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Directions: Our conversation on colonial and intergenerational trauma this week
centres on the external forces that impose structural, political, and interpersonal
violence on Indigenous peoples. In previous weeks we have discussed how this has
occurred via policy and legislation.
In your forum posting this week, I would like you to consider the role of the health sector
in centering trauma-informed care. How would you define trauma-informed care? What
might the role of health care practitioners look like in supporting Indigenous patients
with “complex, continuous, collective, cumulative, and compounding forms of colonial
trauma” (Mitchel et al. 2019)? Are there any barriers that practitioners or policy-makers
might face in centering trauma-informed care as an ethic of practice in health settings?
Or, if you have seen an example of the ethic of trauma-informed care in practice, please
share with your peers how you thought it was successful or could be improved.
The readings and links please limit your answer to under 500 words and respond to at
least one other student comments.
Readings
Required: Mitchell, T.; Arseneau, C.; & Thomas, D. (2019). Colonial Trauma: Complex,
continuous, collective, cumulative and compounding effects on the health of Indigenous
peoples in Canada and beyond. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 14 (2),
74–94. DOI 10.32799/ijih.v14i2.32251
Required: Aguiar, W. & Halseth, R. (2015). Aboriginal peoples and historic trauma: the
process of intergenerational transmission. Prince George, BC: National Collaborating
Centre for Aboriginal Health.
https://www.ccnsa-nccah.ca/docs/context/RPT-HistoricTrauma-IntergenTransmission-Ag
uiar-Halseth-EN.pdf
Reponses to Student
As a future social worker who will be working within the healthcare system, I believe it is
crucial that I identify and understand what it means to work with Indigenous people from
a trauma-informed care stance. I would define trauma-informed care as a framework
that is based on having knowledge and understanding of how trauma has affected and
continues to effect, Indigenous people’s lives and the ways in which they receive help
from service providers. Some concepts that are centered around trauma-informed care
are understanding what trauma is, recognizing the ways trauma effects each person
differently, and how the service user and provider respond to the trauma and the help.
As an employee of the healthcare system, I have seen first-hand how Indigenous people
are treated within healthcare and the ways in which they are systematically pushed
through the healthcare system that leaves major gaps in the trust, care, and compassion
that healthcare workers should be providing their patients. I believe that one of the major
factors in the roles of healthcare professionals should be to allow our patients to have a
say in their care. Upon meeting our patients, we need to allow them to feel safe in their
surroundings, be able to ask questions, and be allowed to say what they are comfortable
with or where they comfort level ends. We need to understand that racism is prevalent in
today’s society, whether we agree or disagree, racism is upon us. Indigenous people’s
fears are not heard, and the reality of their care is the “get them in and get them out”
mentality. Not all the time, but very often, when an Indigenous person enters an
emergency department, they are flagged as a “drug seeker” before anyone even speaks
to them. With this mentality, the ways in which Indigenous people are supported in
healthcare will never change.
As Mitchel et al. (2019) states, there are many terms used to characterize the enduring
trauma of Indigenous peoples; historical trauma, collective trauma, post-traumatic
stress, intergenerational trauma, historical loss, post-traumatic stress response, colonial
trauma, and colonial injury. Barriers that could arise when centering care around
trauma-informed care are, service users not aware or acknowledging past traumas,
avoiding asking certain question and allowing clients to disclose personal trauma,
clients not wanting to disclose personal trauma that could affect the outcome of care,
limited resources and knowledge from both the service user and provider, and any
ongoing or lasting conflicts that may arise within the circle of care. The trauma that is
affecting people today has been ongoing pain that stems from 5 centuries of
intergenerational trauma lived through many family units. Ignoring the root causes and
ability to work from past trauma will dramatically effect trauma-informed care practices.
Reference
Mitchell, T.; Arseneau, C.; & Thomas, D. (2019). Colonial Trauma: Complex, continuous,
collective, cumulative and compounding effects on the health of Indigenous peoples in
Canada and beyond. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 14 (2), 74–94. DOI
10.32799/ijih.v14i2.32251