Trauma-Informed Approaches: 

Federal Activities and Initiatives

Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma 

A Working Document / Second Report 

SEPTEMBER 2013 
Note: The views reflected in this report only reflect 

those of the authors or speakers, and not 

of their agencies or institutions of employment.
Page 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Preface .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 7

The Federal Partners Committee: A Model for Cross-Agency Collaboration ........................... 8

The Importance of Survivor Voice and Participation ................................................................. 8

A Common Framework for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach .................................. 9

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and 

Traumatic Brain Injury (DCOE) ................................................................................................... 11

Family Advocacy Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (FAP) ....................... 13

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, 

Office of the Secretary of Defense (SAPRO) .............................................................................. 15

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED) 

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) ....................................................................................................... 17

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) ............................................................ 19

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS) 

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Family Violence Prevention and Services ....... 21

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) ............................................................... 23

Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Women’s Health (HRSA OWH) ........ 25

National Institutes of Health (NIH) .............................................................................................. 27

Office on Women’s Health (OWH) .............................................................................................. 29

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ................................ 31

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health 

Services (CMHS) ........................................................................................................................ 33

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse 

Treatment (CSAT) ....................................................................................................................... 35

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) 

Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) ............................................................ 37

 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

National Institute of Corrections (NIC) ........................................................................................ 39

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) ............................................... 41

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) ............................................................................................... 43

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) ................................................................................ 45

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Office of Worklife, Leave, and Benefits Policy & Programs (OWLBPP)...................................... 47

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) .......................................................................... 49

Women’s Bureau ........................................................................................................................ 51

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (DVA) .............................................................. 53 

PEACE CORPS .......................................................................................................................... 55 

WHITE HOUSE OFFICE ON NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY (ONDCP) ...................... 57 

Additional Committee Members .................................................................................................. 59

The Work of the Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma...................................... 62

The Roundtables and Webinar Series .................................................................................... 62

The Coordinating Committees ................................................................................................. 63

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 65

Federal Partner Committee Members ......................................................................................... 66

Agenda Roundtable I .................................................................................................................. 70

Agenda Roundtable II ................................................................................................................. 72
Page 5

Preface 

In the early 1990s, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

began a series of initiatives to raise awareness regarding the increasing numbers of women 

who had experienced violence and trauma, frequently beginning in childhood, who were seeking 

services from public mental health and substance abuse programs. Initially, attention focused 

on the pervasiveness of the problem, with more than 80-90 percent of women seeking services 

reporting histories of violence. Troubling manifestations of traumatic stress included physical 

health consequences and precipitous spiritual questioning as well as psychiatric and substance 

use disorders. For women survivors, addressing trauma issues often involved the entire 

spectrum of public health services, including supported “safe” housing, education and 

employment assistance, family welfare supports, criminal justice involvement and/or victim 

assistance programs, and programs for female combat veterans. 

At the time, existing providers and service systems lacked the capacity to assist women with 

histories of abuse and trauma. Problems included a widespread lack of screening or 

assessment for trauma; lack of training in clinical and community-based trauma treatment; and 

misdiagnosis, under-diagnosis or failure to diagnose trauma as the issue underlying a wide 

range of problems. Even when correctly diagnosed, trauma was typically viewed as one episode 

in the lives of women, rather than an ongoing series of events woven throughout the life cycle. 

Little or no attention was paid to the inter-generational cycle of trauma that kept recurring within 

trauma-impacted families and communities, often spanning several generations. 

To address these issues, SAMHSA sponsored a five-year “Women, Co-Occurring Disorders 

and Violence” Study (1998-2003) to develop and evaluate new trauma service paradigms. 

This study was the first large-scale federal research project to involve trauma survivors as 

partners in research design, implementation and analysis. The study demonstrated that trauma 

requires a central focus in treatment and needs to be integrated into the provision of related 

public health and social services. It showed that empowering women to tell their own stories 

was both healing and a powerful force for change. New gender-specific group psychosocial 

empowerment and education counseling models introduced in the study are now evidencebased interventions that have been widely applied with significant impact on the recovery of 

women trauma survivors. 

The “Us and Them” thing started to fade as mutual respect and acceptance 

began to take over. We felt heard and were able to hear. Together we 

worked toward solutions and answers... 

Susan, Trauma Survivor, 

SAMHSA’s Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study
The Women, Co-Occurring Disorders and Violence Study helped to spark national interest and 

action. Survivors, advocates, and providers across the country began to explore new ways of 

responding to trauma. It soon became clear that in addition to expanding access to trauma 

treatment modalities, existing services and systems would need to fundamentally re-think how 

they conceptualized and responded to a wide range of problems previously not seen as traumarelated. The distinction between “trauma-specific services” and “trauma-informed care,” first 

made by Maxine Harris and Roger Fallot, provided a new way of conceptualizing the response 

to trauma. Current interest in “trauma-informed” approaches grew from a variety of sources, 

including the stories and voices of survivors, research on trauma and violence, the emergence 

of evidence-based trauma treatment models, and social and political action to prevent and 

respond more effectively to violence. In 2004, SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed 

Care (NCTIC) was funded to provide technical assistance to local and national public health 

programs interested in using a trauma-informed organizational paradigm to guide the 

development of program structure and service delivery. This SAMHSA support marked a major 

transition in the field from a focus on trauma and trauma-specific treatments to the recognition 

that knowledge about trauma and its impact could be translated into a set of principles 

applicable across a very wide range of services and settings. 

The Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma was formed in 2009, in response to 

the President's Executive Order 13263 (2002), which established the President’s New Freedom 

Initiative Commission on Mental Health: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2002-05-03/pdf/02-

11166.pdf. The Federal Partners Committee, first established as a Work Group, has been 

instrumental in stimulating interest in trauma-informed approaches with its more than 30 federal 

member agencies and in the people and organizations they influence through grants and 

contracts, training and education, research, and regulatory and policymaking responsibilities. 

The trauma-informed approach has gained converts very rapidly, not only across the United 

States but in a number of different countries and international programs. 

In June, 2011, the Federal Partners Committee published a monograph documenting the scope 

and impact of trauma on women and girls across all involved agencies, and issuing a call to 

action. This new report describes the substantial progress that has been made since that time. 

It also demonstrates the collective impact of cross-agency collaboration. We look forward to the 

continued work of the Committee in addressing this critically important topic. 

Susan Salasin, Founding Chair, 2009-2012 (DHHS/SAMHSA) 

Carol Boyer, Chair, 2012 - present (DOL/ODEP) 

Mary Blake, Co-Chair, 2012 - present (DHHS/SAMHSA) 
Page 7

INTRODUCTION 

Over the last few years, an exponential awakening of interest in the impact of violence and 

abuse on women and girls has swept the country. The depth and breadth of trauma’s impact on 

the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and our nation is staggering. Trauma is 

rarely an individual experience or an isolated event. Traumatic events create ripple effects 

beyond the individuals involved, often sweeping from person to family to community and even 

across generations. Trauma is a reality to people from all walks of life and in all settings. 

It is a major concern in communities devastated by natural and man-made disasters; in failing 

schools; in cities and suburbs plagued by violence, drugs, and human trafficking; and in families 

struggling with poverty or divorce or separated from loved ones by war or immigration. 

Biological and epidemiological research and first-person reports provide a compelling picture of 

the impact of trauma across a wide variety of settings, and identify effective strategies for 

addressing its consequences. The Adverse Childhood Experience study, in particular, has 

formed the basic framework for the Committee’s work. Key research findings and sources for 

additional information are summarized in the 2011 Report of the Federal Partners Committee on 

Women and Trauma: http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

I was shocked by the sobering statistics. Thirty-seven percent of women 

with disabilities have experienced violence and abuse in their lifetime 

compared with 20 percent of women without disabilities . . . Part of the 

reason why this is such a big problem is because we are not considered 

credible witnesses, so if we go to the police, if we tell our parents, if we tell 

people in authority that something has happened, we are often discounted 

because of our disabilities. 

Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor 

Office of Disability Employment Policy, at Roundtable II 

In the past decade, it has become increasingly clear that addressing trauma requires a multiagency, multi-pronged approach. Public education, prevention, early identification, and effective 

trauma assessment and treatment are all necessary to break the cycle of trauma and violence. 

Significant progress has been made in creating organizational cultures based on knowledge of 

trauma and its impact (“trauma-informed approaches”), strategies to prevent or reduce rates of 

violence and trauma, and effective treatment interventions (“trauma-specific treatments”). 

Trauma-informed approaches are particularly suited to collaborative strategies because they 

transcend traditional organizational boundaries and professional roles, providing a common 
framework for working together. This document reflects how the Federal Partners Committee 

on Women and Trauma’s efforts to promote, adopt, and implement trauma-informed 

approaches have enhanced the effectiveness of a wide range of government services and 

supports. It also demonstrates the impact of the Committee’s coordinated cross-agency efforts. 

The Federal Partners Committee: A Model for Cross-Agency Collaboration 

The Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma is a unique intergovernmental effort to 

address the causes and consequences of trauma, with a particular focus on women and girls. 

Since its inception in 2009, the Committee has brought together representatives from a wide 

array of federal agencies to highlight the scope of the problem and to develop collective 

strategies for action. With more than three dozen federal agencies and sub-agencies involved, 

the Committee brings a vast array of perspectives and resources to the table. The Committee 

is open to all federal entities with an interest in women and girls and trauma. The agency 

updates in the next section demonstrate the breadth and depth of changes inspired by the 

Committee’s work. 

The Federal Partners Committee, which meets monthly, is an example of intergovernmental 

collaboration based on a shared concern about trauma. In the past two years, agencies have 

provided no-cost training to other agencies, assisted each other in data collection, provided 

input on the development of RFPs and policy guidance, and worked together on training 

curricula and public events. The Committee has hosted two national Roundtables and will 

launch a collaborative webinar series in the fall of 2013. 

All of us have to be out there convincing folks that this is the right work to 

be done, and this is the right time to do it. 

Bryan Samuels, 

Commissioner of the DHHS Administration on Children, Youth and Families

The Importance of Survivor Voice and Participation 

In both Roundtables, testimony from women trauma survivors emerged as one of the most 

powerful ways to educate the public and to bring the issues to the attention of policymakers. 

Personal testimony conveys the reality of violence and trauma in a way that can’t be denied. 

It provides hope to other women and girls, demonstrating empowerment, voice, selfdetermination, and self-healing. It provides concrete examples of integrating survivor 

perspective into agency operations. Most importantly, it offers a role model of strength, 

resilience, and healing to the world. 

 
Page 9

The Federal Partners Committee recognizes the importance of survivor voice and peer 

involvement and holds these as the highest value in developing trauma-informed approaches. 

Peer involvement rests on the belief that healing and recovery are possible for everyone, that 

peer-to-peer relationships are a tool for healing, and that each of us has something to learn 

from the other. It requires time to build trust and to engage in difficult conversations, and it 

rests on a commitment to identifying and supporting natural leaders. The Federal Partners 

Committee affirms its leadership and commitment to the integration of female-survivor voices 

in all of its work. 

The collective stories of survivors are powerful lessons for the human 

capacity to heal and move forward despite the challenges. Women who 

have overcome violence are purveyors of that which is possible, and as 

such, are poised to serve as a source of light and learning to those who 

struggle and to those who seek to assist the struggling. 

Mary Blake, Co-Chair, Federal Partners Committee, SAMHSA/CMHS 

We must have the courage to hear the painful stories that abuse survivors 

have to tell us. They are suffering in their silence, and we are diminished as 

a society when we cannot, or will not, hear what they have to say . . . When 

we don't ask, we risk causing harm. We may misinterpret an abuse 

survivor's coping mechanisms as symptoms of a mental illness. Or worse, 

we may unintentionally recreate the abuse by the use of forced medication, 

seclusion, or restraints. 

Kathryn Power, Regional Administrator, SAMHSA Region One

A Common Framework for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach 

The Federal Partners Committee has provided a significant impetus for the application of 

trauma-informed approaches in a wide variety of programs and services (e.g., institutions, 

hospitals and clinics, schools, courtrooms, social service agencies, the criminal justice system, 

homeless shelters, and others). To advance this work, SAMHSA embarked on a process in 

2012 to develop a conceptual framework for trauma, a set of operating principles, and guidance 

for a trauma-informed approach that can be applied across multiple service sectors. The 

purpose was to advance a shared understanding of these concepts that would be acceptable 

and appropriate across an array of service systems and stakeholder groups. As part of this 
process, SAMHSA convened a group of national experts in May 2012, including trauma 

survivors, practitioners from multiple fields, researchers, and policy makers. The framework that 

emerged from this consensus group describes trauma in the following way: Individual trauma 

results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that are experienced by an 

individual as physically and/or emotionally harmful or life-threatening, and that has lasting 

adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, 

and/or spiritual well-being. Information about the development of SAMHSA's principles 

for a trauma-informed approach and guidance for implementation can be obtained at

http://www.samhsa.gov/traumajustice/traumadefinition/.

. 

A program, organization or system that is trauma-informed realizes the 

widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; 

recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and 

others involved with the system; responds by fully integrating knowledge 

about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; and seeks to 

actively resist re-traumatization. 

SAMHSA Draft Framework for Trauma-Informed Approaches 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

page 11

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological 

Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCOE)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Trauma is an important issue for the 

increasing number of women who make up 

the Armed Services and who deploy in 

supportive roles with their male counterparts. 

Women are now 20 percent of new recruits, 

14 percent of the military as a whole, and 

18 percent of the National Guard and Reserve. 

Traumatic experiences, such as receiving 

incoming fire or knowing someone who was 

seriously injured or killed, are common 

among service members deployed to hostile 

environments. These experiences can impact 

the lives of service members and their 

families upon their return. While women 

represent only 8 percent of veterans, their 

risk factors are rising disproportionately to 

their numbers http://www.dol.gov/wb/trauma/. 

Additional statistics on women in the military, 

information about the impact of trauma, and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

Two recent studies also address the impact 

of combat exposure on women in the military 

(see additional resources). 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The mission of the Defense Centers of 

Excellence for Psychological Health and 

Traumatic Brain Injury (DCOE) is to improve 

the lives of our nation’s service members, 

families and veterans by advancing 

excellence in psychological health and 

traumatic brain injury prevention and care. 

Prevalence estimates of PTSD symptoms 

based on self-report surveys among warriors 

in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan vary, 

but it has clearly been shown to be a 

significant problem, especially for those 

exposed to sustained ground combat. 

Knowledge about trauma and traumainformed care helps DCOE to provide helpful 

information about PTSD treatment options, 

a 24/7 outreach center, services before and 

after deployment, suicide prevention 

services, a program to reduce the stigma 

of receiving services, and other traumainformed supports for service members 

and their families. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCOE) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

The Defense Science Board (DSB) 

recommendations on “Predicting Violent 

Behavior” were released in September 2012. 

A task force examined and evaluated: 

existing screening processes; programs and 

best practices in standards, training, and 

reporting; and indicators and procedures for 

predicting violence. This report will influence 

how the DOD addresses workplace violence. 

To support these recommendations, DCOE 

will conduct a literature review of studies on 

workplace violence and best practices within 

the Services, Postal Service, private industry 

and academic settings. 

In response to Strategic Action #28, Gender 

Differences (of the DOD/VA Integrated 

Mental Health Strategy), DCOE conducted a 

literature review on the mental health needs 

of women; gender differences and disparities 

in treatment and prevention; and military 

sexual trauma (MST) in both men and 

women. A summary report makes 

recommendations for action to the VA, DOD 

and Services’ leadership. 

DCOE also developed a paper on PTSD 

Prevention Strategies which summarizes 

existing literature on the most effective 

programs, interventions, efforts, and 

resources for pre- and post-trauma 

prevention strategies. This paper will be 

available on the DCOE website and will be 

used to develop Fact Sheets for distribution. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

In the past two years, DCOE has 

collaborated with the Sexual Assault 

Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) 

to define roles and responsibilities for the 

DOD Safe Helpline and Outreach Center, 

including warm hand-offs, telephone 

transfers, timeliness of calls, and access 

between the two systems. Enhanced 

collaboration will provide additional crisis 

support for sexual assault victims and 

information about reporting assaults securely 

and anonymously, with the goal of increasing 

sexual assault reporting and prevention of 

negative mental health outcomes. 

Violence in the military has been identified as 

an area for further exploration. The goal for 

this next year is to identify, summarize, and 

define common and specific risk factors 

associated with various types of violence, 

including self-directed, sexual, family and 

workplace violence. After determining 

common themes, efforts will be made to 

improve collaboration between public and 

private stakeholders. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: janet.l.hawkins.mil@mail.mil 

http://www.dcoe.health.mil/PsychologicalHealth/ 

Luxton, D.D.et al. (2010) Gender differences in 

depression and PTSD symptoms following 

combat exposure. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 

1027-1033. 

