Vermont Business Magazine In partnership with the Department of Mental Health, the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care (VPQHC), has been coordinating Trauma Responsive Care Trainings for staff in Vermont hospitals. In 2023, 122 Vermont hospital staff participated in the Trauma Responsive Care training program. This training is facilitated by an incredible and dynamic training team: Kristy Hommel, M.Ed; Matt Dove, NP, DUAL PMHNP, FNP Certified; and Peter Cudney, LICSW.
Here are some illustrative quotations from training attendees:
“I've learned to listen to the patients more and really advocate for the patient.” Chief Nursing Officer
"It's not the big things, it's the little things. It is being reminded of human connection and that little comfort measures are important." - Director of Emergency Services
"We could do so much better. While I understand why we have a policy and a practice around some of those things, there are ways that we could adapt it to be certainly more patient-friendly, supportive, understanding." - ED Nurse
Please visit this page on the VPQHC’s website for a:
- Summary of evaluation data
- Training slides
- TRC Toolkit - a centralized and structured source of information and resources for implementation trauma responsive care and strategies in a hospital setting.
https://www.vpqhc.org/trauma-responsive-care-in-the-emergency-department
This work has been a truly collaborative effort, with funding from the Vermont Department of Mental Health, inspiration from Dr. Christian Pulcini, Dr. Haley McGowan, and the UVMMC Emergency Department team, and evaluation support and guidance from the Center for Behavioral Health Integration, LLC. The trauma responsive care trainings will continue through 2024, with even more hospital staff benefitting from this impactful training opportunity.
This program is supported by the VT DMH Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Expansion Program with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
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