Trauma Informed and Subtance Use Mental Health Care

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The prevalence and consequences of trauma—experiences that overwhelm one’s ability to cope and have lasting consequences on health and wellbeing across the lifespan—have motivated policymakers at all levels to pursue trauma-informed approaches (TIAs) and, more recently, healing-centered practices. TIAs focus on recognizing the impact of trauma and promoting resilience through organizational change, while healing-centered engagement expands this work by emphasizing strengths, culture, and collective power. These approaches have gained traction across multiple policy domains, including education, public health, child welfare, violence prevention, substance use, and criminal justice. Since 2015, TIAs have been included in at least 22 federal policies and promoted through initiatives such as statewide offices (e.g., Hawaii) and citywide training programs (e.g., Chicago). Implementation has proven challenging, however. A wide range of experiences can be traumatic, making prevention of trauma complex. Additionally, many public systems—such as education, health, and criminal justice—not only respond to trauma but may also produce it. These dynamics limit the usefulness of one-size-fits-all approach and demand nuanced, collaborative policy responses. The very nature of trauma necessitates cross-sector collaboration in both policy development and implementation.

This panel draws on three empirical studies from Illinois to explore how cross-sector collaboration, implementation infrastructure, and funding mechanisms shape the translation of trauma-informed and healing-centered frameworks into actionable policy at the state and local levels. In a qualitative case study, presenter one explores how district administrators and managers in Chicago Public Schools navigated the implementation of school Medicaid expansion to support trauma-informed and healing-centered mental health services, highlighting staffing, licensure, and cross-sector alignment challenges and strategies. Presenter two details the mixed-methods evaluation of the REACH initiative–a collaboration between the state board of education and an academic medical center–designed to support k-12 schools (n=974) statewide in developing trauma-responsive systems. Presenter three leverages longitudinal field observations to examine how a cross-sector collaborative worked to make the state of Illinois trauma-informed and healing centered, focusing on how members defined and operationalized these approaches at scale across the state. These studies interrogate how TIAs and healing-centered practices are taken up in policy and practice across sectors, with an eye toward the unique collaborations that facilitate implementation. Together, they illuminate the complexities, tensions, and potential of institutionalizing healing in state and local policy.

Policy Area

• Health Policy

Secondary Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Bethany J. Elston, The University of Chicago

Discussant

• Colleen Cicchetti, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Organizer

• Lara Altman, Northwestern University

Individual Presentations

• Expanding Trauma-Informed and Healing Centered Supports in Chicago Public Schools - Presenting Author: Caroline Kelly, The University of Chicago

• A Model to REACH Trauma-Responsive Schooling in Illinois - Presenting Author: Mashana Smith, Northwestern University

• Flying the Plane While We’re Building It: Defining and Operationalizing a Trauma-Informed, Healing Centered Illinois - Presenting Author: Lara Altman, Northwestern University