December 17, 2012

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is requesting feedback on the working definitions, key principles, and guidelines contained in the concept paper, "SAMHSA's Working Definition of Trauma and Principles and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach."

In 2012, SAMHSA convened a working group composed of trauma survivors, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers with the goals of—

• Arriving at a standard, unified, working definition to advance the understanding of trauma and inform a trauma-informed approach for multiple service sectors and stakeholder groups.
  
  
• Providing a foundation for SAMHSA's training and technical assistance efforts and development of a measurement strategy for trauma.

SAMHSA now seeks comments from the general public, via three feedback forums, on the concept paper. The forums will be open through midnight, E.T., December 21, 2012.

Resources:

Provide feedback on the definition of trauma, a trauma-informed approach, and guidelines for implementing a trauma-informed approach.