Creating trauma-informed spaces during a global pandemic: Practicum experiences at the community acute stabilization team in Northern Health

During my social work practice with vulnerable populations, I have found that many clients and families I work with have experienced trauma in various forms. This is no less true in our current reality of concurrent health crisis: the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. My practicum at CAST provided me with numerous opportunities to observe, evaluate and provide trauma-informed practice through direct and indirect learning and training opportunities. My learning goals were to learn clinical practice skills for individual practice, to learn how to provide quality trauma-informed practice, and to develop a professional practice framework consistent with the British Columbia College of Social Workers (BCASW) Code of Ethics. This report discusses my practicum experiences, implications for personal practice such as the need for ongoing, effective self-care, and concludes with several recommendations for social work practice.