This page has links to resources that have a specific focus on trauma-informed care.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) “is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation”. SAMHSA was established in 1992 by Congress with the goal of making information on mental health and substance more accessible.

1. 1. SAMHSA’s TIP 57 Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services is a manual to help behavioral health professionals understand the impact of trauma on those who experience it. It includes patient assessment and treatment planning strategies which support recovery and the development of trauma-informed care.
   2. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach is a manual designed for organizations to implement a trauma-informed approach.

• The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) is devoted to sharing and disseminating knowledge regarding the effects of trauma as well as policies, programs, and services that seek to reduce the consequences of  traumatic stress. Their site includes a helpful “Trauma Basics” page that can be helpful for anyone who is unfamiliar with the effects of trauma. 

• The National Center for PTSD is a resource and education center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) housed within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It was created in 1989 in response to a congressional mandate (PL 98-528) with the goal of helping veterans and other trauma survivors with PTSD.

• The Crisis Prevention Institute provides training to organizations that is evidence-based, person-centered, and trauma-informed; their website features information regarding implementation of trauma-informed care. A free resource guide is available to download from The Crisis Prevention Institute website – CPI Resources Guide: Trauma-Informed. Additionally, there is information on how schools can adopt trauma-informed approaches which is crucial for students who have experienced trauma – How Trauma-Informed Schools Help Every Student Succeed.

• The National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is a national campaign with the mission to “raise the standard of care and improve access to services to traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States”. The NCTSN is funded by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and jointly coordinated by UCLA and Duke University. The NCTSN has valuable resources on its website including this guide for trauma-informed school systems – Essential Elements of Trauma-Informed education.

• The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) focuses on policy design and implementation, specifically for people with Medicaid. The CHCS Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center is a one-stop information hub for trauma-informed care. CHCS created a brief and useful video which explains “What is Trauma-Informed Care?”

• National Network For Youth (NN4Y) was founded in 1976 and is “dedicated to preventing and eradicating youth homelessness in America”. The National Network for Youth provides a simplified toolkit of the assumptions about trauma and the guiding principles – Trauma-Informed Care 101.

• The New York State Trauma Informed Network & Resource Center through the Office of Mental Health offers connections to resources, events, and community.

• The National Center on Family Homelessness is an organization committed to ending homelessness. They created the Trauma-Informed Organizational Toolkit which is a useful toolkit that includes a self-assessment tool, a user guide, and a how-to manual for organizational change.

• The Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Trauma-informed Social Work Practice is a non0mandatory guide created by the CSWE in 2012 that discusses the importance of trauma-informed practices as well as outlines competencies to practice from a trauma-informed standpoint.