Trauma is pervasive in our society. In the U.S., 61% of men and 51% of women report a history of at least one traumatic event, with many reporting more than one. Among people served by public behavioral health systems, a striking 90% have experienced trauma. Extensive data suggests that people with mental illnesses and addictions whose trauma experience goes unaddressed have poor health outcomes including exacerbated mental health problems and increased risk of heart disease, suicide, and substance abuse — reinforcing the importance of trauma-informed care and treatment.

To enable your local behavioral health organizations to effectively address trauma, Signal Behavioral Health Network is hosting Trauma-Informed Practices Training May 9-10^th 2012, Otero Jr. College in La Junta. 

The goal of this presentation is to help participants deepen their knowledge of how to effectively integrate an understanding of trauma into service delivery.  We will expand on prevalence information and helping participants to gain a stronger understanding of trauma and its effects.  We also discuss trauma informed strategies at length, trauma specific treatment options and care of the provider when working with individuals with substance use disorders that also have experienced past trauma.

The substance abuse treatment field is changing rapidly. Health care reform is moving the field towards insurance-based payment models; integration with primary care is a hot topic with multiple pilot projects occurring; new evidence-based practices such as medication assisted treatment and trauma informed services are becoming available.

Signal is considering hosting a conference to address the many changes to our field. This conference would be a way to help attendees learn about the emerging landscape of substance use disorder treatment and to prepare for new models of service delivery and payment.

This survey asks questions about what topics should be addressed in such a conference and your interest in attending. Please take a few moments to complete the survey. Your responses will help Signal decide whether to host such a conference and, if so, what should the conference look like. The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LMCJTYN

Thanks in advance for completing this survey.  And please feel free to send the link to others in your organization.  We would like to get as many responses as possible!