The tl;dr:
Jo van Twest Farmer is an expert in the design and delivery of trauma-informed evaluation, and they've been generous enough to let us share some of their resources, including this safety protocol for trauma-informed evaluation. There's a PDF version here.
Introduction
One of our core values is Investment - making sure that evaluators and researchers have access to resources that can help them to deliver ethical projects from the design phase onwards. But we're also not going to reinvent the wheel if we don't have to. This is why we've engaged with highly-regarded evaluators and researchers who are interested in sharing their experience and resources with a wider audience.
One of these people is Jo van Twest Farmer, who is one of Australia's leading experts on trauma-informed evaluation whose PhD research directly addresses the subject. Jo has developed a range of resources as part of their consulting firm, and has been kind enough to share a few of them with Iris Ethics. The first of these is a safety protocol for trauma-informed practice.
The Safety Protocol
In Jo's words:
Delivering a trauma-informed evaluation is not about designing an evaluation that addresses trauma. It is about designing an approach that recognises that trauma is common, and that aspects of the evaluation process can be a trigger for a trauma response. It aims to make evaluation a process that does not add to or compound trauma.
The safety protocol acts as a guide to evaluators and researchers on how to integrate trauma-informed practices as part of project activities, and through this mitigate risks of harm to stakeholders. It follows a four part process:
- Setting up for safety
- Identifying distress
- Responding to distress and disclosure
- Wrapping up
Where is trauma-informed practice relevant?
Trauma-informed practice is good practice, and does not need to be limited to particular groups or contexts. That's because the risks around trauma do not limit themselves in that way. While it is true that some projects will present higher risks, all projects can benefit from consideration of trauma-informed practices in the design phase. This resource can help you to do that.
Can I have a copy of the guide?
Yes! Here's a PDF: