Sabin Fernbacher, Sandra Boughton and Joanne Switserloot
You can read an abstract of the presentation here.
This session focused on the implementation of Trauma Informed Care (TIC) from both a clinician’s and consumer’s point of view. It was based on the experiences of a Mental Health Services inpatient unit in Melbourne’s North Area. You can read the abstract here.
Trauma Informed Care is the thorough understanding of the profound neurological, psychological and social effects of trauma on an individual.
Joanne, who has a lived experience of trauma and mental health issues, spoke of her experience receiving mental health services without TIC. She said that if TIC had existed when she was unwell, she would have had a more positive experience of mental health services. In addition, her illness would have had a less profound impact on her family.
There are several factors that need be considered when implementing TIC in an inpatient ward. These include management support, providing education to service providers, and forming a core leadership group with the knowledge and skills of TIC. In addition, the creation of a Safety Nursing role can help reduce seclusion and restraint.
An external provider currently oversees the implementation of TIC within the inpatient unit, which has resulted in several challenges. These include the external provider lacking intimate knowledge of how the ward works, clunky consumer involvement, and a lack of overall experience (as this was the first site that was trained to use TIC).
TIC is currently being implemented through the orientation of new staff, with posters about TIC being put up in wards and introduced to patients.
You can read more about TIC here.
