Building a Trauma-Informed Workplace (Part 2 of 6)
Safety as the Foundation
Reading time: 5 to 7 minutes
If we want to create workplaces where staff thrive and clients receive the best possible services, we must begin with one essential pillar: safety. Without safety—physical, emotional, and psychological—nothing else can hold. When we talk about safety, we often think about locked doors, security protocols, or emergency procedures. But trauma-informed safety goes deeper. It means creating spaces where staff feel respected, supported, and free to bring their full selves to work. In human services, where staff are often exposed to secondary trauma, unpredictable client needs, and systemic inequities, safety must be a daily practice, not a policy written on paper.
When safety is prioritized:
Staff feel confident they can make mistakes, ask questions, or share stress without fear of retaliation or stigma.
Supervisors reduce anxiety by providing consistent support and predictable expectations, which helps staff regulate stress during crises (Sweeney et al., 2021).
Administrators strengthen stability by enacting policies that prevent chronic overload, harassment, or unsafe caseload demands—policies that send the message: your wellbeing matters here.
What does this look like in practice?
For staff, safety might mean seeking out a trusted peer to debrief after a tough client interaction—even if your supervisor isn’t available.
For supervisors, safety is cultivated when you begin supervision by asking: “What do you need to feel safe at work this week?”
For administrators, safety means modeling transparency in decision-making, especially around resource allocation and workload distribution.
Ignoring safety has serious consequences. Research shows that when staff feel emotionally unsafe—whether from poor communication, inconsistent leadership, or overwhelming demands—rates of turnover and burnout climb, leading to service disruptions that directly affect clients. Conversely, organizations that embed safety practices reduce burnout, retain staff longer, and foster more consistent, compassionate client care.
This is not optional. If we want a sustainable workforce, safety must be non-negotiable.
Try this strategy: Try a “closing ritual” at the end of each day. Write down one stressor you are leaving behind and one strength or success you are carrying home.
Something to ponder: Where in my daily work do I feel most safe, and what makes that possible?