Supporting workers in uncertain times: UB experts discuss trauma-informed leadership during Social Work Month

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In times of uncertainty or high stress, trauma-informed leadership is more important than ever within organizations, according to experts from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work’s Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC).

Trauma-informed care is an approach that assumes people are more likely than not to have experienced trauma in their lives and seeks to minimize the likelihood of inadvertently retraumatizing people.

In honor of national Social Work Month this March, ITTIC co-directors Susan Green  and Samantha Koury discuss how leaders can use the values of trauma-informed care to guide their teams through uncertain or stressful times in their organizations or society more broadly.

“Prolonged periods of high stress can activate the body’s survival response, which puts people in fight and flight or freeze states and makes it difficult to make rational decisions,” Koury says. “By being trauma-informed, leaders can help their team stay as emotionally regulated as possible.”

Before managers can effectively lead their teams through turbulence, they must look inward — what ITTIC calls “model the model” in its framework for trauma-informed leadership.

Green says managers who regularly assess how they respond to stress and possible themes of retraumatization are more likely to ensure trauma-informed environments for their staff.

“Ask yourself: How am I showing up? What do I need so I can show up in the way I want to for my team?” says Green, a clinical professor in the UB School of Social Work. “As leaders, when we’re grounded and feel like we can navigate what’s going on, we are more effective in supporting our organization and those we work with.”

During uncertain times, Koury says trauma-informed leaders can build trust by creating routine and communicating regularly about what they know — and what they don’t.

Consider sending a daily or weekly update at a set time, even if there is no news to report. Set clear expectations and provide opportunities for connection with optional check-ins for staff.

“For someone with a history of trauma, uncertainty can create a trauma reaction based on a common retraumatization theme of non-transparency and veiled truths,” Koury says. “Anything leaders can do to provide clarity and predictability will help people know what to expect and promote well-being.”

Green agrees: “Transparency and trustworthiness allow for structure and consistency. Most people say not knowing what’s going on is more unsettling than knowing, and that when they have the information, they can act on it.”  

Amid uncertainty, Green advises managers to tailor their actions, when possible, to the needs of their employees. For example, one person may prefer direct instructions and blunt facts, while another could be activated by that approach and prefer a collaborative dialogue with options for next steps.

“If you supervise several people, you may need to deliver a message several ways to reach everyone — not just put things in email but also discuss them in meetings and check in with people personally,” Green says. “When leaders are trauma-informed, they’re always thinking about trustworthiness and physical and emotional safety. You’re collaborative and understand that people need to believe they have control over their own lives.”

One thing a leader probably can’t do, Koury says, is eliminate all stress or uncertainty — and that’s OK.

“Being trauma-informed is generally not about fixing things,” she says. “Verbally acknowledging when things are hard or scary — while also problem-solving together and being a consistent, available presence for support — is most important.”