Encyclopaedia Britannica
An ecosystem is the complex of living organisms, their physical environment and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space.
A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist retraumatization.
However, becoming a trauma-informed organisation is not a linear journey with a defined set of static organisational goals that can be achieved simply by putting in enough effort and resources and then ticked off as achieved. True trauma-informed practice recognizes the constant state of flux both within organisations and in their relationship with the wider communities. It evolves as external forces change, internal elements shift, and the relationships between them transform. The goal is to achieve a healthy trauma-informed ecosystem which recognises its interdependencies, strengths, and weaknesses, and can organise resources accordingly.
At any given time, each part of an organisation will be at a different point on the spectrum from Trauma Aware to Trauma Informed, continually moving and either strengthening or weakening their trauma-informed practices. These parts are interconnected, influencing and dependent on each other, and contributing to or detracting from a healthy ecosystem. For instance, the efforts of a highly trauma-informed team can be undermined by reception staff who lack trauma awareness, while a pleasant building environment can positively impact both staff and clients.
Similarly, an organisation’s trauma-informed ecosystem can be healthy, functional, and resilient under certain economic, social, and political conditions but may struggle under others. A resilient organisation will recognise the impact of change, be responsive enough to evolve to take advantage of them, and understand what is and isn’t possible. For instance, how will organisations take advantage of AI to become more trauma-informed?
Finally, an evolved trauma-informed organisation will understand its dependency on the quality of its relationships with all external agencies, how these relationships need nurturing, and how they will change.
Rock Pool offers a suite of training opportunities which you can dip into according to your current circumstances, from basic trauma awareness through to our Trauma-Informed Educators course, which creates and supports highly skilled trauma-informed advocates for your organisation.
For organisations that want to take a more in-depth approach, we can offer a tailor-made programme of consultancy and delivery to improve the overall health of your trauma-informed ecology and create the conditions for further long-term improvement. This programme can include the following elements:
- An audit of the health of your trauma-informed ecosystem, recommending appropriate training for staff teams
- Recommendations for a programme of appropriate training for staff teams
- Training and support for senior and middle managers/team leaders
- Tools to measure progress
- An audit of policies and practices – creating a good practice guide
- Support for staff in identifying and delivering realistic improvements – creating examples of best practice and improving the health of your organisation