Giving Compass' Take:

• Neha Gill explains how trauma-informed design integrates trauma-informed care into design processes, spaces, and programs to promote safety and well-being. 

• Do you support nonprofit organizations that incorporate trauma-informed care into their programming? What role can funders play in helping organizations incorporate trauma-informed design?

• Learn how trauma-informed support contributes to better academic outcomes. 

What is trauma-informed design, and why is it important? Trauma-informed design is about integrating the principles of trauma-informed care into design with the goal of creating physical spaces that promote safety, well-being and healing.

This requires realizing how the physical environment affects identity, worth and dignity, and how it promotes empowerment. It requires recognizing that the physical environment has an impact on attitude, mood and behavior because there is a strong link between our physiological state, our emotional state and the physical environment.

It also means that intentionally designing and maintaining healing environments leads to empowerment and resists retraumatizing those who have already experienced so much trauma.

Why is it important to consider trauma? A trauma-informed program, organization or system "realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization," according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

This includes everything from equipping members of the program, organization or system with trauma training and knowledge to engaging program participants and beneficiaries in organizational planning to creating and maintaining physical spaces that ensure safety and promote empowerment.

Read the full article about trauma-informed design by Neha Gill at Forbes.