Trauma-informed practice (TIC) is not a single technique or programme — it is a way of working. It is a set of values, assumptions, and principles that shape how services are designed, how policies are written, and — most immediately — how individual interactions happen.
At the heart of trauma-informed practice are six core principles, developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and widely adopted in homelessness services across the UK. These principles do not tell you exactly what to do — they give you a framework for asking the right questions about how you are doing it.
This module introduces each of the six principles: what it means, why it matters, and what it looks like in the context of homelessness services. By the end, you will have a clear, practical understanding of TIC that you can apply to your everyday work — whatever your role.
This is a Foundation-level module for anyone working in homelessness services.