What's The Difference Between "Trauma-Informed" and "Trauma Specific"?

The terms “trauma-informed” and “trauma-specific” are often confused and used interchangeably, but they are actually distinct in their meaning. The distinctions between the two terms made by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) are as follows: a trauma-informed approach is implemented in any type of service setting, such as a dual diagnosis treatment facility, whereas trauma-specific interventions are designed to specifically address the consequences of trauma.

Trauma-specific interventions focus solely on facilitating healing from traumatic events, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), combat, death, or loss of a loved one, such as loss of a parent through divorce or a significant other through a separation. An individual who suffered from childhood abuse due to mental illness in an aggressive parent would benefit from trauma-specific interventions if the individual never had a drug and alcohol history.

A trauma-informed approach means that a client, in the context of substance abuse treatment, for example, would receive counseling from a clinician who is knowledgeable about the effects of trauma on the client’s lifestyle choices. The clinician would examine the client’s substance use as it relates to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adverse childhood experiences, and other trauma-related factors that propel the individual toward substance abuse.

A trauma-informed approach takes into account the cause-and-effect relationship between drug use and traumatic experiences, but it does not mean that the addiction recovery program treats the impact of trauma on a client’s life.