Maguen, S. et al. (2012) Gender differences in 

traumatic experiences and mental health in 

soldiers redeployed from Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46, 311-316.
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

page 13

Family Advocacy Program, 

Office of the Assistant Secretary 

of Defense (FAP)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Trauma is an important issue for the 

increasing number of women who make 

up the Armed Services and who deploy 

in supportive roles with their male 

counterparts. It is relevant to both civilian and 

active duty female spouses who experience 

trauma as a result of domestic abuse or 

intimate partner violence (IPV). Women are 

now 20 percent of new recruits, 14 percent of 

the military as a whole, and 18 percent of the 

National Guard and Reserve. While women 

represent only 8 percent of veterans, their risk 

factors are rising disproportionately to their 

numbers http://www.dol.gov/wb/trauma/. 

Additional statistics on women in the military, 

information about the impact of trauma, and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

Two recent studies also address the 

impact of combat exposure on women 

in the military (see additional resources). 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) 

provides services that promote relationship, 

health and family wellness as well as offers 

prevention, early identification and 

intervention services to victims and offenders 

of child abuse and domestic abuse in military 

families. For many women, trauma 

experiences start early in life and can have 

longstanding mental, psychological and 

social consequences. Validated research on 

the effects of trauma on lifespan 

development, especially on relationship 

patterns and skills, health, and socioeconomic positioning, suggest that all FAP 

staff would benefit from core knowledge and 

competencies in trauma-informed 

approaches in both prevention and 

intervention services. Research has also 

demonstrated that offender behaviors, like 

victim behaviors, sometimes represent 

maladaptive responses to earlier trauma. 

Incorporating trauma-informed practices will 

assist FAP providers in delivering more 

sensitive and effective services for 

both victims and offenders. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

Family Advocacy Program, Office of the Secretary of Defense (FAP) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

FAP is revising its current program policies 

and will include trauma-informed care 

as a core knowledge competency for all 

providers, including clinicians and victim 

advocates, who provide services to victims 

and offenders in domestic abuse and 

intimate partner violence cases. Training 

for FAP staff, beginning with the Services’ 

Headquarters FAP managers, began in 

April, 2013. 

FAP partnered with the Battered Women’s 

Justice Project http://www.bwjp.org/ in the 

development of web-based training for 

civilian victim advocates and attorneys on 

IPV within the military. Specific topics have 

included the DOD response to IPV, military 

justice and IPV, and IPV and combat-related 

PTSD. Feedback suggests that this training 

is filling a gap within the civilian community 

concerning domestic violence and IPV in 

military families, trauma responses to 

combat experiences, and the impact of 

trauma on individuals and on family 

relationships. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

FAP partnered with Health and Human 

Services’ Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 

and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to 

compare the prevalence of IPV among active 

duty women and female spouses of active 

duty men to that of women in the general 

public. This technical report from CDC will 

establish a prevalence baseline that will 

inform policy and resource decisions. These 

comparisons will be useful in helping DOD 

determine the need for universal IPV 

screening by medical practitioners and for 

training on trauma-informed practices for 

providers serving women. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: janet.l.hawkins.mil@mail.mil 

http://www.militaryonesource.mil/phasesmilitary-leadership?content_id=266712 

Luxton, D.D., Skopp, N.A., & Maguen, S. 

(2010) Gender differences in depression and 

PTSD symptoms following combat exposure. 

Depression and Anxiety, 27, 1027-1033. 

Maguen, S., Luxton, D.D., Skopp, N.A., & 

Madden, E. (2012) Gender differences in 

traumatic experiences and mental health in 

soldiers redeployed from Iraq and 

Afghanistan. Journal of Psychiatric 

Research, 46, 311-316. 

National Center for Injury Prevention and 

Control, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, (2010 Summary Report), 

National Intimate Partner Violence and 

Sexual Violence Survey (NISVIS).
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

page 15

Sexual Assault Prevention 

and Response Office, Office of the 

Secretary of Defense (SAPRO)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Trauma is an important issue for the 

increasing number of women who make up 

the Armed Services and who deploy with their 

male counterparts. Women are now 20 

percent of new recruits, 14 percent of the 

military as a whole, and 18 percent of the 

National Guard and Reserve. While women 

represent only 8 percent of veterans, their risk 

factors are rising disproportionately to their 

numbers http://www.dol.gov/wb/trauma/. 

Additional statistics on women in the military, 

information about the impact of trauma, and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Sexual Assault Prevention and 

Response Office (SAPRO) is responsible for 

the oversight of Department of Defense 

(DOD) sexual assault policy. Its mission is to 

enable military readiness by establishing a 

culture free of sexual assault. DOD has 

implemented a comprehensive policy to 

ensure the safety, dignity and well being of 

all members of the Armed Force, and DOD 

leaders - both Military and civilian – are 

committed to maintaining a workplace 

environment that reinforces a culture of 

sexual assault prevention, response and 

accountability. SAPRO recognizes that 

trauma survivors are vulnerable and that 

service delivery approaches can 

inadvertently re-trigger trauma or exacerbate 

its consequences. SAPRO is working to 

make all services and programs traumainformed so that they can be more culturally 

competent, gender-neutral and recoveryoriented and to avoid re-traumatization.
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) 

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

The DoD Safe Helpline was launched to 

provide crisis support for victims of sexual 

assault. Administered by the nation’s largest 

anti-sexual violence organization, the 

Helpline is available 24/7 worldwide. Users 

can “click, call or text” for anonymous and 

confidential support, access help via tablet 

computers and smart phones, and connect 

with professionals via phone or anonymous 

online chat. 

SAPRO collaborated with the military service 

departments to establish an expedited 

process for individuals reporting sexual 

assault and requesting a change in duty 

station or assignment. Following a credible 

report of sexual assault, a presumption is 

established in favor of transferring the 

service member who initiated the request, 

or the service member can request that the 

offender be transferred. 

SAPRO and the military services have 

standardized sexual assault victim advocacy 

across the Department, professionalized 

the roles of Sexual Assault Response 

Coordinators and Victim Advocates, and 

establish certification requirements. 

Through an initiative with the Defense Equal 

Opportunity Management Institute, SAPRO 

trained Equal Opportunity (EO) Advisors on 

sexual assault definitions and reporting and 

response mechanisms. Basic education 

about SAPRO is now being integrated into 

ongoing EO courses. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

SAPRO continues its collaborative training 

partnership with the Department of Justice 

(DOJ) Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). By 

working with civilian rape crisis centers, the 

Department helps ensure that Service 

members receive assistance that considers 

their military-specific needs, even when they 

seek assistance off base. In addition, a 

regional training program for civilians was 

conducted by the SAPRO Program 

representatives and civilians in regions with 

high populations of Service members. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: 

Maritza.m.saylewalker.civ@mail.mil 

DOD SAPRO website http://www.sapr.mil/

To access the Safe Helpline go to 

https://safehelpline.org/

For information on Transitioning Service 

members: https://safehelpline.org/tsmoverview.cfm 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED) 

page 17

Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Sexual harassment and sexual violence 

against girls and women is a real and serious 

problem in education at all levels. Sexual 

harassment and sexual violence can affect 

any student, regardless of race or age. Sexual 

harassment and violence can threaten a 

student’s physical or emotional well-being, 

influence how well a student does in school, 

and make it difficult for a student to achieve 

his or her career goals. Victims of sexual 

harassment and violence are more likely to 

suffer academically and from depression and 

post-traumatic stress disorder; to abuse 

alcohol and drugs; and to contemplate 

suicide http://www.cdc.gov/violence 

prevention/pdf/SV_factsheet_2011-a.pdf. 

Lack of education on and ineffective methods 

of combating sexual harassment and violence 

may create unsafe learning environments for 

women and girls, in particular. Additional 

statistics on women and girls in the education 

system, information about the impact of 

trauma, and sources for further information 

can be found in the first Federal Partners 

Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is 

responsible for enforcing Title IX of the 

Education Amendments Act of 1972, which 

prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, 

including sexual harassment and sexual 

violence, in all public and private educational 

institutions receiving federal funds. The law 

protects both male and female students from 

sexual harassment and sexual violence by 

school employees, other students, and third 

parties. OCR helps schools combat sexual 

harassment and sexual violence in a variety 

of ways: (1) OCR investigates and resolves 

complaints and compliance reviews alleging 

that schools receiving federal funds have 

failed to protect students from sexual 

harassment and sexual violence; (2) OCR 

issues policy guidance to inform schools of 

their obligation to provide an environment 

free from sexual harassment and sexual 

violence; and (3) OCR field offices offer 

schools technical assistance to encourage 

them to improve their anti-harassment 

policies and procedures and to assist 

students and their parents to work with 

schools to enhance the schools’ antiharassment capability. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED) 

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In October 2010, OCR issued a first-of-its-kind 

policy guidance on harassment and bullying. The 

guidance explains that when bullying or other 

harassment based on sex or gender (as well as 

other bases) creates a hostile environment that is 

serious enough to limit or interfere with a 

student’s ability to benefit from the services, 

activities, or opportunities offered by the school, 

the harassment violates Title IX. If an institution 

knows or has reason to know about student-onstudent sexual harassment, Title IX requires that 

the school take immediate and effective action to 

eliminate the harassment, to prevent its 

recurrence, and, when appropriate, to address its 

effects on the harassed student and the school 

community. 

In April 2011, OCR issued policy guidance on 

schools and colleges’ Title IX obligations relating 

to sexual violence. The guidance advises 

institutions on how they can prevent sexual 

violence from occurring and ensure it gets 

identified and reported when it does occur. The 

guidance explains institutions’ responsibility to 

resolve complaints of sexual violence promptly 

and equitably. It includes examples of the types 

of remedies institutions can implement for the 

victim and the entire school community and also 

describes proactive measures schools and 

colleges can take to prevent sexual violence. 

Since the guidance’s release, dozens of colleges 

and universities have made changes to their 

policies and procedures consistent with the 

guidance, and institutions continue to work 

together to develop better practices for dealing 

with sexual violence. 

OCR’s complaint investigations and compliance 

reviews on sexual harassment and sexual 

violence have led to robust remedies such as 

implementing procedures by which schools 

address sexual violence as a Title IX civil rights 

issue, rather than leaving this matter to be 

handled by the criminal justice system; providing 

interim protection and services for victims of 

sexual harassment and sexual violence; 

systematizing cooperation between school 

officials and local law enforcement authorities 

to ensure Title IX investigations are completed 

promptly; conducting climate surveys; 

establishing advisory committees comprising 

students, faculty, and community members to 

monitor the school climate and advise the 

school’s administration; conducting peer-to-peer 

sexual harassment training; and publicizing 

school policies so that students know where and 

with whom to file reports and what to expect from 

the process. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

OCR is committed to ensuring that all students 

feel safe at school so that they have the 

opportunity to fully benefit from the school’s 

education programs and activities. OCR will 

continue to vigorously enforce Title IX to ensure 

that schools are meeting their obligations to 

respond to sexual harassment and sexual 

violence. OCR continues its collaboration with the 

Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and 

Office on Violence Against Women on sexual 

harassment and sexual violence issues and will 

work with other federal agencies on these issues 

as needed. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: phyllis.scattergood@ed.gov 

Office for Civil Rights website www.ed.gov/ocr 

Dear Colleague letter on harassment and bullying 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleag

ue-201010.pdf 

Dear Colleague letter on sexual violence 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleag

ue-201104.pdf
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED) 

page 19

Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education (OESE)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) 

recognizes the negative impact of trauma 

resulting from violence against women and 

girls. ED also recognizes the important role 

that schools play in keeping all children safe. 

Violence against women and girls is a serious 

public health issue that impacts individuals, 

families and communities, negatively 

affecting the physical and mental health of 

those impacted, as well as contributing to 

lower academic achievement and completion. 

Additional statistics on women and girls in 

the education system, information about the 

impact of trauma, and sources for further 

information can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

In the February 2013 “Dear Colleague” letter, 

ED recommended actions for schools to 

consider to more effectively address genderbased violence. These actions include 

providing training to students and staff on 

behaviors of victims and perpetrators of 

gender-based violence, how to respond to 

trauma when incidents occur, and resources 

that are available for those who have 

become traumatized and victimized. Based 

on a wide body of research we know that 

youth exposed to violence are often at high 

risk for behavioral infractions as they 

struggle to cope – mentally and emotionally 

– with the trauma they have experienced. 

For this reason, it is imperative that school 

staff – including teachers, administrators, 

and support personnel (e.g., school 

counselors, school social workers, school 

psychologists, and school nurses) – have the 

skills and knowledge to recognize and 

respond appropriately to the behaviors of 

traumatized youth so as to avoid inflicting 

new trauma, and to provide students with the 

supports they need to return to the 

classroom. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED) 

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

ED provides resources to help educators implement 

effective programs and strategies designed to 

mitigate the effects of trauma, improve school 

climate, and prevent violence against youth. In 

February 2013, ED issued a “Dear Colleague” letter 

to chief state school officers, requesting voluntary 

action to reduce gender-based violence in schools 

and to help ensure that all students are safe. To 

accompany the letter, ED released a “What Schools 

Can Do” brief, outlining simple actions that schools 

and communities can take voluntarily, as well as 

resources available to support school leaders in 

reducing gender-based violence 

www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/secletter/index.html 

ED’s National Center on Safe Supportive Learning 

Environments http://safesuppotivelearning.ed.gov 

released a training module targeted to education of 

specialized instructional personnel (e.g., counselors, 

school psychologists, school nurses, etc.) on teen 

dating violence intervention and prevention. 

Gender-based violence, including teen dating 

violence, was one of five major tracks and priority 

topics during the OESE, Office of Safe and Healthy 

Students National Conference in 2011. Sessions 

included review of research based interventions and 

an overview of environmental strategies that 

mitigate and prevent gender based violence. ED 

developed a fact sheet providing resources on 

preventing commercial sexual exploitation of 

children 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oshs/facts

heet.html. ED is a founding member and 

participating federal agency in the National Forum 

on Youth Violence Prevention. The Forum is a 

network of communities and federal agencies that 

work together, share information and build local 

capacity to prevent and reduce youth violence. In 

2013, OESE made funding available through an 

interagency agreement with DOJ to provide 

resources for Forum locality schools to implement or 

expand the use of a Positive Behavioral 

Interventions and Support (PBIS) model to improve 

school climate and reduce violence. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

The Administration’s FY 2014 budget request 

includes $280 million for a new Successful, Safe, 

and Healthy Students program that would support 

student achievement to high standards and help 

ensure that students are safe, and mentally and 

physically healthy and ready to learn. Within the 

$280 million requested, $112 million would be used 

to carry out several new school safety initiatives that 

are included in Now Is The Time, the President’s 

plan to protect our children and our communities by 

reducing gun violence, including efforts to improve 

school emergency plans, create positive school 

climates, and counter the effects of pervasive 

violence on students. Two initiatives include: $50 

million for School Climate Transformation Grants 

and related technical assistance to help 8,000 

schools train their teachers and other school staff to 

implement evidence-based strategies to improve 

school climate. The School Climate Transformation 

Grants initiative builds on the development and 

testing of evidence-based multi-tiered decisionmaking frameworks, such as PBIS, which have 

been supported with funds from the Department’s 

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services. $25 million for Project Prevent grants to 

LEAs to help schools in communities with pervasive 

violence break the cycle of violence. Exposure to 

violence affects almost two out of every three 

children. And research shows that both direct and 

indirect exposure to community violence can impact 

children’s mental health and development and can 

increase the likelihood that these children will later 

commit violent acts themselves. Being the victim of, 

or being exposed to, community violence in 

childhood is also associated with post-traumatic 

stress disorder. Project Prevent would address this 

problem by supporting the deployment of resources 

and technical assistance through local projects. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: Phyllis.Scattergood@ed.gov

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/index.htm

l?src=oc
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 21

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) 

Family Violence Prevention and Services

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Family Violence Prevention and Services 

Program (FVPSP) encounters trauma and 

violence against women in every aspect of its 

work, with each individual the program 

serves. Each year, FVPSP programs serve 

more than 1.2 million survivors of domestic 

violence (DV) and their children. Nationwide, 

approximately 15.5 million children are 

exposed to DV annually, and nearly half of all 

residents of FVPSP DV shelters are children. 

DV has been associated with a wide range of 

mental health consequences, including 

depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, 

and a range of behaviors related to trauma 

reactions. For many survivors, these issues 

may resolve with increased safety and 

support, but others may benefit from 

additional resources and treatment. 

