Building Safe Spaces: Trauma-Informed Care in Action at Cumberland
Understanding Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care is more than a buzzword. It is a way of seeing and responding to people that recognizes the lasting impact of trauma that in return prioritizes safety, connection, and healing. At Cumberland Youth & Family Services, trauma-informed care shapes how we show up for children, families, and individuals every single day.
Many of the children and families we serve carry the effects of adversity into their daily lives. Trauma-informed care asks us to look beyond behavior or circumstance and intentionally create spaces that support healing, growth, and long-term resilience. This perspective guides our approach and allows individuals to move forward with safety.
What Trauma-Informed Care Really Means
At its core, trauma-informed care acknowledges that trauma can affect brain development, emotional regulation, relationships, and behavior (SAMHSA, 2014). It recognizes that challenging behaviors are often survival responses developed in unsafe or unpredictable environments. Rather than trying to control or correct behavior in isolation, trauma-informed care seeks to understand the underlying need and respond with empathy, consistency, and support.
A trauma-informed approach is grounded in several key principles:
Safety: Creating environments where individuals feel physically and emotionally safe
Trust and transparency: Building predictable, honest relationships
Peer and relational support: Recognizing that healing happens in connection
Empowerment and voice: Honoring choice, strengths, and individual experiences
Cultural humility: Respecting identity, background, and lived experience
These principles guide not only our clinical work, but also how our teams collaborate, how we engage families, and how we build community partnerships (SAMHSA, 2014).
Our Trauma-Informed Framework
Cumberland Youth & Family Services is a Texas Trauma-Informed Care Consortium (T3C) certified organization, and all staff receive ongoing training in Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®). TBRI® is an evidence-based, attachment-centered approach designed to meet the complex needs of children who have experienced trauma.
TBRI® focuses on three interconnected principles:
Connecting: Building safe, trusting relationships
Empowering: Addressing physical and emotional needs that impact regulation
Correcting: Teaching skills and setting boundaries in nurturing, respectful ways
This framework allows our staff to respond thoughtfully and consistently, even in moments of high stress or dysregulation. It reinforces the idea that behavior is communication and that connection must come before correction (Purvis et al., 2007).
Trauma-Informed Care Across Our Programs
Trauma-informed care is not limited to one department or service at Cumberland. It is woven throughout all of our programs, each reflecting the same commitment to safety, dignity, and relationship.
In our Community Counseling Program, therapists integrate trauma-informed and attachment-based approaches to help children, adolescents, and families process experiences, build coping skills, and strengthen relationships. Sessions are paced intentionally, recognizing that safety and trust must come first.
Within our Foster Care and Adoption Program, trauma-informed care guides how we support children who have experienced separation and loss, as well as the foster and adoptive families caring for them. Case managers provide training, placement support, and ongoing guidance to ensure caregivers respond with understanding and empathy.
For young adults in our Supervised Independent Living Program, trauma-informed care acknowledges the challenges of transitioning to independence after foster care. Staff supports youth in developing life skills, self-advocacy, and confidence while providing consistent connection and guidance.
In our Family Residential Program, which provides housing and support for single-parent families on our campus, trauma-informed care centers dignity and empowerment. Staff partner with parents to reduce stress, strengthen family functioning, and foster stability for both parents and children.
Across all programs, trauma-informed care allows staff to respond with curiosity rather than assumptions, and with compassion rather than control. It creates space for growth while honoring the lived experiences of the individuals and families we serve (Bath, 2008).
Why This Work Matters
At its core, trauma-informed care acknowledges that trauma can affect brain development, emotional regulation, relationships, and behavior. It’s about how experiences shape perception, safety, and interaction with the world. People who have experienced trauma may respond with heightened anxiety, difficulty trusting others, or challenges with emotional self-regulation. Trauma-informed care recognizes these reactions as adaptive survival strategies rather than personal failings.
A trauma-informed approach also considers the broader systems around the individual, including family, school, and community. Program staff pay attention not only to the immediate needs of children and families but also to the environments and relationships that impact long-term healing. This means creating consistent routines, fostering predictable relationships, offering choice and empowerment, prioritizing safety and connection at every step, and creating safe spaces to call home.
Rather than trying to control or correct behavior in isolation, trauma-informed care seeks to understand the underlying need and respond with empathy, consistency, and support. It’s a holistic approach that integrates knowledge of trauma into every aspect of service, from intake and assessment to daily interactions and long-term care planning.
Moving Forward, Together
At Cumberland Youth & Family Services, trauma-informed care reflects our belief that every person deserves to be seen, valued, and supported. It is how we honor the experiences of those we serve and the dedication of the staff who walk alongside them.
“Trauma-informed care is a vital tool for our agency, guiding how we serve our community, support our clients, and work together as a team. It gives us a compassionate lens for understanding and responding to trauma.” -Cumberland Youth and Family Service’s Clinical Director, Dr. Lauren Titsworth.
By continuing to invest in training, reflection, and relationship-centered practices, we remain committed to creating safe places to call home—and safe relationships where healing can begin.
References
Bath, H. (2008). The three pillars of trauma-informed care. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17(3), 17–21.
Purvis, K., Cross, D., & Sunshine, W. (2007). Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®): A holistic approach to working with vulnerable children. Texas Christian University Press.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884. https://www.samhsa.gov
Texas Trauma-Informed Care Consortium. (2023). T3C Certification Overview. https://www.texastrauama.org
