In our last issue of Mental Health Notes, we noted that the Ontario Drug Treatment Funding Program (ODTF) would soon be posting guidelines to support organizations providing substance use treatment services for women. “Trauma Matters: Guidelines for Trauma-Informed Practices in Women’s Substance Use Services” will help you understand the interconnections of trauma and substance use, and provide better care for substance-involved women who have experienced trauma. The guidelines were developed by the Ontario Drug Treatment Funding Project, Trauma and Substance Use project team (including the Jean Tweed Centre, a provincial advisory committee, and Gates Consulting) and the voices of many women, service providers and experts from across Ontario.
The guiding principles of trauma-informed practices are:
- Acknowledgement
- Safety
- Trustworthiness
- Choice and control
- Relational and collaborative approaches
- Strengths-based empowerment modalities
“Trauma Matters: Guidelines for Trauma Informed Practices in Women’s Substance Use Services” is now available on the Ontario DTFP website.