Keywords
young mothers
community organization
case study
integrated knowledge translation
How to Cite
Abstract
Objectives: This case study aimed to explore young mothers’ perspectives of trauma-informed care (TIC) strategies developed by the employees of a community organization they frequent.
Methods: Young mothers (≤25 years old; n = 12), who were already using the organization’s services, were invited to participate in group or individual semi-structured interviews. They were asked to share their opinions on TIC strategies proposed by the employees. This qualitative case study, grounded in pragmatism, used a directed content analysis approach.
Results: The results showed that several TIC strategies were seen as helpful, particularly those offering structured guidance, improved communication, and support from both the organization and peer programs. Perspectives on strategies aiming to increase autonomy were mixed, with mothers valuing opportunities for increased agency over their service participation while emphasizing the importance of continued organizational support. Some strategies initially developed by the employees to address cultural, historical and gender considerations generated limited insights and discussions amongst service participants.
Conclusion: This study contributes to the limited literature on service participants’ perspectives of TIC. While mothers valued most strategies proposed, misalignments with employees’ ideas for TIC strategies demonstrated the relevance of including their voices during TIC implementation. The limited insights on topics related to cultural and gender considerations illustrates the importance of including participants from various social locations.
Implications: This study highlights the relevance for future studies to include service participants in the design and implementation of TIC strategies, and to adopt a collaborative approach that values trauma survivors’ experiential knowledge.
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