Trauma-informed approaches within primary care can support more effective care for individuals with a history of trauma, improve patient outcomes, and increase staff satisfaction. This change package is a comprehensive toolkit developed by trauma-informed care experts and refined through pilot testing at seven primary care organizations across the United States. It outlines foundational change management strategies to create the conditions for successful change within primary care organizations, including: developing a core implementation team; ensuring continued leadership support; and conducting an organizational self-assessment.
After initiating the change management strategies, organizations can use the following implementation strategies: (1) help all individuals feel safety, security, and trust; (2) develop a trauma-informed workforce; (3) build compassion resilience in the workforce; (4) identify and respond to trauma among patients; and (5) finance and sustain trauma-informed approaches in primary care. For each of these strategies, the toolkit offers resources to address action steps, tools, key considerations, checklists, quick tips, sample scripts, and case examples. This change package is designed for a diverse range of primary care settings with varying sizes, populations served, levels of behavioral health integration, and staff compositions.