BCAPOP Member-Only Perinatal Community of Practice: Trauma-informed Practice for Perinatal Professionals

The goal of trauma-informed practice (TIP) is to avoid re-traumatizing individuals and to support safety, choice, and control in our interactions, so our clients can benefit from our services and enhance their strengths and skills. TIP involves awareness of the effects of trauma, how to translate this awareness into one’s practice, as well as organizational commitment. The need for, and benefits of, trauma informed approaches continue to be noted: to promote engagement, achieve equity goals, and support worker resilience. This presentation will provide an update on trauma informed approaches, touch on how organizational culture and practices matter in the enactment of TIP, and invite reflection and discussion on the implications for participants’ work.

Learning objectives:

• To increase awareness of current developments regarding trauma informed practice, in contexts similar to pregnancy outreach programs
• To highlight how organizations are becoming trauma informed by putting in place policies that support worker wellness and resilience
• To share practice resources which may be helpful when enacting trauma informed practice in the context of pregnancy outreach programs

Presenter: Nancy Poole, PhD LLD (Hon.)

Nancy is the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, and the Prevention Lead for the CanFASD Research Network.  Nancy has co-developed toolkits and training curricula on trauma-informed practice with agencies and governments across Canada, and teaches on trauma informed practice for the Justice Institute of BC.