Integrating trauma-informed care into clinical practice with trafficked persons

Author: Lanehurst, Ashley; Gordon, Mollie; Coverdale, John; White, C. Nicole & Nguyen, Phuong

Abstract: Trauma-informed care (TIC) as practiced within anti-human trafficking work is still in its early stages, and there is a significant need for specific guidelines concerning how to apply TIC principles along various phases of behavioral health care. Thus, the goals of this article are to (1) provide an overview of the framework of TIC; (2) identify and summarize the literature that specifically highlights the clinical application of TIC principles; and (3) contribute to the existing literature by providing some examples of integrating TIC principles into patient-clinician interactions with trafficked patients. The authors’ hope is that mental health providers will reference the provided script examples to help improve patient-provider interactions and to develop better rapport and trust between providers and trafficked persons.

Keywords: human trafficking, trauma, trauma-informed care, education, mental health, psychiatry