Trauma Informed Community Development

A trauma informed community is one that establishes and promotes healing so that people can be healthy enough to sustain opportunity and realize their full potential. The City of Lancaster, in partnership with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, is working to create a trauma informed community. While Penn Medicine is hard at work training organizations and companies to be trauma-informed, the Trauma Informed Training Specialist with the City of Lancaster is training residents like you to be trauma informed, so that together we will close the gap and build a trauma informed city.

 

Trauma 101

Trauma Informed 101 is a 1-hour informational overview of trauma, resilience, and healing.

Trauma Informed 101 Sign Up – English
Trauma informado 101 Regístrese – Español

 

Trauma 201

Trauma Informed 201 is an optional 30-minute information session where attendees learn how to train others in Trauma Informed Community practices, including the training process, benefits, expectations of trainers, etc. This training is only available for Lancaster City residents.

Trauma Informed 201 Sign Up – English
Trauma Informado 201 Regístrese – Español

Contact

Zarita Herasme-Terrero
Trauma Informed Training Specialist
(717) 471-7723
zherasme@cityoflancasterpa.gov

Trauma & Resiliency

What is trauma?

Trauma is an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that a person experiences as physically or emotionally harmful and has lasting negative effects on the person’s mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

What is resiliency?

Resiliency is the ability to withstand crises and cope effectively with trauma. As a community, this means having access to resources and a decreased risk of experiencing trauma.

What are trauma informed principles?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) there are six guiding principles that aim to increase awareness of the impact that trauma can have in communities. By focusing on these principles, we can promote resiliency and prevent trauma:

  1. Safety
  2. Trustworthiness & transparency
  3. Peer support
  4. Collaboration & mutuality
  5. Empowerment & choice
  6. Cultural, historical & gender issues

Sign Up to Learn More

The City of Lancaster offers monthly public trainings about Trauma Informed principles. Sign up for one of our one-hour introductory sessions (Trauma Informed 101) below.

Those who complete the introductory session can continue their training with a two-hour advanced session (Trauma Informed 201) with our Trauma Informed Training Specialist.
Trauma Informed 101 Sign Up Trauma Informed 201 Sign Up