Additional statistics and further information 

about family violence can be found in the first 

Federal Partners Report on Women and 

Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The traumatic impact of domestic violence is 

often enduring; regardless of how much time 

has passed since the abuse, a domestic 

survivor’s social and emotional wellbeing can 

be deeply affected. The FVPSA Program 

supports national training and technical 

assistance (TA) to build and sustain 

organizational capacity in delivering traumainformed, developmentally sensitive, 

culturally relevant services for children, 

individuals, and families affected by domestic 

violence and other trauma. Trauma-informed 

domestic violence services are sensitive to 

the traumatic impact of violence and abuse, 

including how it affects a domestic violence 

survivor’s ability to cope, to access services, 

and to feel safe both physically and 

emotionally. Such services are 

strengths‐based and non-pathologizing; take 

steps to identify potential trauma triggers, 

reduce re-traumatization; and attend to the 

quality of interactions for survivors and 

program staff. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 

Family Violence Prevention and Services) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

FVPSP’s grantee the National Center on 

Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health 

(NCDVTMH) provides comprehensive, 

accessible, and culturally relevant TA on 

trauma-related issues. NCDVTMH: 1) 

promotes dialogue between domestic 

violence and mental health organizations, 

policy-makers, and survivor/advocacy groups 

about the complex intersections of domestic 

violence, trauma and mental health; 2) builds 

capacity among local agencies, state 

domestic violence coalitions, and state 

mental health systems; and 3) recommends 

policies, practices, and collaborative models 

to positively impact survivors and their 

children. 

NCDVTMH offers a wide range of trainings, 

materials, and tools for practitioners. For 

example, 800 people participated in a 2012 

webinar series; a handbook for attorneys 

was jointly authored with OVW; a series of 

tip sheets and conversation guides were 

published for domestic violence staff, and a 

new literature review provides an analysis of 

trauma-based treatments for survivors of DV. 

NCDVTMH also offers an online resource 

library, a searchable collection of materials, 

and an archive of research-based resources. 

www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org

In 2010, FVPSA began an initiative to 

support four statewide capacity-building 

projects and a national TA provider to 

expand support for children exposed to 

domestic violence. Products include an 

online resource center and a guide for 

advocates working with children. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

NCDVTMH works with FVPSA’s state 

domestic violence coalitions and culturally 

specific resource centers to build capacity to 

deliver culturally relevant, trauma-informed 

care www.dvinstitute.org, www.apiidv.org, 

www.nationallatinonetwork.org. 

In 2012-2013, NCDVTMH is working to build 

partnerships among domestic violence, 

mental health, and substance abuse 

providers to improve trauma-informed 

services for survivors and their children. 

In 2012, NCDVTMH collaborated with the 

National Network to End Domestic Violence 

to assess the training and TA needs of state 

and territory domestic violence coalitions, 

and to gather information on traumainformed work in coalitions and programs. 

With the Institute for Domestic Violence in 

the African American Community, 

NCDVTMH is hosting community forums in 

the Detroit area to determine strengths, 

disparities and gaps in the current system 

and addressing unmet trauma and mental 

health needs. 

The Battered Women’s Justice Project, a 

FVPSP resource center, promotes traumainformed services for the military community 

through online trainings and webinars. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: shawndell.dawson@acf.hhs.gov 

www.VAWnet.org 

www.futureswithoutviolence.org 

www.bwjp.org 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 23

Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality's (AHRQ) mission is to improve the 

quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of 

health care for all Americans through services 

research, knowledge synthesis, and 

development of tools for improving services 

and practice. Women’s health is one of 

AHRQ’s priority areas. Violence and trauma 

affect all areas of women’s health. Healthcare 

providers need to be informed about and 

skilled in addressing the often unrecognizable 

health effects of violence and abuse. 

Research on the efficacy and effectiveness of 

trauma-informed care as well as tools to 

assist in training and implementation would 

contribute to this goal. Additional information 

about the impact of trauma on the health of 

women and girls, and sources for further 

information can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

AHRQ works in partnership with other HHS 

agencies to develop and disseminate 

knowledge about trauma and traumainformed care in primary care settings. 

In the late 1990’s, AHRQ issued a Request 

for Applications on violence against women, 

resulting in a number of tools currently 

available on the AHRQ website. Materials 

include an assessment instrument to 

evaluate domestic violence programs in 

hospital settings, a manual of evidencebased practices for medical examination and 

treatment of victims of sexual assault, and a 

review of programs and tools that improve 

care for victims of domestic violence. The 

Innovations Exchange, a fully searchable site 

hosted by AHRQ, includes a number of 

programs related to trauma. A user can find 

evidence-based innovations and quality 

tools, view new innovations and tools 

published biweekly, and learn from experts 

through events and articles. 

http://innovations.ahrq.gov 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In April 2013, AHRQ supported a conference 

grant to Yale University. The primary goal of 

the conference was to articulate and 

disseminate empirically-informed knowledge, 

attitudes, and skills that mental health 

practitioners working with trauma survivors 

should have from a “competency” 

perspective. Participants were experts in the 

field of trauma. They defined interdisciplinary 

competencies that apply across psychology, 

social work and psychiatry, and that are 

equally applicable to adults and children. 

Further, the participants defined the fewest 

number of essential competencies that focus 

on commonalities in the field rather than 

differences. 

The competencies developed at this 

conference should serve as useful tools for 

training programs and for individual mental 

health providers. They will eventually be 

published and disseminated in multiple 

formats including brochures, newsletters, 

and presentations. The intent is for the 

competencies to form the basis for a trauma 

psychology guideline, specialty, or 

proficiency within the American 

Psychological Association. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

AHRQ supports the US Preventive Services 

Task Force (USPSTF), an independent 

panel of non-Federal experts in prevention 

and evidence-based medicine. Members 

include primary care providers such as 

internists, pediatricians, family physicians, 

gynecologists/obstetricians, nurses, and 

health behavior specialists. The USPSTF 

conducts scientific evidence reviews of a 

broad range of clinical preventive health care 

services (such as screening, counseling, and 

preventive medications) and develops 

recommendations for primary care clinicians 

and health systems. Currently, there are two 

recommendations related to trauma: 

Screening for Intimate Partner Violence and 

Abuse of Elderly and Vulnerable Adults. 

http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.or

g/uspstf12/ipvelder/ipvelderfinalrs.htm. 

Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Child 

Maltreatment: U.S. Preventive Services Task 

Force Recommendation Statement. 

http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.or

g/recommendations.htm 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: 

Charlotte.Mullican@ahrq.hhs.gov 

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/womenix.htm 

Academy on Violence and Abuse 

http://www.avahealth.org/ 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 25

Health Resources and Services 

Administration, Office of Women’s Health 

(HRSA OWH)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Health Resources and Services 

Administration (HRSA) is the primary Federal 

agency for improving access to health care 

services for people who are uninsured, 

isolated or medically vulnerable. HRSA’s 

strategic goals are to: 1) improve access to 

quality health care and services; 2) 

strengthen the health workforce; 3) build 

healthy communities; and 4) improve health 

equity. HRSA develops an annual 

publication, Women’s Health USA, which is an 

easy-to-use collection of current and 

historical data related to the most pressing 

health challenges facing women, families, and 

communities. The 2012 edition highlighted 

several new topics including adverse 

childhood experiences and sexual violence. 

Additional statistics and sources for further 

information can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

HRSA focuses on strengthening the 

workforce through training providers and 

safety net providers. In addition, HRSA 

addresses the behavioral health needs of the 

populations it serves through training on 

trauma-informed approaches. 

In 2011, President Obama challenged 

HRSA-funded community health centers 

funded to hire 8,000 veterans (approximately 

one veteran per health center) over three 

years. This effort, along with emerging 

collaborations between HRSA-funded health 

centers and community based Veteran’s 

Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics will facilitate 

the provision of primary and behavioral 

health care to veterans, including traumasensitive health care practices. 

 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Women’s Health (HRSA OWH) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In 2011, HRSA OWH partnered with the 

Health Care for the Homeless Program to 

increase the capacity of primary care 

providers to provide trauma-informed care to 

veterans, particularly women, and submitted 

recommendations resulting in a literature 

review and needs assessment on veterans 

and trauma-informed care. 

In February 2013, HRSA OWH developed a 

Veterans Trauma-Informed Protocols 

Initiative to increase awareness about 

trauma and training on trauma-informed 

approaches for HRSA-funded health centers. 

The project is: 1) reviewing existing traumainformed practices and service delivery 

models; 2) disseminating information about 

the benefits of trauma-informed services; 3) 

providing recommendations on the feasibility 

of and mechanisms for health centers to 

report the integration of trauma-informed 

approaches into systems of care; and 4) 

identifying successful examples of health 

centers using trauma-informed practices. 

Also in 2013, HRSA OWH moderated a 

session on Trauma-Informed Care for 

Women Veterans Experiencing 

Homelessness at the National Healthcare for 

the Homeless Conference and Policy 

Symposium. The symposium addressed the 

prevalence and impact of trauma on women 

veterans; introduced trauma-informed care; 

and discussed trauma-informed strategies 

using the Trauma-Informed Care for Women 

Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A 

Guide for Service Providers tool developed 

by the Women’s Bureau in the Department of 

Labor. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

In 2013, the HRSA Office of Special Health 

Affairs will host a Trauma-Informed Care 

webinar for HRSA-funded safety net 

providers (with subject matter experts from 

SAMHSA), and will implement a new project 

on Meeting the Behavioral Health Care 

Needs of Veterans that will incorporate 

trauma-informed approaches. The program 

will include a Certificate program and a selfdirected, 16-hour online course to train 

civilian behavioral health and primary care 

providers on military orientation and primary 

care and behavioral health issues affecting 

veterans and their families. 

To address the behavioral health needs and 

the impact of trauma on the people they 

serve, HRSA has partnered with the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA) to 

establish the Center for Integrated Health 

Solutions. The Center provides continuing 

education for civilian, community-based 

primary care, and behavioral health 

providers regarding the needs of veterans, 

service members, and their families, and 

includes a focus on trauma-informed care. 

The goal is to train 10,000 providers by the 

end of FY2013. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: MRice@hrsa.gov 

http://www.hrsa.gov/index.html 

http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinicalpractice/trauma 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 27

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The mission of the National Institutes of 

Health (NIH) is to seek fundamental 

knowledge about the nature and behavior of 

living systems and the application of that 

knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, 

and reduce illness and disability. As the 

federal government’s main funder of 

research, NIH must address the full range of 

conditions, disorders and diseases affecting 

Americans. Research funded by NIH is 

informing the public how trauma changes the 

brain and alters behavior. In addition, NIHfunded research is underscoring the 

importance of trauma-informed care for the 

survivors and importance of tailoring the care 

for women as well as men because of unique 

needs of each, all to ensure that trauma is 

recognized and treated and that survivors are 

not re-victimized when they seek care. Many 

NIH Institutes place trauma and the ways to 

address it on their list of top research 

priorities as part of their strategic planning. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

Several Institutes within NIH are promoting 

discoveries within the brain and behavioral 

sciences in order to better understand the 

functioning of the brain that can be translated 

to the study of mental disorders, including 

the role of trauma. More specifically, NIH is 

making strides in its efforts to understand 

how changes in behavior and environment 

can lead to changes in the brain and, in turn, 

how changes in the brain can lead to mental 

illness. In addition, NIH is focusing on 

understanding how these changes can 

inform (and be informed by) fundamental 

research to understand the trajectories of 

trauma across the lifespan and across 

diverse populations. By learning more 

about the trajectories by which trauma 

develops, NIH is aiming at stimulating 

innovative psychosocial and biomedical 

approaches that can prevent or change 

these trajectories before the consequences 

of the trauma occur. Furthermore, NIH is 

placing a strong focus on public health 

impact by aiming to create better methods 

for ensuring that its funded research reaches 

all whose lives are affected by trauma, as 

well as those who are dedicated to their 

care. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

NIH-funded research has made significant 

progress in identifying a wide array of 

genetic, neurobiological, and behavioral 

factors that affect many mental disorders, 

including trauma. Studies have shown that 

genetic variations can increase risk for 

developing a mental disorder. 

Environmental and experiential influences, 

such as traumatic stress, have been shown 

to interact with specific genetic variations 

during sensitive periods of development, 

often in gender-specific ways, compounding 

risk for mental disorders by altering the 

structure and function of neural pathways. 

A significant development in health care over 

the past several decades is the recognition 

that a history of serious traumatic 

experiences plays an often-unrecognized 

role in women’s and girls’ physical and 

mental health problems (Felitti et al,1998; 

Messina & Grella, 2006). The interrelationship between substance abuse and 

trauma in women’s lives indicates the need 

for a multi-focused approach to services. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse funded 

a randomized controlled trial of a brief 

intervention used to prepare women and girls 

for the procedures of a medical rape exam. 

Post-rape forensic exams may exacerbate 

traumatic distress because they include cues 

that may serve as reminders of the assault. 

A video was developed to minimize 

anxiety/discomfort during examinations, and 

prevent increased substance use and abuse 

following sexual assault. Among women 

who reported marijuana use prior to the 

assault, those randomly assigned to view the 

video reported a significantly lower frequency 

of marijuana at 1.5, 3 and 6 months postassault, a pattern that remained stable over 

time (Resnick et al., 2007; 2012). 

New Directions and Collaborations 

NIH public access database with listings for multiple 

categories of injury; traumatic brain injury; violence; 

and violence against women. 

http://report.nih.gov/categorical_spending.aspx 

NIH web portal www.nih.gov 

Main website for the Office of Research on 

Women’s Health http://orwh.od.nih.gov/ 

NIH National Library of Medicine Women’s Health 

Resources, Violence and Abuse 

http://www.womenshealthresources.nlm.nih.gov/hea

lthtopics.html#b019 

Additional Resources 

Author’s contact: snoursi@nida.nih.gov 

Felitti, V.J. et al (1998). Relationship of childhood 

abuse and household dysfunction to many of the 

leading causes of death in adults: The adverse 

childhood experiences (ACE) study. American Journal 

of Preventive Medicine, 14 (4): 245–58. 

Messina, N. & Grella C. (2006). Childhood trauma and 

women’s health outcomes: A California prison 

population. American Journal of Public Health, 96 

(10):1842-48. 

Resnick, H. S. et al (2007). An acute post-sexual 

assault intervention to prevent drug abuse: Updated 

findings. Addictive Behaviors, 32, 2032–2045. 

Resnick, H.S. et al (2012). Assault related substance 

use as a predictor of substance use over time within a 

sample of recent victims of sexual assault. Addictive 

Behaviors, 37, 914-921. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 29

Office on Women’s Health (OWH)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Office on Women's Health provides 

national leadership and coordination to 

improve the health of women and girls 

through policy, education and model 

programs. The vision of OWH is for all women 

and girls to achieve the best possible health. 

To that end, the goals of OWH are to: inform 

and advance policies; educate the public; 

educate professionals; and support model 

programs. OWH leads the HHS Steering 

Committee on Violence Against Women and 

is an HHS representative to the White House 

Council on Women and Girls; the White 

House Working Group on the Intersection of 

HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Girls 

and Gender-related Health Disparities; and 

the Office of the Vice President’s Working 

Group on Violence Against Women. Statistics 

on the prevalence of trauma in the lives of 

women and girls, information about the 

impact of trauma on health status, and 

sources for information on women, trauma 

and health can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

OWH in the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS) was established in 

1991 to improve the health of American 

women by advancing and coordinating a 

comprehensive women's health agenda 

throughout HHS. OWH also works with 

numerous government agencies, non-profit 

organizations, consumer groups, and 

associations of health care professionals. 

During the early 1990's, OWH focused on 

developing women's health as a specialized 

issue for government action and attention. 

With women's health now firmly rooted in the 

national health landscape, OWH is focusing 

on women's health priorities to meet the 

sweeping demographic trends of the next 

century and to focus on the millions of 

underserved women in America. 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In 2010, in collaboration with ACF, OWH 

launched Project Connect: A Coordinated 

Public Health Initiative to Prevent Domestic 

and Sexual Violence. In 2012, the program 

expanded into six new states and five new 

sites that serve Native Americans/Alaskan 

Natives and Asian Pacific Islanders. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

Office on Women’s Health (OWH) 

More than 1,500 health providers in eight 

states and two tribes were trained. 

In 2012 OWH and OVW led the HHS 

Steering Committee on Violence Against 

Women in convening an event addressing 

sexual violence on campus in recognition of 

sexual assault awareness month. 

In 2012, OWH convened the second 

National Conference on HIV and Violence 

Against Women, a pre-event for CDC’s 

National HIV Prevention Conference. More 

than 300 service providers participated from 

the fields of domestic violence, sexual 

assault, and HIV/AIDS. 

OWH, with support from SAMHSA, is 

conducting a webinar series on traumainformed services for women and girls and 

trauma-informed services. More than 21,000 

individuals have participated to date. 

OWH is implementing a national training 

initiative for community-based organizations 

from diverse sectors on the impact of 

trauma, the role of gender in the trauma 

experience, and strategies to provide 

trauma-informed programs and services. 

More than 35 presentations on how traumainformed approaches can improve patient 

care have been given across HHS Region V, 

reaching more than 2,200 service providers. 

OWH and SAMHSA are co-chairing the 

planning for a region-wide event in 2013 to 

advance the National Strategy for Suicide 

Prevention, a Report of the U.S. Surgeon 

General and the National Action Alliance for 

Suicide Prevention. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

Through 2014, OWH will continue 

developing a best practices model and 

recommendations for gender-specific 

services for women re-entering the 

community after release from incarceration. 

