Becoming more trauma-informed: an exploration of family service Regina’s trauma-informed practice

Abstract

This paper is a reflection of my MSW field practicum placement at Family Service Regina (FSR), an accredited, non-profit community agency that offers a variety of supportive services including professional counselling, education, planning and advocacy for vulnerable individuals and families within the community of Regina, Saskatchewan. The objectives of this practicum were to: 1) develop an understanding of trauma-informed practice and identify options and strategies for Family Service Regina (FSR) to consider in adopting a trauma-informed practice as part of the Agency’s service delivery system; and, 2) develop skills in program development and evaluation. The bulk of this practicum placement was focused on generating an agency evaluation report including recommendations for FSR to consider as they move toward incorporating a trauma-informed approach. This final practicum report includes a literature review on trauma-informed organizations, data gathered from interviews of FSR partner organizations, a survey of staff and management to evaluate FSR’s current strengths and gaps, individual interviews of management staff, and focus groups.