Health policymakers and practitioners increasingly recognize trauma as an important factor that influences health throughout the lifespan. By incorporating trauma-informed approaches to care into their practice settings, provider organizations can more effectively care for patients and support efforts to improve health outcomes, reduce avoidable hospital utilization, and curb excess costs.
This 90-minute webinar highlighted innovative strategies for implementing trauma-informed care in both pediatric and adult primary care settings. Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris of the Center for Youth Wellness, shared how her San Francisco-based organization screens for and treats childhood trauma. Dr. Edward Machtinger of the Women’s HIV Program at the University of California, San Francisco, described how his primary care clinic has implemented a trauma-informed approach for a complex adult patient population.

The webinar series, made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a product of Advancing Trauma-Informed Care, a national initiative aimed at understanding how trauma-informed approaches can be practically implemented across the health care sector.

Agenda

I. Introduction and Overview of Trauma-Informed Care in Primary Care

Speaker: Christopher Menschner, Senior Program Officer, CHCS

Mr. Menschner welcomed participants and provided an overview of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, the impact of ACEs/trauma on health, and the value of implementing a trauma-informed approach in primary care settings.

II. Using ACEs Screening to Inform Pediatric Practices

Speaker: Nadine Burke-Harris MD, MPH, FAAP, Founder and CEO, Center for Youth Wellness

Dr. Burke-Harris described the Center for Youth Wellness’ (CYW) approach to addressing childhood trauma, with a focus on how physicians use ACEs screening results to inform pediatric practices. She discussed CYW’s partnership with the Bayview Child Health Center to provide comprehensive physical and behavioral health services to families exposed to adversity.

III. Adopting Trauma-Informed Primary Care to Treat a Complex Adult Patient Population

Speaker: Edward Machtinger, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Women’s HIV Program at University of California, San Francisco

Dr. Machtinger shared his perspective on treating patients with complex trauma at the Women’s HIV Program at the University of California, San Francisco and provided examples of how his clinic has implemented a comprehensive trauma-informed primary care approach.