Trauma Informed Consultation
Gabriella Grant Consulting (GGC) provides tailored consultation for agencies wishing to develop a trauma informed framework, program design, policies, staff development, and data collection and measures. Contact GGC via the scheduling form, email at traumainformedcalifornia@gmail.com, or call us at 831-515-7570 to discuss your agency’s specific needs.
Consultation options include
- Agency assessment and certification
- Trauma informed program design
- Curriculum development
- Measuring, collecting and analyzing data
- Rules, policies and procedures
- Strategic planning
- Elimination of seclusion and restraint
Recent Consultations
Short Term Residential Treatment Centers (Central California)
Due to legislation related to the Continuum of Care Reform effort, the State of California is phasing out traditional group homes. Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Centers (STRTCs) provide temporary, high quality, intensive interventions that are required to be trauma informed. A 100-year-old former group home and non-public school requested training and technical assistance for the STRTC accreditation process laid out by the state. First, the section for the STRTC related to trauma informed practices was developed in detail for the pending application. Feedback from the state indicated that the section on trauma informed practices was extremely well developed. An agency assessment—including an online staff self-assessment, an onsite focus group for staff and children, observation of services and a review of policies and procedures—resulted in an assessment of current practice and specific recommendations for progress toward the next level of transformation. A foundational training was developed and provided to staff, who rated the training as exceptionally helpful to their work.
Behavioral Healthcare
Onsite consultation for a multi-service behavioral health agency in rural Nebraska involved developing both an agency-wide framework based in the five core values of trauma informed service provision, as well as specific agency recommendations to develop strengths. For example, a safe, effective approach to practice emotional regulation was demonstrated with real clients at a day treatment program for adults with cognitive disabilities; staff then practiced conducting the techniques and developing creative ways to make them fun and practical.
Victim/Witness Program
After providing an all-day training on trauma informed services for all victim witness staff in a large urban community in Northern California, consultation included meeting with specific programs where staff completed a four-dimensional agency assessment. Based on the findings of the assessment, 10 key recommendations were developed and a strategic planning process involving all staff prioritized the 10 recommendations for the agency to focus on. One outcome was a survey for licensed therapists to complete in order to be included as a referral for crime victims; the survey asked specific questions related to trauma informed practice, training, and approach. Of the 70 therapists who completed the survey, about half were approved for referrals and the others were given a year to increase specific capacities.
Program Design and Residential Policies
A residential program for people with intellectual disabilities in Central Coastal California asked for consultation to improve program rules. Through the consultation, the agency was able to better understand how to create collaborative agreements related to program design and residential program elements. An example included a job readiness program that shifted from telling clients how to dress (“you must dress in business-appropriate clothes”) to creating meaningful goals that clients choose to work on: “Job seekers who dress professionally increase their job prospects, therefore I would like to dress for success while job searching.”