Registration for this series is closed.

Over the past 20 years, a growing understanding of the pervasive and harmful impact of traumatic events on individuals, families, and communities has led to the emergence of research on the effects of trauma and treatment strategies to address mental health and substance use disorders. According to SAMSHA, trauma is a widespread, harmful, and costly public health problem, occurring because of violence, abuse, neglect, loss, disaster, war, and other emotionally harmful experiences. While many people who experience a traumatic event do not have lasting negative effects, others experience more difficulty with traumatic stress reactions. Research has documented the relationship between exposure to traumatic events and substance abuse. For example, approximately 20%-90% of individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) have a history of childhood trauma and 37% to 52% have a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis (Mergler et al, 2018). When it comes to trauma, there are no boundaries regarding age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, geography, or sexual orientation.

This online learning series will increase the skill level of behavioral health professionals to define and recognize trauma in individuals. Helping individuals affected by trauma to manage their symptoms using a strength-based approach minimizes re-traumatization and enhances practitioners’ ability to provide trauma-informed support.