Practice · Tool or method
Trauma-Informed Practice in Family Mental Health Services
- Mental Health, Wellbeing
- Children, Youth, Family
Practice guide to embed trauma-informed strategies across all stages of family mental health service delivery.
Joining ShareCraft is free. We bring you straight back here.
- Free to licenseCreative Commons
- Field Guidechapters and guidance
- 30 resourcestemplates and tools
About this practice
Produced by the Australian Institute of Family Studies' Child Family Community Australia (CFCA) information exchange, this practice guide translates the SAMHSA trauma-informed framework into concrete, everyday strategies for practitioners working in Family Mental Health Support Services (FMHSS). Built on a systematic review of literature from 2014–2024 and developed in consultation with DSS, Family Relationship Services Australia, and FMHSS staff, the guide covers: the six SAMHSA trauma-informed principles and four assumptions; organisational responsibilities for implementation; and practical practitioner strategies across initial contact, screening and assessment, and ongoing sessions. It addresses relational safety, physical environment, transparency, empowerment, cultural responsiveness, physical activities, and First Nations considerations. The guide is equally useful for other child and family community services beyond the FMHSS context.
Who it’s for
Early-career practitioners (under 5 years experience) in child and family services; practitioners in FMHSS; community-based mental health workers supporting children, young people and families; program managers and team supervisors embedding trauma-informed approaches; services working with culturally diverse, First Nations, refugee, or LGBTQI+ families; any community services organisation wanting to embed or strengthen trauma-informed practice.
Target population
Primary audience: practitioners with less than 5 years experience in child and family services; workers in FMHSS providing early intervention non-clinical mental health support; program managers enabling frontline practice. Client populations: children and young people aged up to 18 at risk of mental illness; their parents and family members; families from CALD backgrounds; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families; refugee, migrant, and LGBTQI+ families.
How it’s delivered
- One-to-one sessions
- Group work
- Structured Training
Share what works.
ShareCraft is where organisations in the social sector find, license and share practices that work. Join free to open this Field Guide.