Happy Holidays!
In my work with the Greater Richmond Trauma Informed Community Network, I work with organizations on becoming more trauma informed. One of the areas we look at it is how sensitive an organization's physical space is to the needs of those who've experienced trauma and ACES. Is this physical space adding additional stress to an already overwhelmed individual? How is the space promoting psychological as well as physical safety? Are there opportunities in this space to promote wellness and regulation? For many, especially those who are new to this work, these questions may be hard to answer. Some may struggle with what these concepts actually look like in practice. How do I make my waiting room more sensitive to the needs of those who've experienced trauma / ACES?
Attached is a copy of a tool we found several years ago when we were looking for additional methods to evaluate the physical environment of an organization. The tool is set up in a check-list format, and provides a wide range of things to consider about an organization's physical space if you're being trauma informed vs non-trauma informed. This is just one of many ways we might evaluate the physical space of an organization.
We would love to hear what tools or methods you are using when assessing the physical environment of an organization? Are there any assessment tools that you have found helpful and would be willing to share? We welcome your comments and feedback.
**Our plan is to provide (at least) one Community Manager post each week in the Becoming Trauma-Informed and Beyond Community that may contain information we've gathered, conversation starters for our community, updates about our work, etc. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to participate in discussions!
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