Adopting Trauma-Informed Care in Rural Communities: Lessons from a Health Plan-Community Behavioral Health Partnership in Pennsylvania

Childhood exposure to trauma, including abuse, neglect, and violence, is linked to a myriad of chronic physical and behavioral health conditions later in life, including substance use disorder, depression, heart disease, and cancer. Adopting trauma-informed care, an evidence-based, person-centered approach to care, can help prevent re-traumatization, increase patient engagement, and reduce unnecessary health care utilization for people with trauma histories. Rural locations, however, pose unique barriers to effectively implementing trauma-informed care. In rural Pennsylvania, a multi-county collaboration formed an innovative trauma-informed care initiative to better serve Medicaid members in 24 counties.

This webinar will feature a partnership between the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Community Care and its experience implementing trauma-informed care across a network of behavioral health and human service providers in rural Pennsylvania. The 75-minute session will focus on lessons for increasing access to trauma-specific treatments, developing a trauma-informed organizational culture, and considerations to adapt and sustain a trauma-informed approach.

The webinar is part of the Better Care Playbook Implementation Lab series exploring real-life examples for adopting models or tools with demonstrated evidence to better serve people with complex health and social needs. Ample opportunities will be available for questions.