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Background: The outcomes of a traumatic experience can be wide-reaching, such that individuals who have experienced trauma may be at an elevated risk for behavioural problems, mental health problems, and physical conditions. As such trauma experience may necessitate frequent interactions with the care system across the lifespan. In order to effectively meet the needs of this population multidisciplinary collaboration is required. However this collaboration is hindered by differences in definitions of ‘trauma-informed care’ between organisations, and a recent proliferation of independent trauma-informed training programs being developed without communication or collaboration with the clients at risk.

 

The current study aimed to utilise a combination of existing literature and a DELPHI analysis to develop an actionable list of aims, partners, and outcomes for developing a ‘trauma-informed network’. Our research questions are: 1) What components are required when developing a trauma-informed network?, 2) Which components are most important to developing a traumainformed network?, and 3) What actions need to be taken in order to facilitate these factors?

 

Methods: Item refinement was processed through the DELPHI analysis in up to six iterations aimed at developing an unbiased consensus (defined here as 70% agreement)16. All data was collected online and anonymously. Participant experts (N=33) were defined as ‘people with lived experience of trauma, or experience working in the care sector’.

 

Results: A list of eight theories were identified as relevant to the development of a trauma-informed network, however no clear consensus was reached on the order of importance. Agreement was reached that 34 stakeholders should be involved in decision-making. Twelve actions were identified as key outcomes for a trauma-informed network. Consensus was also reached on the order of importance of these actions.

 

Conclusions: We have provided a short-list of the most important aims, partners, and actions to consider when developing a trauma-informed network. We have also provided considerations on how these can be implemented, based on the comments and experiences shared by our expert participants during the DELPHI process. We recommend that these outputs are taken under consideration when directing the focus and development of a trauma-informed network.