The following table summarizing the key principles of Trauma-Informed Care is taken from Hopper, Bassuk, & Olivet, 2010, p. 83 – 84.

		Example Definitions of Trauma-Informed Care
Common Principles Across Definitions		Community Connections: Five Guiding Principles for Trauma-Informed Services [12]	NASMHPD*: Criteria for Building a Trauma-Informed Mental Health Service System	NCTSN**: Principles of Trauma-Informed Care for Children	NCFH***: Operating Principles for Trauma-Informed Organizational Self-Assessment	WCDVS****: Trauma-Informed or Trauma-Denied: Principles & Implementation of Trauma-Informed Services for Women [14].
Consensus-Based Principles Across Definitions		Theory-Based	Expert Trauma Panel	Experts	Theory-Based	Research-based
1. Trauma Awareness	a. Program philosophy and mission	.	Trauma function/ focus, trauma policy or position, financing for best practices, trauma-informed services, clinical practice guidelines for people with trauma histories, trauma-informed disaster planning, systems integration, research & data on trauma & evidence-based & best-practice treatment models, access to evidence-based & best-practice trauma treatment	.	Trauma awareness; basic understanding of trauma & triggers; includes staff training & supervision, educating consumers about trauma	Recognize the impact of trauma on development and coping
	b. Staff education, training, and consultation	.	Workforce orientation, training, support, competencies and job standards related to trauma; promote education of professionals in trauma	.	.	Emphasize trauma recovery as a primary goal
	c. Practices	.	Trauma screening and assessment; Trauma-specific services, including evidence-based and emerging best-practice treatment models	.	Integration (symptoms such as adaptive coping, integrating services, trauma-specific services)	.
	d. Recognition of vicarious trauma and staff self-care	.	.	.	.	.
2. Safety	a. Physical and emotional safety	Safety (physical and emotional)	.	Maintaining clear and consistent boundaries	Safety, basic needs, consistency, and predictability	Create an atmosphere of safety, respect, and acceptance
	b. Relationships: authentic, respectful, clear boundaries	Trustworthiness (clear tasks, consistent practices, staff-consumer boundaries)	.	[see Delivering services below]	Engagement: respectful nonjudgmental relationships, clear boundaries	Utilize a relational collaboration model. Growth is fostered by mutual, respectful, authentic relationships
	c. Avoid retraumatization	.	Procedures avoid retraumatization and reduce impacts of trauma	.	.	Minimize retraumatization
	d. Acceptance of and respect for diversity	.	Trauma policies and services that respect culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and socio-economic status	Delivering services in a nonjudgmental and respectful manner	Cultural competence	Work towards cultural competence, understand contextual factors
3. Choice & Empowerment	a. Choice and control	Choice: maximize consumer choice and control	Consumer/Trauma Survivor/ Recovering person involvement and trauma-informed rights	Maximizing choice and control for participants	Consumer control, choice and autonomy	Underscore consumers’ choice and control over recovery
	b. Empowerment model	Empowerment: prioritize consumer empowerment, skill-building, and growth	.	Avoiding provocation and power assertion	Open communication: provide information openly to consumers	Use an empowerment model
	c. Consumers involved in service development and evaluation	Collaboration: maximize collaboration and sharing of power between staff and consumers	.	Sharing power in the running of shelter activities	Shared power and governance	Involve consumers in design and evaluation of services
4. Strengths-based	Focus on strengths, resiliency	[see Empowerment above]	.	.	Healing, instilling hope	Highlight consumers’ strengths, adaptations, resiliencies

* NASMHPD= National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.

** NCTSN = National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

*** NCFH = National Center on Family Homelessness.

**** WCDVS = Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study.