Trauma Informed Evaluation: Reducing Fear in Working with Traumatized Populations

Much of the discourse around trauma in evaluation tends to be fear-based and negatively framed. How can we avoid retraumatizing? Whom should I exclude from my study, as speaking to me may be too painful for them? These are all valid questions, but they keep us stuck in a cycle of fear and avoidance, much like the very symptoms of PTSD. Instead, our goal in this presentation is to craft a positive and hopeful vision of working with traumatized individuals in evaluation. In this session we will discuss active strategies for preparing oneself as an evaluator, making our participants feel comfortable, how to recognize signs of distress, and how to respond appropriately. We will equip participants with concrete actions they can take to work with greater confidence with traumatized populations.