HOPE UNLIMITED
Trauma-informed care guides Hope Unlimited. But what is it? By Hope Unlimited staff
H
ope Unlimited was formed in 1984 to provide survivor assistance in Allen, Anderson, Neosho and Woodson counties. At that time, the board of directors took survivors into their own homes to provide them with a safe place to stay. Since then, Hope Unlimited has grown and now provides a multitude of services to men, women and children who have experienced family violence, sexual assault or sexual abuse. It’s important for us to clarify, though, that we aren’t here to fix or save those who come to us. We’re here to acknowledge their truths, to hear them out, and to help them along in their own recovery. Trauma-informed care guides this work. Simply put, this approach assumes that an individual who walks through our doors is more likely than not to have experienced something traumatic. Whether the trauma be physical, verbal, psychological or something else, we use the trauma-informed approach to make sure we ask the right questions. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with this person?” we make sure we ask, “What happened to this person?” Only then can we move forward.
A trauma-informed approach to services acknowledges that a complete picture of a person’s life situation, both past and present, is necessary to provide effective healing services. 6 HEALTHY LIVING • 2021
The programs of Hope Unlimited create a safe, caring and inclusive environment for everyone. Trauma-in-