Recognizing the importance of oral health, 

the role of the dental team in screening for 

domestic and intimate partner violence 

(DV/IPV), and ensuring that screening is 

trauma-informed is a priority for Region I, 

and a webinar is planned on the topic. In 

2011, they began collecting information on 

dental teaching institutions incorporating 

DV/IPV education and awareness in the 

undergraduate curriculum. In conjunction 

with CCWH, OWH has developed resources 

for health care providers on screening, 

counseling, and referring victims of IPV. New 

private health plans must cover 

recommended women’s preventive services, 

including domestic violence screening and 

counseling, with no cost-sharing. 

OWH is the focal point for several HHS-wide 

initiatives on DV and human trafficking. 

Wallet-sized safety cards have also been 

created to give to patients or put in 

healthcare settings to help prevent DV/IPV. 

Additional Resources 

Update contacts: 

Sandra.Bennett-Pagan@hhs.gov

Michelle.Hoersch@hhs.gov

Aleisha.Langhorne@hhs.gov 

http://www.womenshealth.gov 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 31

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration (SAMHSA)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Interest in the impact of trauma on behavioral 

health has been steadily increasing since the 

1970’s. Models for the treatment of trauma 

have been developed and tested and a 

growing number of organizations have 

explored ways to make their services more 

responsive to people who have experienced 

trauma. Recently, multiple federal agencies 

representing varied sectors, including child 

welfare, primary health care, criminal justice, 

education, and labor have recognized the 

impact of trauma on the children, adults, and 

families they serve, and have requested 

assistance from SAMHSA in addressing these 

issues. This has compelled SAMHSA to 

revisit trauma-related concepts and their 

applicability not only to behavioral health but 

also to other related fields. Additional 

statistics on women and behavioral health, 

information about the impact of trauma, and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

In 2011, the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

identified Trauma and Justice as one of its 

top priority Strategic Initiatives. This 

reflected SAMHSA’s leadership in the 

emerging understanding of the central role of 

trauma in mental and substance use 

disorders and of the high rates of trauma and 

trauma histories among people with 

behavioral health problems and in the justice 

system. The goals of the Strategic Initiative 

are: 1) to create trauma-informed systems to 

implement prevention and treatment 

interventions and to reduce the incidence of 

trauma and its impact on the behavioral 

health of individuals and communities; and 2) 

to better address the needs of people with 

mental health and substance use issues 

involved with, or at-risk of involvement with, 

the criminal and juvenile justice systems. 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

The organizing framework for SAMHSA’s 

trauma work over the last three years has 

included: 1) developing a measurement 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

strategy for trauma and trauma-informed 

care; 2) enhancing SAMHSA’s crosssystems work; 3) developing a coordinated 

technical assistance strategy; and 4) 

developing a shared concept of trauma and 

trauma-informed approaches. 

In May 2012, SAMHSA convened an expert 

panel to assist in the creation of a working 

concept of trauma and trauma informedapproaches as well as principles and 

guidance for implementing trauma-informed 

approaches. In December 2012, SAMHSA 

released for public comment a draft 

document designed to solicit input on the 

working concept of trauma and a traumainformed approach. 

During the public comment period, SAMHSA 

received feedback from over two thousand 

individuals, including over 500 comments 

and 20,800 votes. The public feedback is 

currently being used to create a revised 

version of the concept, principles, and 

guidance. This public engagement process 

was a critical piece in creating a more unified 

framework for the many sectors who serve 

survivors and their families. 

SAMHSA is in the process of further 

developing its measurement strategy to 

include trauma measures at the population, 

facilities, and client levels. To date, fiscal 

year 2013 Government Performance and 

Results Act (GPRA) data collected by the 

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) 

shows approximately 74 percent of women in 

CMHS-funded grant programs responded 

affirmatively to having experienced violence 

or trauma in any setting. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

SAMHSA Co-Chairs the Federal Partner’s 

Committee on Women, Girls and Trauma. 

SAMHSA is partnering with the 

Administration for Children and Families and 

the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services to increase the number of traumaexposed children in child welfare who 

receive appropriate and timely services. 

SAMHSA participates in the White House 

working group on HIV/Aids, violence against 

women and gender-related health disparities. 

Coordination across SAMHSA-funded 

technical assistance centers serves to 

develop uniform core messages concerning 

trauma and trauma-informed approaches. 

SAMHSA is collaborating with HHS Office on 

Women’s Health in development of training 

and curricula on trauma-informed care 

addressing the needs of women and girls. 

SAMHSA is a partner in the Attorney 

General’s Defending Childhood Initiative, 

including the Children Exposed to Violence 

Task Force and Grant program and the 

National Forum on Youth Violence 

Prevention 10 Cities Initiative. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: 

larke.huang@samhsa.hhs.gov 

SAMHSA Concept Paper on Trauma and 

Trauma-Informed Approaches 

http://www.samhsa.gov/traumaJustice/ 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 33

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration’s Center for Mental 

Health Services (CMHS)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

More than half of the people served by mental 

health systems across the country are female, 

and the vast majority have histories of 

trauma. To date, fiscal year 2013 Government 

Performance and Results Act (GPRA) data for 

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) 

grantees show approximately 74 percent of 

women have experienced violence or trauma, 

many from multiple sources. While people 

often recover from even severely traumatizing 

experiences, trauma can affect the brain by 

overloading the stress response system; 

mental health “symptoms” are often 

adaptations to these neurological changes. 

Unless recognized and addressed, trauma 

can affect every aspect of life, including 

health, behavior, ability to learn, and 

relationships. Additional statistics on women 

in the mental health system and information 

about the impact of trauma can be found in 

the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

Services that are not trauma-informed may 

inadvertently do serious psychological 

damage through practices that replicate 

trauma dynamics. Trauma-informed 

approaches promote collaboration and 

healing, especially when coupled with access 

to trauma-specific treatment interventions. 

CMHS has provided national leadership in the 

emerging trauma-informed care movement. In 

1994, the Dare to Vision Conference focused 

attention on women’s experience of violence 

and re-traumatization in the mental health 

system. The subsequent cross-Center 

SAMHSA-funded Women, Co-Occurring 

Disorders and Violence Study developed and 

tested models for trauma-integrated care that 

have since been widely adopted. Currently, 

SAMHSA is developing a concept of trauma 

and principles of trauma-informed approaches 

that will provide consistent guidance to all 

health, behavioral health and human service 

systems as they move to becoming traumainformed. 
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA CMHS) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

CMHS’ National Center on Trauma-Informed 

Care (NCTIC’s) working draft Engaging 

Women in Trauma-Informed Peer Support: A 

Guidebook, is the most downloaded 

resource from the TA Center, requested by 

over 30 health, human, and social service 

systems. This reflects increased recognition 

that integration of consumers/survivors/peers 

must be the cornerstone of implementing 

trauma-informed change strategies. 

http://www.nasmhpd.org/publications/engagi

ngWomen.aspx 

CMHS’ Jail Diversion Trauma Recovery -

Priority Focus on Veterans Program supports 

implementation and expansion of local and 

statewide trauma-integrated jail diversion 

programs. Over 2,100 justice system 

personnel have been trained. 

National Childhood Traumatic Stress 

Network hosted speaker series: 1) creating 

trauma-informed child-serving systems; and 

2) terrorism, disaster and children. 

NCTIC provided training and consultation on 

the implementation of trauma-informed 

approaches to over 20,000 people in 33 

states. A frequently requested topic is the 

elimination of seclusion and restraint, 

reflecting the recognition that traumainformed change strategies are essential to 

eliminating these harmful practices. 

CMHS partnered with DOJ to develop 

principles and a best practices statement to 

reduce the use of restraints among pregnant 

women who are incarcerated. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

CMHS is collaborating with the National 

Institutes of Health Department of Bioethics 

Clinical Center on a peer support project to 

obtain qualitative input from adult women 

volunteers on desirable physician approaches 

to obtaining a trauma history during prenatal 

care. 

CMHS’ NCTIC is developing a core 

curriculum based on SAMHSA’s concept 

paper on trauma and trauma-informed 

approaches to guide TA efforts. 

CMHS is working with a number of local 

communities (including San Mateo, CA; 

Tarpon Springs, FL; and King County, WA) 

to create models for trauma-informed 

communities. 

CMHS provides leadership on integrating 

peers in trauma-informed change strategies. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: mary.blake@samhsa.hhs.gov 

http://www.samhsa.gov/nctic 

http://www.nctsn.org 

http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/ 

http://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/ 

The Trauma-Informed Care Initiative at the 

Women’s Community Correctional Center of 

Hawaii 

Child Traumatic Stress: What Every Policymaker 

Should Know 

Responding to Crisis in the Aftermath of 

Disasters (DVD series)
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

page 35

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Service Administration’s Center for 

Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse 

Treatment has known since the early 1990’s 

that many women in substance abuse 

treatment have trauma histories that include 

but extend far beyond domestic violence. A 

high percentage of women who are addicted 

to substances have experienced trauma as 

children or adults. Alcohol and drug use can 

be, for some women, an effort to manage 

trauma-related symptoms, and helping clients 

to gain control over these symptoms greatly 

improves their chances of recovery. CSAT’s 

approach emphasizes working with all kinship 

arrangements, including fathers, children, 

extended family members, foster care 

families, and others. Statistics about the 

impact of trauma on women in substance 

abuse treatment and sources for further 

information can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

As a partner in the Women, Co-Occurring 

Disorders and Violence Study, CSAT learned 

that in order to be effective, substance abuse 

and mental health services need to work 

together to address the trauma underlying 

the symptoms; and in order to interrupt the 

intergenerational cycle of violence, services 

must focus on the entire family. It is of critical 

importance that substance abuse programs 

become trauma-informed. A universal 

precautions approach is essential, staff must 

be able to work with the person “where she 

is” and environments must clearly 

demonstrate safety and protection for both 

mothers and their children. Women can 

easily be re-traumatized if staff don’t focus 

on relationship or are insensitive to women’s 

trauma histories. For example, when women 

are separated from their children during an 

initial assessment, they may become 

extremely fearful for the safety of the child – 

especially if they see the child being led 

away by a male staff person.
Federal Partners Agency/Department/Office Updates 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS) 

SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment ( SAMHSA CSAT) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

All SAMHSA/CSAT’s criminal justice grant 

solicitations contain language ensuring 

alignment with SAMHSA goals of reducing 

the health impact of violence and trauma by 

integrating trauma-informed approaches into 

treatment models. All grantees must assure 

that grant personnel and service providers 

are trauma-informed and that clients are 

screened, assessed, and treated for traumarelated disorders. Specialized clinical training 

on trauma and trauma-informed care is 

provided at regional grantee trainings. 

Online training modules on trauma-informed 

practices are under development and will be 

available by the end of this fiscal year. 

SAMHSA/CSAT’s Pregnant and Postpartum 

Women Program is designed to expand the 

availability of comprehensive residential 

substance abuse treatment, prevention, and 

recovery services for pregnant and 

postpartum women and their minor children, 

including services for non-residential family 

members. One primary focus is to decrease 

involvement in and exposure to crime, 

violence, neglect, and abuse for all family 

members. Projects funded under this 

program provide evidence-based trauma 

informed care including assessments and 

interventions that consider the individual’s 

adverse life experiences within the context of 

their culture, history, and exposure to 

traumatic events. Technical assistance is 

provided to address clinical practices and 

infrastructure changes to strengthen capacity 

to provide trauma-informed care. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

CSAT’s Co-Occurring and Homeless 

Activities Branch and CMHS’s Homeless 

Programs Branch manage 208 targeted 

homeless grantees. TA on trauma-informed 

care and trauma-specific services is 

frequently requested by grantees. SAMHSA, 

through support from TA contracts, provides 

TA through individual and group training, site 

visits, phone consultation, research requests, 

webinars, and conference presentations. 

Recently, a Trauma-Informed Care Virtual 

Classroom has been developed combining 

webcasts with small group and individual 

consultations. Participants have the 

opportunity to learn about traumatic stress 

and how to infuse their practice and 

organizational culture with a trauma-informed 

perspective. The Trauma-Informed Care 

Virtual Classroom has been conducted three 

times, training 72 participants across 22 

grantees. 

The Treatment Improvement Protocol on 

Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health 

Services will provide best practices guidance 

to clinicians, program administrators, and 

payers to improve the quality and 

effectiveness of service delivery. It is in final 

copy edit, and it is expected to be completed 

late summer of this year (2013). 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: linda.whiteyoung@samhsa.hhs.gov
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN 

DEVELOPMENT (HUD) 

page 37

Office of Special Needs Assistance 

Programs (SNAPS)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Office of Special Needs Assistance 

Programs (SNAPS) administers HUD’s 

homeless assistance programs. Survivors of 

domestic and dating violence, sexual assault 

and stalking often find themselves homeless 

or at risk of homelessness. According to the 

2012 Point–in-Time Count, there were 54,122 

sheltered survivors of domestic violence and 

20,148 unsheltered survivors of domestic 

violence. Survivors of domestic violence are 

often isolated from support networks and 

financial resources by their abusers. They 

may lack steady income, employment history, 

credit history, or landlord references, making 

affordable housing options difficult to find. In 

the long-term, survivors need options that let 

them transition into safe, stable, and 

affordable housing. This requires an adequate 

supply of affordable transitional and 

permanent housing and appropriate social 

services. Further information can be found in 

the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

HUD’s two targeted homeless assistance 

grants programs are the Emergency 

Solutions Grants and the Continuum of Care 

program. While neither is specifically focused 

on survivors, many domestic violence 

providers receive funding from these 

programs. HUD’s definition of homelessness 

specifically includes any individual or family 

who is fleeing or attempting to flee domestic 

or dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, 

or other dangerous or life-threatening 

conditions. In 2011, HUD provided over $40 

million in targeted homeless assistance 

grants for this population. HUD homeless 

assistance grants allow for flexible program 

design, including innovative trauma informed 

care models. Trauma-specific service 

models have become increasingly common 

in homeless and mental health programs, 

including residential and non-residential 

programs designed for specific 

subpopulations. Many victim service 

providers have already started using HUD 

funds for trauma-informed care models as 

well as rapid re-housing projects for 

survivors of domestic violence.
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN 

DEVELOPMENT (HUD) 

Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

Under the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress 

established the Homelessness Prevention 

and Rapid Re-Housing Program, a one-time 

allocation of $1.5 billion, to provide shortand medium-term financial assistance and 

services to individuals and families who were 

homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. 

Persons fleeing domestic violence could 

receive assistance if they would be homeless 

“but for” the HPRP assistance. In the 3 

years of the program, approximately 138 

victim services providers received HPRP 

assistance, and rapidly re-housed or 

prevented homelessness for approximately 

48,000 persons. 

On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed 

the Homeless Emergency Assistance and 

Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, 

which amends and reauthorizes the 

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. 

The Act includes a consolidation of HUD's 

competitive grant programs; creation of a 

Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program; 

a change in HUD's definition of 

homelessness and chronic homelessness; a 

simplified match requirement; an increase in 

prevention resources; and an increase in 

emphasis on performance. HUD has 

published regulations associated with the 

HEARTH Act, including rules related to the 

definition of homeless; Emergency Solutions 

Grants; Homeless Management Information 

Systems; Continuum of Care Program; and 

Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance 

Programs will continue to serve on the 

Women and Trauma Committee and is a part 

of HUD’s Working Group on the Intersection 

of HIV/AIDS, Violence Against Women and 

Gender-related Health Disparities and 

provides support to HUD staff on the 

President’s Interagency Taskforce on Human 

Trafficking. 

An example of a best practice in the field is 

the Trauma Recovery and Empowerment 

Model developed at Community Connections 

in Washington, DC. This evidence based 

practice directly addresses trauma and its 

impact, and facilitates trauma recovery for 

people who often bring other complicating 

vulnerabilities (e.g., substance use, severe 

mental health problems, homelessness, 

contact with the criminal justice system) to 

the service setting. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: lisa.r.coffman@hud.gov 

https://www.onecpd.info/ 

http://www.communityconnectionsdc.org/web

/page/656/interior.html 

Saunders, D. G. (1994). Posttraumatic stress 

symptom profiles of battered women: A 

comparison of survivors in two settings. 

Violence and Victims, 9 (10), 31-44. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

page 39

National Institute of Corrections (NIC)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Justice-involved women have high rates of 

identified mental health problems, substance 

abuse disorders, interpersonal trauma, and 

specific trauma-related conditions such as 

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Correctional policy and practice have 

historically been developed with male 

offenders in mind, and minimal recognition 

has been given to the risk (often informed by 

needs) of women. Women’s pathways into 

criminal justice often include histories of 

abuse. This impacts how they serve time, and 

creates challenges to re-entry and to their 

success under community supervision. 

