Topic
Description
Practice tips 1 and 2: Screening and assessment, and recognizing signs and symptoms of trauma history
- “Screening and Assessment”: A comprehensive outline of why screening is important and key recommendations for effectively screening/assessing the patient’s history of trauma in a clinical setting
- “Screening Tools Help in Assessing Trauma”: An outline of screening tools for assessment of trauma
- Assessment and Treatment of PTSD: An outline of assessment tools to help providers screen and treat trauma
- “Conducting a Quick Screen for Trauma – Child Interview”: A video example of how to conduct a quick screen for trauma with a child
- “Conducting a Quick Screen for Trauma – Parent Interview”: A video example of how to conduct a quick screen for trauma with a parent
- “Screening Questionnaires and Checklists — Childhood Trauma Toolkit”: A list of screening tools for childhood trauma
Practice tip 3: Responding to signs and symptoms of current self-harm
- Understanding Self-Harm – for health professionals: Signs, symptoms, prevalence, and risk factors for self-harm that health professionals should be aware of
- Self-Harm: The Short-Term Physical and Psychological Management and Secondary Prevention of Self-Harm in Primary and Secondary Care: A comprehensive outline of recommendations for triage, treatment, and assessment of self-harm
Practice tip 4: Recognizing when someone has been triggered
- Grounding Techniques: Step-by-step guide and methods: A step-by-step guide to implementing grounding techniques and an explanation of when to use them
- Grounding Techniques: A list of grounding techniques for healthcare providers
- Grounding Activities and Trauma-Informed Practice: A fact sheet on grounding activities and trauma-informed practice
- Grounding Worksheet: A grounding worksheet with a list of grounding techniques and tips, as well as questions for users to answer to assist with their grounding
- Centre of Excellence for Women’s Care: Grounding Activities: A three-minute video explaining why grounding activities are important for trauma-informed care and the purpose of grounding techniques
Practice tip 5: Responding to disclosures
- Responding to a Sexual Assault Disclosure: Practice tips for nurses: An outline of sexual assault (what it is, statistics, why survivors have difficulties disclosing, common responses, and how to empower survivors). There is some guidance on reporting disclosures, as well
- Responding to trauma disclosure as a healthcare professional: A two-minute video overviewing some best practices for responding to trauma disclosures in a healthcare setting
- Trauma Informed Care – Disclosures and Care Transitions: A webpage with information about receiving disclosures, how to ask about trauma, and how to respond to disclosures
Practice tip 6: Risk assessment and referral
- Suicide Risk Assessment Tool Kit: A tool for healthcare workers and organizations: A short booklet explaining suicide risk, defining risk assessments, and outlining risk assessments and their applicability. There are several summary charts outlining risk assessment characteristics, reliability, and intended audience
- Suicide Risk Assessment Guide: A resource for health care organizations: An in-depth guide to understanding risk assessments, a comprehensive list of suicide risk assessment tools, and how to appropriately apply risk assessments
- Suicide Risk: Detecting and Assessing Suicidality: Examples of how to assess risk of suicidality, the severity of suicidal intent, and patient’s intent to act on suicidal thoughts
- A Clinician’s Guide to Suicide Risk Assessment and Management: An in-depth document with background information on suicide, suicide versus self-harm, risk assessments and their applicability, and management of patients exhibiting suicidality. There are several case studies for review, as well
- FYI Suicide Prevention Kit: This website provides a suicide prevention guide, an intervention infographic, and a prevention infographic. The guide is meant for the general public and aims to increase community awareness and prevention efforts. The infographics provide summaries of assessment tips
- Suicide Risk and Self-Harm Assessment Teaching activities and resources: A short overview of the prevalence, risk factors, and language of self-harm, including differences between suicidal behaviours and self-harm behaviours
- Treatment for Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm, and Suicide Attempts Among Youth: A large booklet providing key background information on self-harm and suicide, as well as a summary of current research on treatment options for self-harm and when they are best applied
- Self-Harm and Suicide: A webpage outlining self-harm and current research, including useful resources and a podcast to provide additional information
- Responding to child maltreatment: a clinical handbook for health professionals: The World Health Organization’s guide to responding to child maltreatment. This booklet outlines how health professionals can identify maltreatment in their daily practice, communicate with children and their caregivers about abuse, and learn how to appropriately respond
- Child Maltreatment: A “what to do” guide for professionals who work with children — Canada: A webpage built by the Government of Canada outlining reporting guidelines, prevention, intervention, and implications for practitioners that work with children who may have experienced maltreatment
- Identifying children exposed to maltreatment: a systematic review update: A review of current literature evaluating the accuracy of strategies for identifying children exposed to maltreatment
- Child abuse and neglect (nursing): This webpage provides a description of types of maltreatment and abuse, as well as common symptoms, causes, and risk factors for child maltreatment. There are also several suggestions for assessment based on the different types of maltreatment and how to manage it as a health professional
- Domestic Violence Resources Canada: A comprehensive webpage outlining resources across Canada that are available to women experiencing domestic violence, including shelters
- Get Help with Family Violence: A list of general organizations and institutions that may be able to support individuals with family violence
- Find family violence resources and services in your area: A list of national services and resources for family violence
- Women Abuse: Screening, Identification, and Initial Response: A nursing best practice guideline with practice, education, organization, and policy recommendations for the screening, identification, and response for abuse against women
- Canadian Network on Prevention of Elder Abuse: This website provides information regarding abuse of vulnerable adults in your location. The obligation to report abuse of vulnerable adults (e.g., elderly, developmentally disabled) depends upon the province or territory where the person who is experiencing abuse lives
General resources
- The Trauma Informed Toolkit, 2nd edition: 152-page document funded by the Government of Manitoba provides information on trauma and its impacts, and trauma informed culturally safe practices.
- “What are the 6 Principles of Trauma Informed Care?”
- “What is Trauma-Informed Care?”
- How Healthcare Providers Can Foster Resilience: Podcast on how healthcare professionals can practice and implement trauma-informed healthcare on an individual and systemic level
- “Creating Safe Health Care Environments for Patients and Staff”: A factsheet outlining recommendations for creating safe physical, social, and emotional environments for patients
- “Key Ingredients for Successful Trauma-Informed Care Implementation”: This 12-page document provides an overview of trauma, how to apply trauma-informed care, and examples of trauma treatment approach. Information is relevant to both healthcare organizations and providers
- “Creating a Culture of Safety: A guide for health centres”: A short guide outlining considerations for creating a safe environment for patients, specifically vulnerable populations. The information is primarily geared toward healthcare organizations but there is beneficial information for providers