Regarding the community’s TVIC-related education needs, participants continued to highlight the public’s lack of awareness of the intersection of mental health with trauma, violence, and other social issues. Therefore, a shift is needed in how the general public, and other service providers, view these issues, leading to transformation at the individual, community, and systemic levels. One participant emphasized the need to acknowledge this intersection:
You know someone struggling with addiction did not sit in a Grade 5 classroom and that was their future aspiration to be addicted to drugs and homeless – it wasn’t a thing that happened, a whole bunch of things happened long before that happened and 99% of the time there was some sort of traumatic events in which they experienced physical, psychological, emotional or financial abuse. And until we start seeing it that way, it’s what comes first, the chicken or the egg? And we see the egg – we don’t see all the stuff the chicken has to do to have the egg (participant 17).
Participants linked the community’s unawareness to a lack of open discussion and understanding about TVIC and the various effects of exposure to traumatic and violent events. One stated, “we know about diabetes, we know about depression, we know about all kinds of things, but who knows about trauma? People in my family don't necessarily know about it, they don’t know it’s normal” (participant 12). Participants also said that other service providers are not generally aware of TVIC, which can negatively impact the quality of care people receive and the ability for service providers to work in alignment. As one participant said:
I think there is a definite need for public education, in all aspects, the community, agencies, families, and to realize trauma is not always abuse, that's not always what it is, there is a broad, broad definition of trauma and it comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms (participant 1).
This was echoed by another participant who felt that TVIC awareness and education can help provide the community with this insight,
Trauma…can be shown in many different ways, so like in general for people in the community it can be beneficial because it will give more insight into what might be going on. I think any kind of education can be empowering whether it be for individuals in general, they might actually relate to some of this, and
specifically for work places because when you look at any kind of customer service or anything like that, we’re looking at how individuals can be best supported or be served (participant 9).
Participants often connected the lack of community awareness about trauma, violence, and other issues, to negative outcomes in terms of individuals’ health and relationships with themselves and others. It was suggested that learning about TVIC can aid in creating a relational shift and can help reduce the experience of stigma and prejudice. Participants felt community education can help individuals gain better insight into their challenges (mental health issues, addiction, etc.) by understanding their experiences and responses to their environment, helping to externalize these issues by illuminating the fact that these challenges are not the result of something innately wrong with them. The result is increased self-awareness and self-determination when seeking help. One participant illustrated this benefit: “it [TVIC education] can shift relational dynamics from
misunderstanding, isolating, blaming, shaming that only adds to the distress, to a much more supportive connection that is a lot more conducive to healing” (participant 10). Another participant said:
The individuals who have experienced their traumatic event, know that they have a community that will support them. So it’s a two-way conversation – sharing the information with individuals who are going to work with someone who’s
experienced trauma or violence, but then at the same time a person who’s
experienced trauma or violence understands that the community is really trying to figure out how to work with them and be supportive. So it creates a different
dialogue between the two and it becomes more therapeutic for everybody involved (participant 17).
Participants also spoke about the need for TVIC-related education to help people maintain their own wellness when supporting others. People may disclose their
experiences of trauma and violence in places where they feel most comfortable, and so there must be a basic understanding of the resources and supports available. Generating broader community awareness and support for trauma, violence, and mental health may also help reduce the gap between diagnosis and available treatment.
Some made mention of the power to bring about change through advocacy and awareness by creating insight and setting a standard for how people deserve to be treated; i.e., providing safe and equitable care and holding organizations and systems accountable for this. Participants felt that equipping individuals (or their loved ones) with knowledge about their rights can help them “protest” situations where they feel they are being “disenfranchised” or “disempowered” and restore feelings of choice and agency. For example,
Individuals would be better informed about what it’s [TVI-service delivery] supposed to look like and perhaps then it’s about holding service providers accountable to provide that support and that’s never a bad thing, right? That should be probably a part of what we do (participant 14).
Some felt community-focused TVIC education may create allyship in that people may be more understanding of the effects of trauma and violence, their own judgements or assumptions, and be driven to challenge the stigma or biases they hold or are a bystander to. Further, TVIC education between different organizations and service providers can help provide a rationale and greater understanding for TVI-service delivery, creating safer spaces and services. These approaches could transform organizations and systems more broadly, as well as individual interactions:
If we are all aware of it, and we are all aware of how to assist someone then that would eliminate their suffering. So we can help the other person, we live in
trauma constantly and suffering a little bit in that fear, if every time they come into an agency or go to let’s say, anywhere, any public service, OW or ODSP, you know, there’s someone or the individuals they interact with are aware, are trauma- informed, then it makes that individual’s life a little more, less traumatic
(participant 3).
The need for system transformation is also emphasized in the agency’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. One aim is to “advance system change,” ensuring that “mental health services and housing supports are offered when and where they are needed.” This highlights the organization’s awareness of the need to reshape the service landscape to provide more effective and responsive care. It also highlights the intersection of mental health with other issues and the need for a system that recognizes and supports this interconnection.