Behavioral disruptions in women’s prison 

facilities are most likely to involve disturbed 

female inmates with histories of trauma, 

mental illness and substance abuse. 

Additionally, parental stress and challenges 

to housing safety contribute to failure under 

community supervision (Van Voorhis et al, 

2008). Additional statistics on women in the 

justice system, information about the impact 

of trauma on justice-involved women, and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

In 1974, the National Institute of Corrections 

(NIC) was created by legislative action as a 

direct result of the riots at the Attica Prison in 

New York in which thirty-nine correctional 

staff, inmates and civilians were killed. NIC’s 

mission is to provide innovation and 

leadership in advancing effective correctional 

practice and policy to jails, prisons and 

community corrections across the country. 

Over the years, NIC has developed 

research-informed products and initiatives 

that address the risk, needs and strengths of 

women in our nation’s jails, prisons and on 

community supervision. Drawn from 

research internal and external to criminal 

justice, NIC has incorporated information 

addressing women’s physical and behavioral 

health issues; patterns of dependence and 

addiction; sexual, physical and interpersonal 

violence experiences; relationships and 

relational theory; parenting and childcare 

responsibilities; and the financial impact of 

poverty. The implementation of traumainformed policies and practices will assist 

correctional systems to meet safety and 

security needs as well as assisting in 

systems improvement and risk reduction, to 

include decreased recidivism of justiceinvolved women. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

National Institute of Corrections (NIC) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

NIC funded a project addressing secondary 

(vicarious) trauma in non-clinical correctional 

professionals. Exposure to difficult and often 

dangerous working conditions and troubled 

populations takes a toll on correctional staff, 

with rates of PTSD exceeding other first 

responders. Materials to be released in FY13 

include a white paper, resource guide, and 

content for a series of webinars and a 

webpage. 

An E-Learning training has been developed 

specific to working with women offenders. 

One module is on trauma and traumainformed practices with women, and another 

on building individual and organizational 

resilience among staff working with this 

population. 

Additionally, NIC has provided numerous 

training and technical assistance events to 

jails, prisons and community corrections on 

managing the risk and needs presented by 

justice involved women, for whom trauma is 

often an underlying issue. 

A document was developed entitled 

Pregnancy and Child Related Legal and 

Policy Issues Concerning Justice Involved 

Women, highlighting the impact of trauma on 

justice involved women. 

As a response to the Prison Rape 

Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA), NIC funded 

through a cooperative agreement a project to 

validate a measurement instrument for use in 

improving safety in women’s correctional 

facilities and to provide a template for datadriven decisions to enhance safety. 

A two-part satellite broadcast focused on 

justice involved women’s health was aired in 

2012-2013, with over 5500 registered 

viewers. Topics included the prevalence of 

trauma in justice-involved women and 

behavioral and reproductive health issues. 

Both broadcasts are available through the 

NIC website. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

NIC is partnering with a broad group of 

Federal, state and local partners to address 

the use of restraints with pregnant women in 

institutional settings. 

NIC will be developing a training curriculum 

and materials based to assist agencies in 

improving safety in women’s institutions. This 

work will build upon the PREA work noted 

above. 

NIC is developing a dedicated website on 

trauma and trauma-informed practices for 

addressing the needs of justice-involved 

women. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: mbuell@bop.gov 

www.nicic.gov/womenoffenders

http://www.bop.gov/about/co/nic.jsp 

Van Voorhis, P. et al (2008) Achieving 

accurate pictures of risk and identifying 

gender responsive needs: Two new 

assessments for women offenders. 

Washington, DC: NIC. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

page 41

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention (OJJDP)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Traumatic stress can interfere with a child’s 

physical, emotional and intellectual 

development. The Attorney General (AG) 

recognizes the epidemic levels of exposure to 

violence faced by our nation’s children. A 

2009 DOJ study showed that more than 60 

percent of the children surveyed were 

exposed to violence within the past year, 

either directly or indirectly. Children’s 

exposure to violence, whether as victims or 

witnesses, is often associated with long-term 

physical, psychological, and emotional harm. 

Children exposed to violence are also at a 

higher risk of engaging in criminal behavior 

later in life and becoming part of a cycle of 

violence. Approximately 90 percent of juvenile 

detainees reported having experienced at 

least one traumatic event and 75 percent 

reported having been exposed to severe 

victimization. Additional statistics on girls in 

the juvenile justice system and sources for 

further information can be found in the first 

Federal Partners Report on Women and 

Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides 

national leadership, coordination and 

resources to prevent and respond to juvenile 

delinquency and victimization. OJJDP 

supports states and communities to improve 

the juvenile justice system so that it protects 

public safety, holds offenders accountable, 

and provides effective and responsive 

treatment and rehabilitation. OJJDP 

recognizes the need to incorporate a traumainformed approach in all aspects of 

programming. The AG’s Defending 

Childhood Initiative is at the forefront of this 

issue. The goals are to prevent children's 

exposure to violence, mitigate the negative 

effects of exposure to violence, and develop 

knowledge and awareness about this issue. 

OJJDP supports the Defending Childhood 

Initiative’s trauma-informed approach by 

encouraging programs to improve the 

identification, screening, assessment, and 

referral of children and their families to 

appropriate programs and services; to 

increase access to and utilization of quality 

programs and services; and to develop new 

programs and services where gaps exist. 

 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In 2010, DOJ awarded grants to eight sites in 

cities and tribal communities to develop 

plans for comprehensive community-based 

efforts to further the goals of the Defending 

Childhood Initiative. Each of these sites 

received additional support in 2011 to help 

launch, sustain, and expand programs. 

The final report of the AG’s Defending 

Childhood Task Force presents findings and 

policy recommendations, serving as a 

blueprint for preventing children’s exposure 

to violence and reducing its negative effects. 

OJJDP and the John D. and Catherine T. 

MacArthur Foundation provided $2 million to 

support reforms in treatment and services for 

youth involved in the juvenile justice and 

child welfare systems. 

In 2013 OJJDP will award funding to 

implement or enhance family drug courts for 

individuals with substance abuse disorders 

or co-occurring mental health disorders, 

including histories of trauma. Two additional 

OJJDP programs focusing on mental health 

and trauma are the Tribal Youth Program 

and the Second Chance Act Re-entry 

Program. 

The OJJDP Suicide Prevention Task Force 

for Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice 

System is currently disseminating findings. 

A study examining trauma assessment and 

treatment for youth in juvenile justice is 

currently underway in five Michigan counties. 

Outcomes to be measured include 

recidivism, academic standing, resilience, 

behavior, and trauma symptoms. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

OJJDP will implement the recommendations 

of the Defending Childhood Task Force, 

continue to support programs that mitigate 

the effects of trauma, and offer successful 

strategies to move the field in the direction of 

utilizing a trauma-informed approach when 

working with all children. 

OJJDP supports a joint initiative of the 

International Association of Chiefs of Police 

and Yale University’s National Center for 

Children Exposed to Violence to better equip 

law enforcement professionals with 

information and tools to identify trauma and 

to use trauma-informed responses to violent 

events. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: Stephanie.Rapp@usdoj.gov 

www.ojjdp.gov 

www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/cev-rptfull.pdf 

Questions and Answers about the National 

Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, 

OJJDP, Oct. 2011. 

OJJDP Bulletin Series (2013) The Northwestern 

Juvenile Project. 

Ford et al (2007) Trauma among Youth in the 

Juvenile Justice System: Critical Issues and New 

Directions. 

Cocozza et al (2006) Youth with Mental Health 

Disorders in the Juvenile Justice System: Results 

from a Multi-State Prevalence Study. National 

Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

page 43

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Victimization and exposure to violence can 

have serious, long-lasting consequences. 

Traumatic experiences early in life can even 

affect the developing brain. The Adverse 

Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, which 

analyzed detailed personal histories given to 

medical providers by more than 17,000 adults, 

demonstrated significant links between 

traumatic experiences in childhood and a 

wide range of physical, emotional, and 

behavioral problems later in life. This study, 

along with the results of the National Survey 

of Children’s Exposure to Violence, confirms 

that the consequences of victimization are 

many times worse for individuals who witness 

or experience multiple types of crime, 

violence, or abuse. 

www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/235504.pdf 

Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services, 

recently released by the DOJ’s OVC, Office of 

Justice Programs, acknowledges these 

critical findings and calls for greater attention 

to the holistic needs of crime victims. 

www.ovc.gov/vision21 Additional information 

on women crime victims can be found in the 

first Federal Partners Report on Women and 

Trauma. http://nicic.gov/Library/025082 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

OVC is committed to enhancing the Nation's 

capacity to assist crime victims and to 

providing leadership in changing attitudes, 

policies, and practices to promote justice and 

healing for all victims of crime. Recognizing 

that exposure to multiple types of violence 

and other adverse experiences, sometimes 

called “poly-victimization,” is highly predictive 

of trauma among children and adults, OVC 

supports initiatives to raise awareness 

among the general public and a wide range 

of professionals, and to educate victim 

service providers about effective 

interventions. 

Through grants that support partnerships 

with professional associations and 

development of easily accessible public 

awareness materials, OVC seeks to engage 

every member of every community 

throughout the country. This work supports 

the Attorney General’s Defending Childhood 

Initiative, a national effort to protect children 

from exposure to violence, to help them heal 

from trauma they may have experienced, 

and to help them thrive and resume healthy, 

rewarding lives. 

www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

OVC recently released a series of videos 

and resources to raise awareness about 

children who have been exposed to violence, 

highlight promising practices, and show how 

trauma-informed care can help child victims 

recover. www.ovc.gov/throughoureyes One 

video introduces evidence-based mental 

health interventions to address trauma, 

including Trauma-Focused Cognitive 

Behavioral Therapy and Child-Parent 

Psychotherapy. 

OVC focuses attention on the critical role of 

medical and mental health professionals in 

identifying and intervening with children 

exposed to violence. With OVC’s support, 

the American Academy of Pediatrics 

developed educational materials to promote 

the medical home approach, an evidencebased intervention for children exposed to 

violence. OVC also awarded funding to the 

American Psychological Association to 

develop a curriculum about effective trauma–

focused, evidence-based interventions for 

children exposed to violence. OVC is 

collaborating with the Administration for 

Children, Youth, and Families to adapt this 

curriculum for child welfare professionals. 

OVC plans to publish Achieving Excellence: 

Model Standards for Serving Victims and 

Survivors of Crime in late 2013. Originally 

released in 2003, the Model Standards 

promote competence and ethical integrity of 

victim service providers; quality and 

consistency of service for crime victims and 

their families; and the importance of a victimcentered and trauma-informed approach. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

With the publication of the Vision 21 report, 

OVC will build on its legacy of partnerships 

within the Justice Department, other federal 

agencies, and stakeholder constituency 

groups to expand the body of knowledge 

about victimization and extend the reach of 

its services to victims in communities 

throughout America and beyond. 

OVC will continue to support collaborations 

to improve the response to victims of crime, 

including sexual violence and human 

trafficking. OVC coordinates with DOD’s 

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response 

Office to encourage partnerships between 

victim assistance providers and military 

personnel. OVC also spearheads an 

initiative to address the needs of American 

Indian/Alaska Native sexual violence victims. 

Numerous federal and tribal agency 

representatives contribute to this effort, 

which will result in national guidelines for a 

coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to 

victimized tribal women and children. OVC 

is also working in partnership with DHHS and 

the Department of Homeland Security to 

develop and implement a Federal Strategic 

Action Plan on Services for Victims of 

Human Trafficking. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: mary.atlas-terry@usdoj.gov 

www.ovc.gov 

www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-andpolicy/aap-health-initiatives/Medical-Homefor-Children-and-Adolescents-Exposed-toViolence/Pages/Medical-Home-for-Childrenand-Adolescents-Exposed-to-Violence.aspx
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

page 45

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) 

provides federal leadership in developing the 

nation’s capacity to reduce violence against 

women and to administer justice for and 

strengthen services to victims of domestic 

violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and 

stalking. Since 1995, OVW has distributed 

more than $5 billion to provide services to 

victims, hold offenders accountable, ensure 

justice for survivors, and prevent violence. 

Domestic violence and sexual assault are 

often associated with depression, suicide, 

and other mental health consequences; PTSD 

rates after sexual assault can be as high as 94 

percent. For some survivors, these issues 

may be managed with increased safety and 

support. Others may benefit from additional 

resources and treatment. In recent years, a 

significant effort has formed across the 

country to encourage domestic and sexual 

violence programs to ensure that their 

services are trauma-informed. Additional 

statistics on women and violence and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

Trauma-informed services are sensitive to 

the pervasiveness of trauma and its impact 

on survivors, including how trauma affects a 

survivor’s ability to cope, to access services, 

and to feel safe both physically and 

emotionally. Trauma-informed services are 

strength-based and non-pathologizing. They 

take steps to identify potential trauma 

triggers, reduce re-traumatization, and attend 

to the quality of interactions between staff 

and survivors receiving services. Traumainformed organizations provide survivors and 

staff with an environment and structure that 

is inclusive, welcoming, de-stigmatizing, and 

not re-traumatizing. A critical component of 

trauma-informed service delivery is attending 

to the emotional needs of direct service staff, 

including recognizing vicarious trauma, and 

addressing self-care in substantive ways. 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

OVW’s Children Exposed to Violence 

program provides training to programs on 

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior 

Therapy for children. This form of therapy is 

highly successful in improving mental health 

outcomes for children with a history of 

experiencing trauma, such as witnessing 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) 

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) 

domestic violence. Parents also receive 

education and training because they play a 

critical role in their child’s therapy. 

As we continue our work to help survivors 

heal it is important to understand the 

underlying mechanism of trauma. The 

National Sexual Violence Resource Center 

used OVW funding to develop an innovative 

course entitled “The Brain, Body, and 

Trauma.” This course gives victim service 

providers: 1) an overview of the 

neurobiological and psychological 

implications of sexually violent trauma; and 

2) the information and skills necessary to 

provide trauma-informed services. 

After a sexual assault, survivors often 

engage the criminal justice system when 

seeking safety and support. It is crucial that 

law enforcement and other members of the 

criminal justice community are trained to use 

trauma-informed approaches with survivors. 

The International Association of Chiefs of 

Police, an OVW grantee, developed the 

Trauma Informed Sexual Assault 

Investigation curriculum, which will be 

implemented in selected law enforcement 

agencies nationwide. The curriculum focuses 

on helping officers to develop the skills they 

need to effectively respond to and 

investigate sexual assault cases. Officers will 

learn about the effects of trauma on sexual 

assault victims, as well as enhancing an 

officers' ability to identify and document 

perpetrator behaviors. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

OVW is working with the Rose Brooks 

Center in Kansas City to integrate traumainformed practices into services for domestic 

violence survivors and their children. Using 

“The Three C’s” - a universal traumainformed approach - the Rose Brooks Center 

is seeking to ensure all practices and 

environments are trauma-informed, including 

a building expansion that provides a quiet 

room for shelter residents, an improved 

security system, and a pet shelter. 

Integrating trauma-informed philosophies 

throughout the work of community and local 

government agencies improves the quality of 

services and results in improved health 

outcomes. An OVW Disability grantee in 

Wisconsin is employing multi-faceted 

strategies to infuse trauma-informed thinking 

and practices throughout their work. This led 

to the establishment of the Leadership Group 

of Learning and Infusion Initiative that 

cultivates leadership at the intersection of 

disabilities and anti-violence efforts. The 

project focuses on personal leadership 

development within a statewide collaboration 

of partner organizations and pilot 

communities to foster long-term sustainability 

of trauma-informed leadership development. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: Allison.Randall@usdoj.gov 

http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/ 

www.VAWnet.org 

http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/ 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) 

page 47

Office of Worklife, Leave, and Benefits 

Policy & Programs (OWLBPP)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Office of Worklife, Leave, and Benefits 

Policy & Programs provides guidance for the 

Department and manages programs that 

assist DOL employees in managing their work 

and personal life. Areas of responsibility 

consist of Federal Employees’ Benefits; 

Worklife Programs: telework, childcare 

subsidy, information and referral, support 

groups, elder care; oversight of Departmentwide health and wellness programs, health 

clinics, and coordination of the Departmentwide Employee Assistance Program; Leave 

Administration; Awards Program; and the 

Drug Free Workplace Program. The Office 

provides operational services for the National 

Office Leave Bank and Leave Transfer 

Programs and to the Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Administration and Management 

(OASAM) and OASAM client agencies. 

