Trauma Basics
What is truama?
A response to a distressing or overwhelming experience that affects how a person thinks, feels, or behaves.
According to the video, trauma affects which system in the body that controls stress responses?
The nervous system
What is one way a leader can model trauma-informed behaviour during everyday interactions?
Using a calm tone, respectful language, or active listening
A youth is escalating and a staff begins raising their voice. What should a trauma-informed leader do in the moment?
Step in calmly, model regulation, and support the staff to de-escalate
True or False: Trauma-informed leadership means lowering expectations for staff.
False
What question does trauma-informed leadership focus on instead of “What is wrong with you?”
What happened to you?
In both the podcast and video, behaviour during stress is often a response to what?
Past trauma or current stress
According to trauma-informed leadership, why is consistency important for staff and young people?
Because consistency builds trust and creates a sense of safety
After a restraint, a staff appears quiet and withdrawn. What is a trauma-informed leadership response
Check in privately, offer support, and allow space before debriefing
Which is trauma-informed:
A) Why would you do that?
B) Can you help me understand what happened?
B) Can you help me understand what happened?
Name one common trauma response
Fight, flight, freeze or fawn
When someone is in fight, flight, or freeze, what kind of brain are they using? How do we explain these to the kiddos we work with?
The survival brain. Wizard and lizard brain.
A trauma-informed leader balances support with what other important leadership component?
Accountability
Two staff are in conflict on shift and tension is rising. What would a trauma-informed leader do?
Address it calmly, separate if needed, and create a safe space to talk it through
Which is NOT trauma-informed:
A) Addressing behaviour calmly
B) Calling staff out in front of others
B) Calling staff out in front of others
What is one key principle of trauma-informed leadership?
Safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment. (Any of these are correct)
According to trauma-informed leadership, what should a leader focus on first when someone is dysregulated?
Regulation before correction
How can a leader respond in a trauma-informed way when giving feedback to staff?
By being respectful, specific, and non-judgmental while still addressing the behaviour
A staff makes a mistake and immediately becomes defensive. What is a trauma-informed way to respond?
Stay non-judgmental, avoid escalating, and revisit the conversation when they are more regulated
True or False: A trauma-informed leader ignores behaviour to avoid triggering staff.
False
Why is it important for leaders to focus on regulation before correction? Do we know the three R's?
Because people can not think clearly or learn when they are dysregulated. Helping them regulate first creates safety and allows for better decision-making and problem-solving. Regulate, Relate, Reason
A staff becomes reactive during a crisis. Based on trauma-informed leadership, what is the most likely reason for this behaviour AND how should a leader respond?
Reason: They are in a survival response (fight/flight/freeze) due to stress or past experiences
Response: Stay calm, support regulation, and avoid immediate judgment or correction
A staff is consistently late for shifts. What would a trauma-informed leader do?
Address the issue directly, show curiosity (ask what is going on), maintain expectations while offering support
A staff is showing signs of burnout (irritable, disengaged, less patient with youth). What should a trauma-informed leader do?
Recognize signs of stress or secondary trauma, check in and offer support, maintain expectations while helping the staff access resources or take space
Which response is trauma-informed after a difficult shift?
A) You handled that wrong; we need to talk now.
B) That looked like a tough situation. Let’s check in and talk it through.
B) That looked like a tough situation, let’s check in and talk it through.