Trauma-informed Care

HOPE UNLIMITED

Trauma-informed care guides Hope Unlimited. But what is it?

By Hope Unlimited staff

Hope Unlimited was formed in 1984 to provide survivor assistance in Allen, Anderson, Neosho and Woodson counties. At that time, the board of directors took survivors into their own homes to provide them with a safe place to stay. Since then, Hope Unlimited has grown and now provides a multitude of services to men, women and children who have experienced family violence, sexual assault or sexual abuse.

It’s important for us to clarify, though, that we aren’t here to fix or save those who come to us. We’re here to acknowledge their truths, to hear them out, and to help them along in their own recovery. Trauma-informed care guides this work.

Simply put, this approach assumes that an individual who walks through our doors is more likely than not to have experienced something traumatic. Whether the trauma be physical, verbal, psychological or something else, we use the trauma-informed approach to make sure we ask the right questions. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with this person?” we make sure we ask, “What happened to this person?” Only then can we move forward. The programs of Hope Unlimited create a safe, caring and inclusive environment for everyone. Trauma-in-

A trauma-informed approach to services acknowledges that a complete picture of a person’s life situation, both past and present, is necessary to provide effective healing services.

• Safety • Trustworthiness • Peer Support • Collaboration • Empowerment

What do these principles mean, and what do they look like?

Safety is the easiest for most of us to visualize. It includes welcoming common areas, safe and secure entrances to our buildings, and a focus on protecting privacy.

Trustworthiness means our staff at Hope Unlimited are respectful and that we honor professional boundaries.

Peer support in our work means we labor to help build on shared experiences between survivors and provide space for reciprocal giving and receiving of support. Peer support dovetails with our focus around collaboration, where we help individuals make decisions, instead of making decisions for them. Power must be shared, and we do our best to empower survivors to decide the best path forward.

This leads to the last principle of trauma-informed services: empowerment. Hope Unlimited strives to validate and affirm each person who asks for our help. We prioritize building skills, developing confidence and helping survivors find their unique path forward.

Through our services we strive to empower and advocate for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, and child sexual or physical abuse in a trauma-informed setting. If you have been affected by domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse, please call 620-365-7566 for services. Hope starts here.

Our staff have big hearts, but we understand what our job is—and isn’t—and we maintain interpersonal boundaries.

Emergency Shelter Program Domestic Violence Outreach Sexual Violence Outreach • Child Visitation Center Child Advocacy Center • Support Groups Public Awareness • Community Education Human Trafficking Services

620-365-7566

406 North Buckeye Iola, Kansas 66749