Statistics on women in the workplace, 

information on the impact of trauma, and 

sources for further information can be found 

in the first Federal Partners Report on Women 

and Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Department recognizes the impact 

violence in the workplace can have on 

employees and their family members. DOL’s 

Workplace Violence Program Handbook 

outlines that it will promote a safe 

environment for its employees and the 

visiting public, and work with employees to 

maintain a work environment that is free from 

violence, harassment, intimidation, and other 

disruptive behavior. The document also 

emphasizes that violence or threats of 

violence, in all forms, are unacceptable 

behaviors. They will not be tolerated and will 

be dealt with appropriately. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) 

Office of Worklife, Leave, and Benefits Policy & Programs (OWLBPP) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

On June 6, 2012 the OASAM/Human 

Resource Center Director issued guidance to 

all employees reminding them the 

Department has a Workplace Violence 

Handbook with guidance on who to contact 

in the event of an incident. The guidance 

was issued as an HR News You Can Use, 

Volume 2, Issue 4, DOL Workplace Violence 

Program, posted on its intranet. Employees 

were encouraged to review the handbook to 

become familiar with the information and to 

contact the appropriate offices for 

assistance. 

Former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis issued 

a Policy Statement on Harassing Conduct in 

the Workplace on August 6, 2012 to reiterate 

the definition of harassing conduct and the 

responsibilities of all employees including the 

actions managers and supervisors must take 

to resolve the reported situations. 

In support of National Domestic Violence 

Awareness Month in October 2012, the 

former Secretary issued a Message: 

“October is National Domestic Violence 

Awareness Month. It is important to shed 

light on the devastating effects of domestic 

violence and show support for those who are 

or have been victims.” The Message also 

mentioned that workplace violence is another 

issue of concern because it represents a 

serious safety and health issue. 

Also in October 2012, as part of its weekly 

Frances Perkins Building elevator poster 

campaign, the Department highlighted 

October is National Domestic Violence (DV) 

Awareness Month, noting that: 1) DV is the 

leading cause of injury to women; 2) Ten 

million children witness DV annually; 3) Eight 

million days of paid work per year are lost by 

DV victims; and 4) $5.8 billion per year is the 

cost of intimate partner violence in the United 

States: $4.1 billion is spent on direct medical 

and health care services, while productivity 

losses account for nearly $1.8 billion. Our 

Employee Assistance Program offers free 

personal, legal and financial consultation 

twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 

three hundred and sixty five days a year. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

After receipt of the February 2013 Executive 

Order and OPM’s guidance on domestic 

violence, the OWLBPP is reviewing the 

current guidance and is in the process of 

redrafting the handbook and developing 

additional guidance. This effort will include 

representatives from other DOL agencies 

and the unions to ensure a joint effort to 

protect DOL employees and the visiting 

public. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: Allen.Susan@dol.gov 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) 

page 49

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

(ODEP)

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

It is essential for workplaces and workforce 

systems to be trauma-informed. While women 

workers experience high rates of sexual 

harassment, workplace bullying, and other 

types of violence, women with disabilities 

have an even higher incidence of traumarelated issues. They are subject to trauma by 

their partners and personal care providers, 

and are more likely to be unemployed or 

underemployed and live in poverty. 

Having a disability can result from a traumatic 

event, and can present other mental health 

issues such as depression or post-traumatic 

stress disorder. Trauma can dramatically 

increase the costs of absenteeism, turnover, 

and other workforce issues. 

Statistics on women with disabilities and the 

impact of trauma on women with disabilities 

in the workplace can be found in the first 

Federal Partners’ Report on Women and 

Trauma at http://nicic.gov/Library/025082 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

ODEP’s mission is to ensure that people with 

disabilities are fully integrated into the 21st 

century workforce, and to increase the hiring, 

retention, and promotion of people with 

disabilities. Trauma-informed approaches 

are essential, not only because women with 

disabilities experience violence at a higher 

rate than women without disabilities, but also 

because women may become disabled after 

experiencing a traumatic event, with a 

resulting physical, emotional, or cognitive 

disability. 

ODEP has worked to develop various 

partnerships, initiatives, and programs to 

examine the issues that women with 

disabilities experience, while working to 

eliminate employment barriers and ensure 

that workplace policies, benefits, and 

practices are structurally and 

programmatically accessible to all. 

Trauma-informed workplace policies are 

valuable in multiple ways. The ability to work 

and return to work in a healthy environment 

and continue to be employed is a central to 

both recovery and economic self-sufficiency.
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) 

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In 2012, ODEP contributed to the Office of 

Personnel Management’s Guidance for 

Agency-Specific Domestic Violence, Sexual 

Assault, and Stalking Policies. ODEP 

reported that 37.3 percent of women with 

disabilities experience intimate partner 

violence in their lifetime, compared with 20.6 

percent of women without disabilities. 

Agencies should consider the needs and risk 

factors of employees with disabilities in 

training, workplace flexibility arrangements 

and reasonable accommodations. 

In 2012, ODEP and the DOL’s Women’s 

Bureau released a Workplace Flexibility 

Toolkit for employers, policymakers and 

researchers. The Toolkit provides case 

studies, fact/tip sheets, issue briefs, reports, 

and articles; discusses universal strategies 

around time, place, and tasks; and can assist 

employees who have experienced trauma to 

be productive in the workplace. 

Also in 2012, ODEP, in collaboration with the 

National Working Positive Coalition, 

sponsored an Institute on HIV/AIDS and 

Employment at the XIX International AIDS 

Conference. The U.S. Department of Labor 

is among six lead federal agencies 

responsible for implementing President 

Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy – a 

first for the nation. A conference report was 

published in 2012. With childhood and adult 

trauma increasingly being recognized as 

important factors associated with the 

HIV/AIDS epidemic among women, this 

conference report can serve as an important 

tool for this community. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

ODEP is working on an Information 

Memorandum that will address successful 

strategies for returning to work after 

experiencing a traumatic event, using a 

trauma-informed approach. The 

Memorandum will be disseminated to 

approximately 3,000 American Job Centers 

and state and local Workforce Investment 

Boards throughout the United States, as well 

as to other stakeholder groups within the 

disability community. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: Thal.Adrienne@dol.gov 

Women with Disabilities 

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealt

h/women.html 

Employees with Post Traumatic Stress 

Disorder (PTSD) 

http://askjan.org/media/ptsd.html 

Employees with Mental Health Impairments 

http://askjan.org/media/psychiatric.html 

HIV/Aids report 

http://www.dol.gov/odep/pdf/20120728HIVAI

DSReports.pdf 

Workplaces Respond to Domestic and 

Sexual Violence, DOJ/OVW site 

www.workplacesrespond.org/ 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) 

page 51

Women’s Bureau

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Violence and trauma can have a profound 

impact on women in the workplace. Some 

women workers may have histories of trauma 

and abuse, and in addition, they may be 

subjected to workplace bullying, domestic 

violence within the work setting, or sexual 

harassment which impacts them as workers. 

Women in traditionally male jobs such as the 

construction trades may experience different 

forms of gender-based harassment. Research 

has shown that these are common 

occurrences and that they not only affect 

women’s job experience, but also her job 

performance and possible career 

advancement. Statistics on women, 

information about the impact of trauma on 

women in the workplace, and sources for 

further information can be found in the first 

Federal Partners Report on Women and 

Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Women’s Bureau was created by law in 

1920 to formulate standards and policies to 

promote the welfare of wage-earning 

women, improve their working conditions, 

increase their efficiency, and advance their 

opportunities for profitable employment. 

Trauma-informed approaches help the 

Women’s Bureau to meet its mission: to 

develop policies and standards and conduct 

inquiries to safeguard the interests of 

working women; to advocate for their 

equality and economic security for 

themselves and their families; and to 

promote quality work environments. The 

Women’s Bureau places particular focus 

upon vulnerable women workers, including 

women veterans who have experienced 

trauma. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) 

Women’s Bureau 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

In 2010, the Women’s Bureau held the firstever Stand Down events for homeless 

women veterans to address the unique 

needs of homeless women veterans and 

their families. Women-to-women Stand 

Down events help women veterans who are 

homeless and those at risk for homelessness 

to regain stability and sustainability for 

themselves and their families. The focus is 

on providing women veterans services and 

engaging community-based resources that 

integrate housing, employment support and 

reintegration services. 

In 2011, the Women's Bureau released the 

publication Trauma-Informed Care for 

Women Veterans Experiencing 

Homelessness: A Guide for Service 

Providers, which underscores the need to 

recognize how trauma from military 

experiences impacts the reintegration 

process for women veterans and offers a 

comprehensive approach for creating 

effective trauma-informed care 

environments. The guide includes 

information on the experiences of women 

veterans, a step-by-step process for 

organizational self-assessment, and 

resource lists. 

The Women’s Bureau also developed a webbased training curriculum designed to help 

community-based service providers use the 

Guide to meet the unique needs of the 

populations they serve, and assesses how 

service providers use this information to 

change policies and/or practices to better 

serve women veterans. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

The Women’s Bureau is partnering with the 

Veterans Employment and Training Service 

(VETS) to establish a formal women 

veterans program. The first of its kind, this 

program will identify distinct women veteran 

economic and employment needs, and 

determine how to maximize DOL resources 

to meet these needs. This initiative will 

engage experts in workforce development 

and on women employment issues to 

develop a strategic plan focused on 

improving employment and training services 

for women veterans. 

In the future, the Women's Bureau will 

expand outreach to the broader woman 

veterans’ population. The Bureau will 

conduct outreach to raise awareness of the 

challenges women veterans face in finding 

good jobs, including trauma-related 

challenges. The Bureau will also provide 

technical assistance to organizations to 

facilitate better recruitment and retention of 

women veterans in employment or in job 

training programs. 

The Women’s Bureau will also continue to 

serve on the White House Council on 

Women and Girls. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: thompson.tonya@dol.gov 

http://www.dol.gov/wb/

http://www.dol.gov/wb/trauma/
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (DVA) 

page 53

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is 

committed to honoring America's Veterans by 

providing exceptional health care that 

improves their health and well-being. 

Veterans may experience trauma prior to, 

during, and/or following their military service, 

making it an issue of key concern for VA. VA 

has a special emphasis on addressing issues 

related to combat trauma, military sexual 

trauma (sexual assault or repeated, 

threatening sexual harassment occurring 

during military service), and other traumas 

experienced during service. However, 

experiences of trauma at any point during a 

Veteran’s lifetime can have a significant 

impact upon his/her health, treatment needs, 

and need for assistance with other issues, 

such as employment or homelessness. 

Additional statistics on women, information 

about the impact of trauma, and sources for 

further information can be found in the first 

Federal Partners Report on Women and 

Trauma http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

VA offers a full continuum of mental health 

services for women Veterans, including 

assessment, outpatient treatment, and 

inpatient and residential care. Having 

trauma-informed and gender-sensitive 

medical and mental health treatment 

programming available is key to ensuring 

that Veterans’ needs secondary to trauma 

are adequately addressed. 

The VA’s National Center for PTSD is a longstanding center of excellence for research 

and education on the prevention, 

understanding, and treatment of 

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The Center's 

highest priority is supporting VA clinicians 

and Veterans through the development of 

evidence-based treatments for PTSD and 

the dissemination of best-practices 

throughout the VA system. 

Because trauma is associated with a range 

of mental health problems, VA’s services for 

PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use 

disorders, and general mental health are a 

key component of VA’s efforts. Starting in 

2007, VA began a rollout of trainings on 

evidence-based treatments for traumarelated mental health disorders for its mental 

health providers. 
Federal Partner Update 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (DVA) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

Since 2006, VA has funded a national 

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Support Team 

that monitors MST screening and treatment, 

expands national MST-related education and 

training, and promotes best practices in care 

for Veterans who experienced MST. The 

team hosts an annual conference and 

monthly training calls available to all VA staff, 

and develops a range of MST-specific 

resources and initiatives targeting both VA 

staff and Veterans. 

National policy requires all mental health and 

primary care providers to complete training 

on issues related to MST. VA has also 

established national policy that all Veterans 

seen for health care services are screened 

for experiences of MST to ensure that they 

are aware of free, specialized services 

available and that their trauma history is 

considered in provision of care. 

Since August 2012, the Women’s Mental 

Health Section of VA Mental Health Services 

has hosted a teleconference educational 

series to provide information and training to 

VA staff about women's mental health. 

Examples of training topics include: gender 

differences in PTSD and their implications for 

the mental health care of Veterans; women 

Veterans and homelessness; and providing 

care to women Veterans who are 

experiencing interpersonal violence. 

The National Center on PTSD has also 

developed a number of online courses, 

continuing education opportunities, clinician 

guides, and mobile apps in support of 

trauma-focused care in the VA. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

During FY 2012, the Women’s Mental Health 

Section of VA Mental Health Services 

completed a national survey of all VA 

facilities to assess availability of current 

mental health care services for women 

Veterans and those who experience MST, 

including existing services, challenges, and 

best practices for provision of gendersensitive mental health care. The results of 

this survey will be used to identify gaps in 

services available and inform future program 

development efforts. 

In order to lower barriers to engagement in 

mental health treatment, VA is transforming 

its systems of care delivery to prioritize 

integrated primary/behavioral health care 

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/about/mission/looking

_ahead.asp . 

VA continues to collaborate with the 

Department of Defense and community 

agencies working with Active Duty, National 

Guard, and Reserve personnel, in order to 

ensure that Veterans who have been 

exposed to trauma are able to access 

appropriate services more smoothly and 

expediently. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: Heidi.Kar@va.gov 

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/ 

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome.asp 

http://Veteranscrisisline.net 

http://vaww.mst.va.gov
Federal Partner Update 

Peace Corps 

page 55

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

The Peace Corps is a federal agency that 

works to build capacity in developing 

countries. Currently 8,073 Peace Corps 

Volunteers are serving 27-month tours in 76 

countries. Trauma can impact both 

Volunteers and staff, who may be victims of 

crime, be exposed to civil unrest and political 

violence, live through natural disasters, or 

suffer accidents. Volunteers and staff may 

suffer vicarious trauma living in post-conflict 

nations where they are exposed to the 

lingering effects of violence through close 

association with their communities. Other 

personnel may witness the devastating 

effects of poverty, famine, disease, or disaster 

on a daily basis. Because the Peace Corps is 

a tight-knit community, trauma that directly 

impacts a staff member or Volunteer may 

ripple across the entire agency. Additional 

sources of information about the impact of 

trauma can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

The Peace Corps has designed and 

implemented a new trauma-informed 

approach to care. As of October 2012, all 

Peace Corps medical officers have received 

clinically accredited training on traumainformed care at Peace Corps annual 

continuing medical education conferences. 

All Volunteers are now treated with methods 

consistent with trauma-informed care 

approaches, which improve the quality of 

services, reduce re-traumatization, and 

support the healing process. 

Every Peace Corps post provides 

comprehensive medical services under the 

direction of PCMOs. Volunteers may also 

receive mental health services via long 

distance or medical evacuation from trained 

mental health clinicians. PCMOs are always 

among the first staff members to become 

aware of assaults and other traumatic events 

affecting Volunteers. Approximately 70 

percent of the PCMOs are physicians; the 

remaining 30 percent are physicians’ 

assistants, nurse practitioners, or registered 

nurses. The PCMOs are supervised by 

regional and headquarters-based physicians 

in Washington, D.C. 
Federal Partner Update 

Peace Corps 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

The Peace Corps has worked collaboratively 

with the departments of Defense and 

Veterans Affairs on developing staff training 

for PCMOs and the adoption of evidencebased trauma treatment modalities. The 

Peace Corps has also partnered with the 

departments of Justice and Defense to 

support the design and development of a 

Peace Corps sexual assault risk reduction 

and response program and several new 

policies related to trauma-informed care. 

Since 2008 the Peace Corps has been 

working to develop a victim-centered, 

trauma-informed global sexual assault risk 

reduction and response program. As part of 

the program, more than 1,500 overseas and 

headquarters staff who work directly with 

Volunteers have received online training on 

the impact of sexual assault and sexual 

assault awareness and sensitivity. From 

2012–13, all Volunteers received training on 

sexual assault awareness, risk reduction, 

reporting and response protocols, and 

bystander intervention. 

In 2011, the Peace Corps established an 

Office of Victim Advocacy with victim 

advocates available 24 hours a day for any 

Volunteer who has been a victim of crime. 

These victim advocates ensure that 

Volunteers have access to Peace Corps 

support services, are available to answer 

questions, and help Volunteers make 

informed choices. Advocates also work to 

ensure that staff at both headquarters and 

posts understand the wishes of the Volunteer 

and take them into consideration. 

In 2012, the Counseling and Outreach Unit 

(COU) hired two counselors with experience 

in the treatment of sexual assault and other 

traumas and specialized expertise in 

cognitive process therapy and prolonged 

exposure therapy, two evidence-based 

trauma-specific treatment modalities. All 

current licensed mental health clinicians in 

the COU are being trained in these 

approaches. 

The Peace Corps instituted a medical 

evacuation program for sexual assault 

trauma survivors that includes the choice of 

accompaniment by a Peace Corps staff 

member, being met at the airport by a staff 

member or representative, choice of medical 

and mental health providers, and a new 

online survey asking Volunteers about the 

care they received. 

The Peace Corps is developing a multi-level 

reporting process for sexual assault victims 

that includes an anonymous hotline as well 

as options for standard and restricted 

reporting (which strictly limits those informed 

about the assault to safety and security staff 

and medical and mental health providers). 

