Trauma-Informed Emergency Management (TEM)According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
When someone has experienced trauma, [they] can be re-traumatized if emergency medical service providers, healthcare professionals, and community service providers are not aware of and sensitive to the possibility of re-traumatization. Emergency responders should be aware that individuals and communities may have experienced a variety of traumas in their lives and need to consider a survivor’s physical, psychological, and emotional safety and well-being after a disaster.
Trauma-informed organizations and emergency responders need to be sensitive to the potential impact that widespread trauma can have on individuals. An essential underpinning of trauma informed care and approach is the awareness that procedures and interactions can be re-traumatizing.
From Wolkin, Amy, DrPH, and Everett, Anita, MD, "Using Trauma-Informed Care to guide emergency Preparedness and response" | Blogs | CDC. (2018, August 15).
Trauma-informed emergency management can be applicable in many fields and disciplines including events and issues related to climate change, public health emergencies, economic changes, and the effects of violence and crime.
This guide includes resources to support the Trauma-Informed Emergency Management graduate program here at UMA. The program is "is rooted in the Emergency Management Cycle, recognizing the essential roles of preparedness, resilience, mitigation, adaptation, response, and recovery in all emergency management related fields. The program integrates a trauma-informed perspective, recognizing the substantial impact of trauma to individuals and communities, as well as to the emergency responders themselves" (UMA).
