examples within each area. The chapter will also provide a case example of how a graduate school of social work made the initial transition and continues to work toward being a trauma-informed school.