Starting in July 2013, trained sexual assault 

response liaisons will be available at each 

post at the request of the victim to 

accompany him/her through the in-country 

response. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: CKuric@peacecorps.gov 

http://www.peacecorps.gov/
Federal Partner Update 

White House Office on National Drug Control Policy 

(ONDCP) 

page 57

IMPACT OF TRAUMA 

Victims of trauma often self-medicate with 

alcohol or other drugs, rather than seeking 

proper medical attention. Furthermore, 

women who experience trauma are more 

likely to experience mental health and 

substance abuse problems. Because 

addiction is a disease of the brain, it is critical 

to address trauma and its psychological 

aftereffects. The Office of National Drug 

Control Policy (ONCDP) recognizes that 

women trauma survivors may feel inhibited 

from sharing their experiences in group 

therapy sessions with men, or may be retraumatized in such intimate settings. In 

response, ONDCP is focusing on expanding 

access to gender-responsive treatment and 

recovery services. Additional statistics on 

women and addiction, information about the 

impact of trauma, and sources for further 

information can be found in the first Federal 

Partners Report on Women and Trauma 

http://nicic.gov/Library/025082. 

How a Trauma-Informed Approach 

Can Make a Difference 

Given the significant correlation between 

lifetime history of drug and alcohol-facilitated 

rape, posttraumatic stress disorder, and 

nonmedical use of prescription drugs, 

medical professionals working with these 

populations should be aware of the 

importance of screening for drug abuse to 

avoid further health and safety issues. 

Treatment providers should also be aware of 

this connection and seek to address the 

underlying traumatic experiences that have 

led their patients to abuse substances. By 

addressing the underlying causes of 

substance abuse, treatment providers may 

experience greater successes in sustained 

recovery for their clients. 
Federal Partner Update 

White House Office on National Drug Control Policy 

(ONDCP) 

Major Accomplishments 2010-2013 

The President’s National Drug Control 

Strategy calls for evidence-based treatment 

for substance use disorders for all people, 

including those with co-occurring substance 

use and mental health disorders. The Office 

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is 

working to expand access to treatment for 

substance use disorders at the Federal and 

state levels, including identifying specialty 

treatment modalities that can be expanded. 

Additionally, ONDCP has worked with its 

partners at the Departments of Justice and 

Health and Human Services to ensure 

access to care for women, and supports 

partner agencies in their efforts to reach 

more people with appropriate care, including 

trauma-informed treatment. 

New Directions and Collaborations 

ONDCP encourages the advancement of 

research on the nexus between substance 

abuse and mental health, including the 

effects of trauma on the brain. As further 

research on the effect of trauma on women 

and substance abuse is developed, ONDCP 

will continue to advocate for the provision of 

trauma-informed care and urge substance 

abuse treatment providers to adopt the latest 

evidence-based approaches. 

Additional Resources 

Update contact: 

Meredith_L._DeFraites@ONDCP.EOP.GOV 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp 

McCauley, J.A., Amstadter, A., Danielson, 

C., Ruggiero, K., Kilpatrick, D., and Resnick, 

H. (2009) Mental Health and Rape History in 

Relation to Non-Medical Use of Prescription 

Drugs in a National Sample of Women, 

Addictive Behaviors, 34: 641-648. 
Page 59

Additional Committee Members

The Federal Partners Committee on Women 

and Trauma is constantly evolving. The 

group is open to members representing any 

federal department, agency, division or office 

with an interest in trauma and traumainformed care. In addition to those 

represented in the “Update” section of this 

report, the following agencies are members 

of the committee. 

US Department of Defense – Office 

of the Secretary of Defense, Health 

Affairs (ASD-HA) 

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

Health Affairs is chartered under United 

States Department of Defense Directive 

5136.1, which states that the ASD(HA) is the 

principal advisor to the U.S. Secretary of 

Defense on all "DoD health policies, 

programs and activities." In addition to 

exercising oversight of all DoD health 

resources, ASD(HA) serves as director of the 

Tricare Management Activity, an extensive 

network of private physicians and hospitals 

providing health maintenance to service 

members. While the ASD(HA) does not 

have any specific policies on traumainformed care, women are screened for 

previous trauma during healthcare visits. 

The ASD(HA) also oversees the Uniformed 

Services University of Health Sciences, 

which educates uniform physicians and other 

health professionals for the Army, Navy, Air 

Force and Public Health Service. The 

ASD(HA) is an active participant in the 

Federal Partners Committee, and has 

worked collaboratively with the Office of the 

Secretary of Defense, Family Advocacy 

Program (OSD, FAP) on the medical 

components of their trauma-informed 

initiatives, and with the Sexual Assault 

Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) 

in the development of a Special Victim’s 

Capacity (see DOD updates). 

http://www.health.mil/About_MHS/Organizati

ons/Index.aspx 

US Department of Health and 

Human Services – Center for 

Faith-based and Neighborhood 

Partnerships 

The White House Office of Faith-based and 

Neighborhood Partnerships works to build 

bridges between the federal government and 

nonprofit organizations, both secular and 

faith-based, to better serve Americans in 

need. The Office advances this work through 

Centers in various Federal agencies. 

The HHS Center for Faith-based and 

Neighborhood Partnerships (the Partnership 

Center) leads the Department's efforts to 

build and support partnerships with faithbased and community organizations in order 

to better serve individuals, families and 

communities in need. The Partnership 

Center is a mechanism for the department to 

engage and communicate with the 

grassroots, ensuring that local institutions 

that hold community trust have up-to-date 

information regarding health and human 

service activities and resources in their area. 
Page 60

The Partnership Center is focused on four 

major objectives: 1) improving access to 

health care through enrollment in health 

insurance, understanding the system, and 

increasing access points and accessibility; 2) 

facilitating the faith portion of the National 

Dialogue on Mental Health; 3) promoting 

responsible fatherhood and healthy families; 

and 4) leading the faith communities “Let’s 

Move” campaign. The President’s Advisory 

Council on Faith has created an advisory on 

human trafficking: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/10/r

eceiving-advisory-council-recommendationsend-human-trafficking 

http://www.hhs.gov/partnerships 

US Department of Justice – 

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 

The National Institute of Justice is the 

research, development and evaluation 

agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

NIJ provides objective and independent 

knowledge and tools to reduce crime and 

promote justice, particularly at the state and 

local levels. NIJ has five strategic goals: 

1) Fostering science-based criminal justice 

practice; 2) Translating knowledge to 

practice; 3) Advancing technology; 4) 

Working across disciplines; and 5) Adopting 

a global perspective. NIJ performs research 

in and evaluations of many specific types of 

crime — from more traditional crime, such as 

gun crime and child abuse, to emerging 

crime, such as identity theft and human 

trafficking. NIJ addresses many topics of 

concern to the Federal Partners Committee, 

including violence against women, intimate 

partner violence, rape and sexual violence, 

child abuse, elder abuse, and dating 

violence. NIJ has an established violence 

against women research portfolio that has 

been funding studies since the 1970’s. They 

house a research compendium of completed 

and ongoing funded projects: 

http://nij.gov/nij/pubs-sum/vawcompendium.htm 

Other NIJ-funded projects of particular 

interest include a multi-site examination of 

sexual assault case attrition; testing and 

evaluation of a lethality assessment program 

to identify lethal/high risk cases of intimate 

partner violence; examination of helpseeking patterns and outcomes for sexual 

assault survivors with disabilities; testing the 

Social Reactions Questionnaire and 

Secondary Victimization Scale among a 

diverse group of sexual assault survivors; an 

evaluation of community strategies to 

address childhood exposure to violence; and 

a report on how law enforcement and 

community partnerships can assist children 

exposed to domestic violence. 

http://www.nij.gov

US Department of Labor – 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) 

Congress created the Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration (OSHA) to assure 

safe and healthful working conditions for 

U.S. workers by setting and enforcing 

standards and by providing training, 

outreach, education and assistance. OSHA 

education and assistance focuses primarily 

on ways employers can prevent occupational 
Page 61

injuries and illnesses from occurring. The 

application of trauma- informed care, while 

not at the core of OSHA’s mission, is 

relevant to some of the work OSHA does. 

For example, OSHA provides guidance to 

employers concerning the prevention of 

workplace violence. This guidance, which 

focuses on the development of workplace 

violence prevention programs, includes 

information on how employers can assist 

workers after an incident of workplace 

violence, which can include trauma-informed 

care. http://www.osha.gov/ 

US Department of Labor – 

Veterans Employment and 

Training Services (VETS) 

VETS serves America's veterans and 

separating service members by preparing 

them for meaningful careers, providing 

employment resources and expertise, and 

protecting their employment rights. The 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Veterans' Employment and Training 

(OASVET) was established by Secretary's 

Order No. 5-81 in 1981. The Assistant 

Secretary position was created by P.L. 96-

466 in 1980 to replace the Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Veterans' Employment position 

created by P.L. 94-502 in 1976. The 

bipartisan Congressional intent was to 

establish leadership of the Department's 

programs for services to veterans at the 

policy-making level, and help to ensure that 

Congressional mandates for effective job 

training and placement services for eligible 

veterans are carried out by DOL. The 

application of trauma-informed practice is 

essential to the work of VETS due to the high 

rates of trauma exposure experienced by 

military personnel, documented in the DOD 

sections of this monograph. VETS is 

collaborating with the DOL Women’s Bureau 

to increase women’s participation in VETSfunded programs; to increase women’s 

reintegration into the workforce; and to 

promote programs for women veteran and 

service providers, including a joint effort of 

the Employment and Training Administration 

(ETA) and VETS to provide unemployed 

post-9/11 era veterans with the intensive 

follow-up services they need to succeed in 

today's job market. 

VETS has made a formal commitment to 

improve employment outcomes for Women 

Veterans with the August 2013 creation of 

the first-ever full time Women Veterans 

Program Manager. The Women Veterans 

Program has three main objectives: 

1. Identify distinct challenges that exist 

for Women Veteran employment. 

2. Identify DOL services required to 

close the gap in employment. 

3. Elevate the Women Veteran issue 

among diverse stakeholders to 

maximize impact. 

While current research shows a strong 

correlation between high rates of trauma 

exposure experienced by Women Veterans 

and employment/housing challenges, more 

data is needed to better understand and 

address issues specific to Women Veterans. 

The Women Veterans Program will work 

toward an evidence-based approach to 

improve employment outcomes for Women 

Veterans. http://www.dol.gov/vets/ 
Page 62

The Work of the Federal Partners 

Committee on Women and Trauma 

The Roundtables and Webinar Series 

The Federal Partners Committee has used several strategies to expand public and agency 

awareness about trauma and trauma-informed approaches. On April 29, 2010, the Committee 

hosted its first Roundtable on Women and Trauma, which brought together more than 80 

representatives from the Federal, State, academic, survivor, and practice arenas to examine the 

impact of trauma on the work of those who attended. Roundtable I highlighted the prevalence of 

violence, abuse and trauma experienced by women and girls across all segments of society and 

demonstrated the scope and gendered nature of women’s and girls’ experiences of trauma and 

violence. The Roundtable highlighted the public health consequences of violence and trauma 

across a wide range of issues including childhood sexual abuse, military sexual trauma, 

bullying, teen dating violence, domestic and intimate partner violence, trauma in the workplace, 

witnessing of violence in the household, and trauma experienced within health and social 

service systems themselves. The Roundtable also generated a call to action. 

The proceedings of the Roundtable were distributed in the 2011 Report of the Federal Partners 

Committee on Women and Trauma (available at: http://nicic.gov/Library/025082). The report 

summarizes research data documenting the level of violence against women and girls in our 

society and examining the consequences, provides background information on the Federal 

Partners Committee, identifies key issues facing participating agencies, and summarizes the 

first Roundtable meeting. The report also highlights action items identified by the Committee. 

On December 6-7, 2011, a second Roundtable was held. More than 230 people attended. 

Using a public health framework, Roundtable II focused on promising practices and high-priority 

interagency issues. Keynote and plenary presentations from noted leaders in the field 

described new and promising approaches addressing the impact of trauma on women and girls, 

and workshops provided an opportunity for participant engagement. Topics included the 

implementation of trauma-informed care with community-based front-line providers; military and 

veteran women; integration of the first-person experience and voices of women exposed to 

trauma; new approaches to trauma prevention and screening assessment; cross-cultural 

settings, diversity issues, and other underserved populations; and the workplace. Agendas from 

both Roundtables can be found in the Appendix. 
Page 63 

What are the implications of the legacy of cultural oppression? If people 

have lived with racial epithets, those will be the trauma triggers for them. 

Firoza Chic Daby-Chinoy, Director, 

Asian and Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Institute Roundtable II 

In 2013-2014, the Committee will initiate a webinar series that will take the message to an even 

wider audience, including those who cannot travel to a DC-based Roundtable. The webinar 

series will be designed to deepen participant understanding of the complex impacts of trauma, 

particularly ways in which trauma manifests across multiple domains; to showcase promising 

and evidence-based practices; to increase participants’ ability to assess current practice and to 

implement change; and to disseminate key resources and tools. All webinars will include 

speakers from different service systems and will be archived for future use. 

After polling Committee members, the following emerged as high-priority webinar topics: the 

intersection of domestic violence, sexual violence, and trauma; workplace violence and trauma; 

the intersection of substance abuse, mental health, and trauma; culturally relevant traumainformed programming; trauma-Informed healthcare; and veterans and trauma. The first 

webinar is planned for the fall of 2013. 

The Coordinating Committees 

Seven coordinating committees provide a structured platform for ongoing collaboration on topics 

directly affecting multiple agencies. The coordinating committees were instrumental in planning 

Roundtable II and also work on a variety of ongoing projects of mutual concern. While topics 

and membership vary over time, current coordinating committees include: 

Veteran and Military Women and Trauma-Informed Approaches. Participants include DOD 

(DCOE, FAP, SAPRO, and OASD-HA), VA, HHS (OWH, SAMHSA), HUD (SNAPS), ONDCP, 

and DOL. Veterans often face issues getting jobs, finding housing, or dealing with family 

problems, all of which can be affected by trauma. Members of this committee work together to 

find solutions though sharing research and information, joint program and policy development, 

training, and other initiatives. 

Workplace and Trauma-Informed Approaches. Participants include DOL (ODEP, OSHA, 

and WB) and HHS (SAMHSA, HRSA, OWH). Recognizing that trauma can affect both individual 

workers and organizational culture, this committee is focusing on products and resources that 

will be helpful to employers and employees. Best practices for a trauma-informed workplace 

include trauma training for all staff, support for organizational change, trauma-informed human 
Page 64

resource and supervisory practices, policies on domestic violence and the workplace, linguistic 

and cultural accessibility, and addressing sources of conflict within the workplace. The 

committee is currently working on a short policy memo for employers on trauma-informed 

workplaces and workforce development systems. 

Integration of First Person Experience and Voice. Participants include HHS (SAMHSA), 

DOL (ODEP) and DOJ (OVC). The mission of this committee is: to identify and disseminate 

federal/state/local and nonprofit initiatives, research literature, training, technical assistance, and 

other resources that address peer-support models and integration of survivor experience and 

voice in workforce development, policy, planning, programming, and evaluation. Work to date 

has included assisting other coordinating committees to identify and integrate survivor voice and 

disseminating key resources, including SAMHSA’s Engaging Women in Trauma-Informed Peer 

Support: A Guidebook. 

New Approaches to Trauma Screening and Assessment. Participants include HHS 

(SAMHSA, OWH, ACF), and DOJ (NIC, OJJDP). This committee is working towards 

accomplishing goals generated at Roundtable II, including the development of a set of 

guidelines for the field about trauma screening and assessment. Guidelines will address issues 

such as: where should screening and assessment be done and by whom; what should happen 

afterwards; what tools currently exist; etc. A set of “Frequently Asked Questions about Trauma 

Screening and Assessment” is currently under development. 

Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care with Community-based Providers. Participants 

include HHS (ACYF, OWH) and HUD. This committee is moving beyond the health and human 

service systems to support the application of trauma-informed approaches by front-line 

providers, with a particular emphasis on resilience. A curriculum on trauma and women’s health 

issues, developed by HHS (OWH and SAMHSA) and currently being pilot tested, is an 

outgrowth of this committee. 

Cross-Cultural Settings and Diversity Issues. Participants include HHS (ACF), Peace 

Corps, and DOL (ODEP). The domain of this committee spans an extremely broad range of 

different groups and circumstances. This diversity brought real strength to the discussion at the 

second roundtable, where underserved groups that rarely meet together had a chance to learn 

from each other. The committee is focusing on education and justice issues which form an 

important part of trauma-informed approaches. 

