If there’s one thing I wish people understood about trauma-informed change, it’s that this work is cyclical. There might be a clear beginning, but there’s never a definitive end.
Any journey towards large-scale community transformation starts with a single, significant step. And for our community members, that first step is generally a trauma-informed training program. But let’s get one thing straight: our programs are not just about training. The work we do here is so much more than just training; and learning through formal training events is only the beginning of an ongoing adventure toward sustainable change and resilience.
Imagine trying to build a house without a solid foundation. Scary thought, right? The trauma-informed framework we live and teach is that essential foundation for creating resilient communities and organizations, and trauma-informed training is the first step to building that foundation.
Training equips you with the knowledge and skills to understand how trauma impacts individuals and groups, shaping your approach to not only workforce development and leadership training (the buzzwords we often hear in this work!) but also your approach to the world.
Of course, your approach to the world impacts your performance at work—it also impacts your personal (and professional) relationships. How we approach the world can make us more or less able to cope with the stress of daily life, and, as a result, these foundational values and beliefs impact our ability to both set and achieve our goals.
I’ve been told more than once that my training program “saved a marriage.” And let’s be clear: I don’t take credit for that. I didn’t save that marriage. They did. What I did do is empower them to see how they possess the power to shape their own lives and change their approach.
Making this shift is challenging; however, it is a lot easier to make when you’re working with the latest knowledge that trauma-informed research has to offer. And, it’s easier still when the community around you has a shared goal and is willing to help hold you accountable.
When we talk about being “trauma-informed,” we’re talking about recognizing the widespread impact of trauma and understanding the importance of repair work. In fact, in our trauma-informed framework, we don’t stop the journey at “trauma-informed”—that milestone lies somewhere near the “middle” of implementation.
We take our clients on a journey that moves past trauma-informed toward healing-centered, person-first engagement. At this stage, we focus on fostering environments where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to thrive.
And that’s still not the end goal! After that, we move to whole systems transformation.
Of course, a one-time training program is not going to achieve whole systems transformation. However, by teaching this bigger-picture goal and equipping participants with both the knowledge and skills they need to work towards that goal, training serves as an important catalyst to change work.
In our current model of personal and professional development, we expect to have a single, clear topic to learn. I regularly see agencies holding sexual harassment training, wellness training, DEI training, sensitivity training, and more. These training programs are often required to attend, and yet, they have little impact in the long run.
The reason why trauma-informed training is so effective is the same reason that it is challenging to answer the question: “What is trauma-informed training really about?”
It is about so many things that are so deeply intertwined that they cannot be separated. Trauma-informed training is about our belief and value systems, including compassion, trust, safety, transparency, collaboration, and accountability. It is about resilience, wellness, and equity. It is about sustainable large-scale systems change that will transform individual lives and entire organizations. It is about getting unstuck, finding hope, and working towards a shared goal. It is about our shared humanity and how we can reclaim our power in order to improve our lives and the lives of those we touch.
If you’ve been through our training, then connecting the dots between these abstract concepts and the actionable tools we teach is clear. However, it is often challenging to communicate how a training program can teach these abstract ideas.
Yet, at the same time, understanding how all of these concepts tie into training helps us see how this work starts but never truly “ends.”
Taking that initial step into trauma-informed practices isn’t a one-time fix; it’s the start of an evolving journey. Systems change is cyclical; it never fully ends because our communities and organizations are always growing and adapting. Think of it as a continuous loop of learning, applying, evaluating, and refining.
In our model, we like to use the four E’s: Engage, Embed, Embody, and Evaluate. In order words, this cyclical process includes teaching and learning (engage), practicing (embed) until the trauma-informed approach becomes a way of being (embody), and examining your approach for continual growth (evaluate). Then, you readjust (engage), and the cycle continues.
At Chefalo Consulting, we help our clients navigate this cycle with passion-driven methods that go beyond just training events. Our multi-year change management programs are designed to transform organizational structures from within, creating long-lasting positive impacts on performance, teamwork, resilience, and community building.
Although we provide the support, this work asks a lot of our participants; because they must take time outside of training to push this work forward in their personal lives and organizations.
Trauma-informed implementation encompasses so much more than attending a workshop or training program (though those are great!). The goal of implementation is to build a healthier workplace culture. Implementation also includes:
Professional Development Opportunities: In and outside of training, employers should support continuing education opportunities for all staff.
Leadership Development: All levels of an agency must be on board for large-scale systems change to be effective. To achieve this shared goal, leaders must also be empowered to create change.
Employee Wellbeing & Wellness: If employees are not well, then they will struggle with their relationships, motivation, performance, and even their physical health. (Oh, and wellness is so much more than free pizza and yoga. True wellness involves the safety to accomplish deep personal development work.)
Community Building: Our relationships are incredibly important, and the relationships we have with our coworkers are crucial to both individual and organizational wellness. We help facilitate genuine connections that foster collective growth (in and out of training!).
Performance Enhancement: Every organization has a bottom line, and prioritizing employee wellness and resilience is a long-term investment that helps agencies achieve tangible improvements in their organizations’ effectiveness.
Resilience Building: When we increase our capacity to manage stress, we improve our resilience and can maintain access to critical thinking in times of need. In addition, we provide tools to help communities navigate and process traumatic events, including loss, violence, and sudden change.
Strategic Planning: We help our implementation clients create a “Core Team” of leaders and staff members. These Core Team members are all leaders in their own right, and they help guide implementation through strategic planning. Consulting retainers are most effective when our consultants can meet with an agency’s trained Core Team.
Sustainability: The goal of implementation is always long-term success and culture change. Although it takes time, changing workplace culture is possible–and it has incredible benefits.
We’ve seen firsthand how trauma-informed practices can revolutionize communities. Take Jane*, for example (*name changed for privacy). As a community leader struggling with limited resources and complex administrative systems, she felt stuck despite her drive to make positive changes. There were many people on her team who valued employee wellness, compassion, and DEI; yet the training they had done in the past seemed to only have a short-term impact. She knew that people cared, but they remained stuck.
After partnering with us to launch a multi-year systems change program in her organization (which included training, coaching, custom workshops, and more), Jane’s organization started seeing real results. Her team became more cohesive; their initiatives reached wider audiences; they built stronger partnerships within their community. Her staff and those her organization served began to see increased attendance and decreased incidents of violence and conflict. Turnover decreased, and other organizations began to look to Jane as a leader of positive change work (and rightfully so!).
Jane’s story isn’t unique! The trauma-informed framework we apply is backed by over 30 years of research and countless personal stories. When people see that training is just one part of this work, the world opens up to the possibility of larger change.
Many others have experienced similar transformations by embracing trauma-informed approaches as part of their professional development journeys.
Do you want to embark on this transformative path? Whether you’re looking at employee wellbeing strategies or seeking effective ways for community building–we’ve got your back!
Our doors (and virtual platforms) are always open for passionate individuals who want the best outcomes possible through resilient practices rooted in empathy. While we provide the teachers, trainers, and mentors, it is truly up to caring people with a passion for change like you who make this important change work possible.
If you’re ready to create spaces where everyone thrives together by starting strong—with trauma-informed training—then please reach out to our team! We will help you set up a training program and continue forward with implementation, because true systems change is indeed an everlasting cycle worth pursuing tirelessly!
Looking for options to bring this work to your agency on a limited budget? Check out our free resources!
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