Sending Office: Honorable Mike Gallagher
Sent By:
Maggie.Woodin@mail.house.gov
Co-Chairs Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) & Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) invite you to join the Bipartisan Trauma-Informed Care Caucus
Dear Colleague:
Unmitigated toxic stress and traumatic events are prevalent in the lives of children, adults, families, and communities across the U.S. Although many will not experience lasting negative effects, others will have life-long challenges. Research has shown
that toxic stress and trauma during a child’s neurodevelopment are associated with mental health and substance use issues as well as chronic physical health conditions. Because these concerns can present challenges in relationships, careers, and other aspects
of life, it is important to understand the nature and impact of trauma, and to identify policies and practices that prevent negative outcomes and facilitate healing.
Traumatic experiences dramatically affect millions of Americans across the United States. These experiences can hinder a student’s ability to learn, prevent a veteran from reintegrating into society, or impede an adult from meaningfully participating in
the workforce. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a scientific approach that can make a real difference in these individuals’ lives. TIC is a principle-based, culture-change process that aims to create a better future for people suffering from trauma while also
building community resilience. Becoming “trauma-informed” means learning about the prevalence and impact of trauma on individuals and using that knowledge to reexamine how we interact with and support them.
Trauma-informed care is grounded in principles such as safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. Using these principles, people gain new insight into why children, adults and families may behave in ways that don’t, on the surface,
make sense. TIC is a shift in perspective that calls on us to begin asking, “What happened to you?” instead of, “What’s wrong with you.” To date, TIC has been integrated into federal programs, state-wide transformation efforts, healthcare programs, and community
and school-level efforts. These have not only been shown to promote healing, but also to build long-term resilience through safe and strengthened relationships. The benefits of TIC can be seen in schools, primary care practices, community-based organizations,
policies and guidelines, and in families.
As co-chairs of the Caucus, we invite you to join the House Trauma-Informed Care Caucus. Members of the caucus will have the opportunity to hear from experts in the field and learn about the real effects TIC can have on a community. The caucus’ goal is to
identify opportunities to embed TIC efforts within federal legislation and operations. While TIC is already recognized and utilized by several federal agencies, including HHS, DOJ, and DOL, we want to ensure that the House of Representatives understands its
importance.
TIC is non-partisan and serves as a unique opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to demonstrate a shared commitment to our nation’s health and well-being. It is designed to identify and address the root causes of some of our most pressing public health
issues including addiction, obesity, depression and other serious mental health issues. After becoming trauma-informed, school teachers, correctional officers, childcare workers, and social workers, among
others, would be better able to approach people who have experienced trauma from a perspective of understanding.
Please consider joining this caucus to help make the federal government a leader in this important work. Should you have any questions, or would like to join, please contact Maggie Woodin (Maggie.Woodin@mail.house.gov) in Congressman Gallagher’s office at
5-5665 or Jill-Hunter Williams (jill.hunter-wiliams@mail.house.gov) in Congressman Davis’ office at 5-5006.
Sincerely,
Mike Gallagher, Co-Chair Danny K. Davis, Co-Chair
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