“If we do not understand and integrate the shaping power of institutions, social norms, economic systems, oppression, and privilege alongside the profound influences of family and community, we will not fully understand trauma or how to heal from it. We will not understand how to prevent it.”

-Staci K. Haines

If you’re reading this newsletter, we’re guessing that you’ve heard of Trauma-Informed Practices (TIP) before. Advocates for TIP, like us here at AE, encourage using these practices whenever you’re in an environment where someone might have experienced trauma. And it turns out that’s just about everywhere.

Folks of all backgrounds have experienced trauma, which we define as when circumstances overwhelm someone’s ability to cope. Given the widespread nature of trauma, using TIP is an important skill set to develop when working with people to avoid retraumatization. Here are common ways that retraumatization occurs, at both a person level and system level, shared by the Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (2021):

• Not being seen/heard
• Non-transparence and veiled truths
• Doing things for rather than with
• Punitive treatment, coercive practices, and oppressive language
• Racial profiling
• Being non-collaborative
• Victim-blaming
• Non-acknowledgement of historical narratives
• Microaggressions
• Non-inclusive language and messaging
• Non-acknowledgement of power dynamics
• No access to services

• Having to continually retell their story
• Being treated as a number
• Being seen as a label 
• No choice in service or treatment
• Non-acknowledgement of work-related stress
• Practices without accessibility considerations
• Isolation or exclusionary practices
• Marginalizing practices
• Practices with cultural consideration
• “Isms” and phobias

Because TIPs are so important to avoid re-traumatizing others, we wanted to offer a refresher. There are six principles of Trauma-Informed Practices: 

1. Safety: Creating the conditions for the person you’re working with to feel physically and psychologically safe.
2. Trustworthiness and transparency: Making decisions on a personal or organizational level with transparency; building and maintaining trust with the person you’re working with. 
3. Peer support: Providing peer support and mutual self-help through shared experience. 
4. Collaboration and mutuality: Working together, in relationship and community, to heal, share power, and make decisions together.
5. Empowerment, voice, and choice: Offering choices that empower; acknowledging power imbalances; creating goals based on the person’s strengths and resources, rather than problems. 
6. Cultural and historical issues: Examining, personally and organizationally, oppressive practices or internalized habits of mind that may retraumatize others. 

How many of these trauma-informed principles do you or your organization already practice? How might you be able to incorporate more of them into your work?

We use these practices to help people who have experienced trauma feel safer, heal, grow, and rebuild connection.



Every summer, Multnomah County offers college students dozens of opportunities to intern across county programs and departments through a program called College to County (C2C). We wanted to feature the work of one intern, Pardeep Kaur.

Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to join the College to County program.

I am the College to County DCHS Workforce Wellness Intern and have been working with Lesley Delapaz, the DCHS Trauma Informed Coordinator, this summer. I recently graduated with a degree in public health with minors in biology and business. Last year, I had the opportunity to intern in the Behavioral Health Division as the Community Mental Health Program (CMHP) Operations Intern, which brought to my attention the impactful work done by the county across the departments. During my senior year at Willamette, I completed an internship with Trauma Informed Oregon for my capstone project, where I focused my research on Burnout Mitigation for Healthcare Professionals in a Trauma Informed and Culturally Relevant Manner, and that’s what led me to the DCHS Workforce Wellness Internship where I felt I could develop skills in combating burnout and promoting wellness outside of a research standpoint and more at a practical level.

What can you tell us about what you did over the course of your internship?

In July, I began coordinating weekly wellness activities in six different buildings with DCHS employees, which looked like two 15-minute sessions of outdoor walks and an additional session with an alternating activity such as chair yoga, breathwork, and journaling. While those sessions were happening three times a week, I developed a three-part burnout mitigation training as a virtual offering that discussed drivers of burnout, various impacts, mitigation methods, and county wellness resources. I also did 15-minute virtual activities on Mondays and Fridays for those who could not attend the in-person wellness sessions.

What is something everyone should know about Trauma-Informed Practices?

Empathy for others and yourself goes a long way. It's a show of respect because if mistakes are made, having that as a foundation can help with the transparency aspect of giving yourself the grace to learn and move forward with new knowledge on navigating situations with a trauma-informed lens.

Scene from the Butchart Garden, a place that brings Pardeep peace. Photo credit Pardeep Kaur.

What could people do to improve mental and emotional health in the workplace?

It can sound redundant, but taking time for yourself and being honest about how you’re feeling is essential. Identifying how you begin to feel when burnout starts to set in and taking that step back to take the time you need because you deserve to do that for yourself can be helpful. Techniques for improving mental and emotional health in the workplace can be as simple as taking three deep breaths to switch on your parasympathetic nervous system and get your mind in a calmer space to work through situations. Think about what makes you feel centered or an activity you look forward to doing, and make time to incorporate that into your day because it can make things feel less overwhelming. If you think wellness supports need to be improved at a broader level, practice transparency by communicating with leadership and voicing those concerns or improvement efforts; the Workforce Wellness Internship position directly resulted from staff expressing a need for more wellness programs.

Find out more about the C2C program and be sure to check back in March for next summer's openings!

Somatic Practices

The term “Somatics” was coined by professor and theorist Thomas Hanna in 1976 and it has come to represent a field of movement studies and bodywork that foregrounds the internal physical sensations, perceptions, and experiences of the body. There are many types of somatic practices, therapies, and interventions– some you can do on your own, and others are intended to be done with a trained therapist. Here are a few examples with short videos linked so you can try for yourself.

Grounding Exercises These anchor you to the present moment and can help ease anxiety.

Breathing Techniques These can calm the nervous system, bring oxygen to the brain, and slow the heart rate.

Yoga Mind, body, and spiritual practice originating in ancient India which can increase flexibility and connect breathing to movement.

Body Scanning Noticing what is happening in the body to build awareness about where in your body tension is held.

Shaking Out Tension Letting go of tension by shaking the body to loosen tense muscles.

Tapping/Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) This technique involves tapping on meridian points to open energy flow.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) This treatment for PTSD is best done with a therapist.

Feel free to try these techniques and then use our poll at the bottom the newsletter to tell us which one you found most useful and want to learn about further.

Fall Features

Read more about Huerta and/or watch this short biographical video.

September begins with Labor Day, and September 15 marks the start of National Hispanic and Latiné Heritage Month, so it's the perfect time to recognize the contributions of Dolores Huerta. A former school teacher, Huerta joined forces with César Chávez to cofound the United Farm Workers Association. It was Huerta that came up with the rallying cry of 'Sí Se Puede' that could be heard during a grape workers strike to demand better working conditions like accessible drinking water and toilets and breaks during the workday. Huerta's legacy of advocacy continues today through her foundation, which champions the rights of underrepresented populations to create a more equitable and inclusive society for all.

Indigenous Peoples' Day, celebrated on the second Monday of October, honors the rich history and culture of native peoples in Oregon. You can celebrate this day by attending events, visiting museums, or learning about the 14,000 years of Native Culture in Oregon. Indigenous Peoples' Day encourages reflection on the past and present and aims to work towards a future where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

To vote in the November 5 election, you must be registered to vote in Oregon by October 15, 2024. In Washington you must register online by October 28 or in person November 5, 2024. Check out Vote.gov for more information.

Which somatic practices have you tried and found useful? We'll share month next month about the most popular practices!

We have launched the Blended Learning Video Series to contracted community partners!

Thursday, October 24th | 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. PST 

https://www.multco.us/assertive-engagement