Trauma-Informed Pediatric Primary Care: Facilitators and Challenges to the Implementation Process

• Published in: The journal of behavioral health services & research Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 363 - 381
• Main Authors: Sala-Hamrick, Kelsey J., Isakson, Brian, De Gonzalez, Sara Del Campo, Cooper, Agatha, Buchan, John, Aceves, Javier, Van Orton, Elizabeth, Holtz, Jill, Waggoner, Destiny M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-07-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Community and Environmental Psychology; Community health services; Families & family life; Health behavior; Health Informatics; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health Psychology; Health services; Implementation; Low income groups; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Pediatrics; Primary care; Psychiatry; Public Health; Quality of care; Staffing; Trauma; Traumatic stress
• ISSN: 1094-3412; 1556-3308
• DOI: 10.1007/s11414-020-09741-1

This article describes the process of integrating trauma-informed behavioral health practices into a pediatric primary care clinic serving low-income and minority families while facing barriers of financial, staffing, and time limitations common to many community healthcare clinics. By using an iterative approach to evaluate each step of the implementation process, the goal was to establish a feasible system in which primary care providers take the lead in addressing traumatic stress. This article describes (1) the process of implementing trauma-informed care into a pediatric primary care clinic, (2) the facilitators and challenges of implementation, and (3) the impact of this implementation process at patient, provider, and community levels. Given the importance of trauma-informed care, especially for families who lack access to quality care, the authors conceptualize this paper as a guide for others attempting to integrate best behavioral health practices into pediatric clinics while working with limited resources.