 
Page 65 

Outreach/Promotion. Participants include HHS (SAMHSA, OWH) and DOJ (NIC). This 

committee was formed in response to Roundtable II, as members became aware of the 

increasing demand in the field for information about trauma-informed approaches. The 

committee has focused on ways to move beyond the federal partners to include federal 

legislators and state, regional, territorial and community partners; to increase the visibility of the 

issue through media exposure; and to partner with community-based and faith-based 

organizations and individuals with the lived experience of trauma. 

Conclusion 

The Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma has played a pivotal role in 

highlighting the scope of the problem of violence against women and girls. More importantly, it 

has championed emerging knowledge, innovations, strategies, practices and collaborations to 

address these problems through trauma-informed approaches, regardless of setting, system, 

sector, or community. Through its development of a common understanding of the problem, the 

Committee has opened new doors. This work has far-reaching impact, as grant programs 

stimulate innovation in local communities, new tools are made available for a variety of 

applications, and new partnerships devise creative solutions to persistent problems. 

The Committee’s success in bringing together, prevention, promotion, assessment and 

treatment efforts is stimulating similar work at the state and local levels. Statewide interagency 

trauma task forces and steering committees have sprung up in many states. Other efforts have 

begun at the county and municipal levels. Each effort is organized differently, but all bring new 

players to the table, develop local leadership and broad-based support for trauma-informed 

approaches, and create synergy by working across silos. The number of interagency efforts 

that have emerged in states and localities is testimony to the power of working across agencies. 

One thing was immediately self-evident: no organization would ever be 

“done” implementing trauma-informed care. Once begun, it would be a 

continuous process requiring ongoing reflection on practices and policies, 

training for new staff and boosters for long-time staff, and an attentive eye 

on the organization’s culture to prevent returning to prior practices. 

Valorie Carson, Johnson County (Kansas) Interagency 

Trauma-Informed Care Task Force 
Page 66

Federal Partner Committee Members 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

 Catherine Crocoll ccrocoll@csrees.usda.gov

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) 

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCOE) 

 Colanda Howard colanda.r.howard.civ@mail.mil

 Wanda Finch wanda.l.finch.mil@mail.mil 

 Janet Hawkins janet.l.hawkins.mil@mail.mil

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Family Advocacy Program (FAP) 

 Katherine Robertson katherine.e.robertson8.civ@mail.mil 

 Melvina Thornton melvina.a.thornton.civ@mail.mil 

Office of the Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs 

 Robert Ireland robert.ireland@ha.osd.mil 

 Cara Krulewitch cara.krulewitch@ha.osd.mil

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) 

 Suzanne Holroyd suzanne.m.holroyd.civ@mail.mil 

 Maritza Sayle-Walker maritza.m.saylewalker.civ@mail.mil

U.S. Army 

 Michelle Mishkind michelle.mishkind@us.army.mil

U.S. Department of Education (ED) 

Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) (Formerly Safe and Drug-Free Schools) 

 Phyllis Scattergood Phyllis.Scattergood@ed.gov 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 

Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Family Violence Prevention and 

Services 

 Cailin Crockett cailin.crockett@acf.hhs.gov 

 Shawndell Dawson shawndell.dawson@acf.hhs.gov

 Edna James edna.james@acf.hhs.gov

 Marylouise Kelley marylouise.kelley@acf.hhs.gov 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 

 Charlotte Mullican charlotte.mullican@ahrq.hhs.gov
Page 67 

Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships 

 Kimberly Konkel kimberly.konkel@hhs.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

 Valerie Edwards valerie.edwards@cdc.hhs.gov

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 

 Tarsha Cavanaugh tcavanaugh@hrsa.gov 

 Anna Kindermann akindermann@hrsa.gov

 Morrisa Rice mrice@hrsa.gov

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

 Lisa Begg beggl@od.nih.gov 

 Dionne Jones djones1@nida.nih.gov 

 Tamara Lewis-Johnson lewisjohnsont@niaid.nih.gov 

 Samia Noursi snoursi@nida.nih.gov 

 Kathleen O’Leary olearyk@mail.nih.gov 

Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, 

Office on Women’s Health (OWH) 

 Frances Ashe-Goins frances.ashegoins@hhs.gov 

 Sandra Bennet-Pagan, Region II sandra.bennett-pagan@hhs.gov 

 Michelle Hoersch, Region V michelle.hoersch@hhs.gov 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 

 Larke Huang larke.huang@samhsa.hhs.gov 

SAMHSA, Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA, CMHS) 

 Sara Afayee sara.afayee@samhsa.hhs.gov 

 Mary Blake mary.blake@samhsa.hhs.gov 

 Nicole Gaskin-Laniyan nicole.gaskin-laniyan@samhsa.hhs.gov

 Tenly Pau tenly.pau@samhsa.hhs.gov 

SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA, CSAT) 

 Linda White-Young linda.white-young@samhsa.hhs.gov 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 

Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) 

 Lisa Coffman lisa.r.coffman@hud.gov 

 
Page 68

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) 

National Institute of Corrections (NIC) 

 Maureen Buell mbuell@bop.gov 

 Fran Zandi fzandi@bop.gov

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 

 Bethany Backes bethany.backes@usdoj.gov

 Dara Blachman-Demner dara.blachman-demner@usdoj.gov 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 

 Catherine Pierce catherine.pierce@usdoj.gov 

 Stephanie Rapp stephanie.rapp@usdoj.gov 

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) 

 Mary Atlas-Terry mary.atlas-terry@usdoj.gov 

 Laura Ivkovich laura.ivkovich@usdoj.gov

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) 

 Bea Hanson bea.hanson@usdoj.gov

 Amy Loder amy.loder@usdoj.gov 

 Allison Randall allison.randall@usdoj.gov 

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) 

Job Corps (JC) 

 Carol Abnathy abnathy.carol@dol.gov 

Office of Assistant Secretary for Administration & Management (OASAM) 

 Susan Allen allen.susan@dol.gov 

 Janice Ruggles ruggle.janice@dol.gov 

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) 

 Carol Boyer boyer.carol@dol.gov 

 Christopher Button button.christopher@dol.gov 

 Adrienne Thal thal.adrienne@dol.gov 

 Maria Town town.maria@dol.gov 

 Janet Voight voight.janet.d@dol.gov 

Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

 Amy Firestone firestone.amy@dol.gov 

 Lisa Gentry gentry.lisa@dol.gov 

 Mikki Holmes mikki.holmes@dol.gov 

 
Page 69 

Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS) 

 Francheska Atchison atchison.fran.t@dol.gov

 Lakisa Carter carter.lakisa@dol.gov 

 Nancy A. Glowacki glowacki.nancy.a@dol.gov

Women’s Bureau (WB) 

 Karen Furia furia.karen@dol.gov 

 Tonya Thompson thompson.tonya@dol.gov 

 Jane Walstedt walstedt.jane@dol.gov

U.S. Department of State 

 Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) 

 Jane Nady Sigmon sigmonjn@state.gov

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 

 Heidi Kar heidi.kar@va.gov 

 Susan McCutcheon susan.mccutcheon@va.gov

Peace Corps 

 Claudia Kuric ckuric@peacecorps.gov 

 Timothy Lawler tlawler@peacecorps.gov

 Kris Morris kmorris@peacecorps.gov 

White House Office on National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) 

 Cynthia Caporizzo cynthia_a._caporizzo@ondcp.eop.gov 

 Meredith L. DeFraites meredith_l._defraites@ ondcp.eop.gov 

 Patrick Schmidt patrick_r._schmidt@ ondcp.eop.gov
Page 70 

Agenda Roundtable I 

Roundtable on Women and Trauma 

DAY 1: DECEMBER 6, 2011 

7:45-8:30 Registration 

 Central Area 

8:30-9:05 Welcome/Introductions 

 Conference Rooms 7 & 8 

Barbara J. Bazron, Roundtable Moderator and Facilitator

 Susan Salasin (CMHS), Chair of Women and Trauma Committee

 Carol Boyer (DOL), Co-Chair of Women and Trauma Committee

 Lead Federal Agency Perspectives

 Susan Parker, Department of Labor

 Kana Enomoto, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 Jennifer Kaplan, Deputy Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls

9:05-10:20 Panel Plenary 1: Contextualizing Trauma in the Lives of Women and Girls 

 Conference Rooms 7 & 8

 Gender Matters: Creating a Trauma-Informed Culture, S. Covington

 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study: Setting the Context for Anna’s 

Story, A. Jennings 

 From Trauma to Trauma-Informed: Environments That Support Healing, 

A. Blanch 

10:20-10:30 BREAK 

10:30-11:15 Panel Plenary 2: Cross Systems Issues and Interventions 

 Conference Rooms 7 & 8

 Trauma-Informed Care and Health: Secondary Victimization in Medical 

and Dental Systems, S. Raja 

 Seeking Safety: An Evidence-Based Model for Trauma-Specific Service, 

L. Najavits 

11:15-12:15 Facilitated Break-Out Sessions 

Color-Coded Session Assignments 
Page 71 

12:15-1:00 LUNCH & NETWORKING 

Box Lunches Provided in the Two Pantries of the Conference Center 

1:00-1:25 Opening of Afternoon Session 

Conference Rooms 7 & 8

 Sarah Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

A. Kathryn Power, Director Center for Mental Health Services

1:25-1:55 Panel Plenary 3: The Voice of Lived Experiences: 

 Power of Recovery In Action 

Conference Rooms 7 & 8 

 From Trauma to Healing, T. Cain 

 Trauma Across the Lifespan, J. McKinney 

1:55-2:40 Panel Plenary 4: Implications for Youth-Serving Systems 

Conference Rooms 7 & 8 

 Juvenile Justice: Addressing Trauma with Young Women and Girls, 

S. Gonsoulin 

 Legal Perspective: Policies and Practices Related to Rights, Responsibilities 

of Schools and Students, K. Bleyer 

 Child Welfare: Opportunities for Collaboration to Support Women & Girls 

Affected by Trauma, S. Cadiz 

2:40-3:25 Panel Plenary 5: Workforce and Veterans’ Issues 

 Conference Rooms 7 & 8 

 Veterans’ Issues and Pathways to Recovery, S. McCutcheon 

 Triggering Traumatic Responses: Bullying in the Workplace, G. Namie 

 Impact of Employee Assistance Program Models on Systems Reform to 

Create Trauma-Sensitive Work Environments, N. Pentz 

3:25-3:35 BREAK 

3:35-4:35 Facilitated Break-Out Sessions 

 Color-Coded Session Assignments 

4:35-5:15 Final Plenary 

 Conference Rooms 7 & 8 

 Report on Break-Out Work 

 Mandate for Action Supporting Women and Trauma Programs, J. Gillece 
Page 72

5:15-6:00 NETWORKING RECEPTION 

Agenda Roundtable II 

Transforming Trauma: Working Toward 

Effective Policies and Promising Practices 

DAY 1: DECEMBER 6, 2011 

8:00 am Registration 

8:30 

Welcome from the Chair and Co-Chair of the Women and 

Trauma Federal Partners’ Committee 

 Looking Forward – Susan Salasin, Director of Trauma and Trauma-Informed 

Care Program, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 About the Roundtables – Carol Boyer, Policy Advisor, Office of Disability 

Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor 

Opening Comments 

Pamela S. Hyde, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration 

Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

Jeff Slowikowski, Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice 

Contextualizing Trauma-Informed Care as a Public Health Response 

 A. Kathryn Power, Director, SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services 

Keynote Address 

 Vincent Felitti 

Principal Investigator of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study

10:25 Break 

Women and Trauma Federal Partners’ Roundtable Overview 

Barbara Bazron, Deputy Director, DC Dept. of Mental Health, 

Roundtable Facilitator 
Page 73 

Impact of Roundtable I: Success Stories 

 Jeannie Campbell, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare 

 Maureen Buell, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice

Centering Activity 

Sandra Bennett-Pagan, Office on Women’s Health – 

Region II, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Healing Invisible Wounds: The Health Practitioner, the Survivor, and the Administrator 

 Richard Mollica, Harvard University

11:30 Lunch (on your own) 

12:30 pm 

Afternoon Opening Remarks 

Tina Tchen, Executive Director of the White House Council on 

Women and Girls and the Chief of Staff to the First Lady 

Plenary Presentation: Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care with Community-Based 

Front-Line Providers 

Rene Anderson and Maria Taranjo-Rodman, 

Western Massachusetts Training Consortium 

Panel Discussion: Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care with Community-Based 

Front-Line Providers 

 Cheryl Sharp, The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

 Annira Bodden, Taller Salud 

 Grace Aron, Sauti Yeu Center for African Women

 LaDessa Foster, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence

Plenary Presentation: Military and Veteran Women and Trauma-Informed Care 

 April Gerlock, VA Pugent Sound Healthcare System in Tacoma, Washington

Panel Discussion: Military and Veteran Women and Trauma-Informed Care 

 Kathleen McCracken, U.S. Department of Defense, Health Affairs

 Kate McGraw, U.S. Department of Defense, DCoE

 Janice Manary, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, U.S. Navy

 Susan McCutcheon, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

 Darlene Sullivan, U.S. Department of Defense, SAPRO 

 April Gerlock, VA Pugent Sound Healthcare System in Tacoma, Washington
Page 74

3:05 Break 

3:15 

Plenary Presentation: Integration of the First Person Experience and 

Voice of Women Exposed to Trauma 

 Laura Prescott, Sister Witness, International

 

Panel Discussion: Integration of the First Person Experience and Voice of Women 

Exposed to Trauma 

 Cathy Cave, National Center for Trauma-Informed Care

 Valerie Ennis, The Transformation Center 

 Catherine Quinerly, The Transformation Center 

 Joan Gillece, National Center for Trauma-Informed Care 

4:30 Breakout Sessions 

 Breakout Session 1: Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care with 

Community-Based Front-Line Providers 

 Breakout Session 2: Military and Veteran Women and 

 Trauma-Informed Care 

 Breakout Session 3: Integration of the First Person Experience and Voice of 

Women Exposed to Trauma 

5:30 End of Day 1 (Adjourn from breakout sessions) 

6:30 Reception at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center 

Please join us for a reception to honor the Roundtable II speakers. The 

reception will be held at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center from 6:30 – 

8:00 pm in Room 1400. The Westin is located at 1400 M Street, NW, 

Washington, D.C. 

 
Page 75 

Day 2: December 7, 2011 

8:00 am Registration 

8:30 

Welcome from the Chair of the Women and 

Trauma Federal Partners’ Committee 

Susan Salasin, Director of Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care Program, 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Opening Comments 

Nancy Lee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health – Women’s Health and Director 

of the Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Keynote Address 

April Naturale, Senior Advisor, SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center 

New Opportunities for Women and Trauma Program Development 

Kana Enomoto, Deputy Director, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration 

Plenary Presentation: New Approaches to Trauma Prevention and 

Screening Assessment 

Bryan Samuels, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

10:30 Break 

10:40 Panel Discussion: New Approaches to Trauma Prevention 

and Screening Assessment 

Mary Ann Dutton, Georgetown University Department of Psychiatry

Bonita Veysey, Rutgers University

Nancy Gottlieb, Santa Barbara County 

Merith Cosden, University of California at Santa Barbara

Maria de Lourdes, Carrillo, Safe Place

Jacki McKinney, Trauma, Knowledge, Utilization, Practice (TKUP) 

11:25 Lunch (on your own) 
Page 76

12:30 pm 

Afternoon Opening Remarks 

Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. 

Department of Labor

Plenary Presentation: Trauma-Informed Care in Cross-Cultural Settings: 

Diversity Issues within National Minorities; People with Disabilities; 

American Indians and Alaskan Natives, the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and 

Transgender Communities; and other Underserved Populations

Firoza Chic Dabby, Asian and Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Institute

Panel Discussion: Trauma-Informed Care in Cross-Cultural Settings: 

Diversity Issues within National Minorities; People with Disabilities; 

American Indians and Alaskan Natives, the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and 

Transgender Communities; and other Underserved Populations 

Judy Heumann, U.S. Department of State

Julia Perilla, National Latina Research Center on Family and Social Change

Shelia Hankins, Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American 

Community 

Shakira Cruz Román, The Network la Red

2:00 Break 

Plenary Presentation: Workplace and Trauma-Informed Care 

Sandra Bloom, Drexel School of Public Health 

Panel Discussion: Workplace and Trauma-Informed Care 

Cheryl Sharp, The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

Carole Warshaw, Domestic Violence & Mental Health Policy Initiative, National 

Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health

Lisalyn Jacobs, Legal Momentum and Workplaces Respond to Domestic Violence 

& Sexual Violence 

Anne E. Hirsh, Job Accommodation Network 
Page 77 

 3:40 Breakout Sessions 

Breakout Session 4: New Approaches to Trauma Prevention and Screening 

Assessment 

Breakout Session 5: Trauma-Informed Care in Cross-Cultural Settings: 

Diversity Issues within National Minorities; People with Disabilities; the Lesbian, 

Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Communities; and other Underserved 

Populations 

Breakout Session 6: Workplace and Trauma-Informed Care 

 4:40 Closing Session 

 5:00 End of Roundtable II