Trauma Informed Care
What is trauma informed care?
Trauma-informed care recognizes that an individual’s experiences of trauma can greatly influence her or his receptivity to and engagement with services, interactions with staff, and responsiveness to program guidelines, practices, and interventions. It is possible that the community member you will be working with has not had any exposure to trauma. However, it is important to operate in a trauma-informed manner regardless of whether the person you’re working with has a history of trauma or not.Trauma-informed care is appropriate in all settings with all populations.
Key Steps of a Trauma-Informed Environment
• Meet the community member’s needs in a safe, collaborative, and compassionate manner
• Build on the strengths and resilience of program participants in the context of their environments and communities
• Seek out support, supervision, and consultation with program staff for further guidance in providing tutoring services that are in line with trauma-informed principles
Engaging in Home-Based English Literacy Tutoring from a Trauma-Informed Lens
• Make sure to explain the format of the program in a way that the community member feels safe and in control
• Ensure the tutor-community member relationship is collaborative by encouraging feedback and making adjustments to fit the needs of the community member you are working with.
Cultural Norms/Gender Norms
Traditionally, the Rohingya typically live in extended families with men heading the household, although women and girls may assume the head-of-the household role in the absence of a male. Marriage continues to be the primary means of attaining social and economic security for Rohingya women and girls, who are traditionally discouraged from working. The responsibilities of women and girls include all aspects of childcare, food preparation, cleaning laundry, and caring form the elderly (UNHCR).
Clothing: Many Rohingya women wear a hijab (head covering veil). Some women wear a veil that covers the lower part of their face. Some women may choose to wear their hijab in their home. Women also often wear the traditional sarong (large piece of cloth tied around the waist).
Religion: Most, but not all, Rohingya identify as Muslim.