Person-centered Trauma-informed Home Repair Programming and Approaches

With 90% of older American adults experiencing a traumatic event in their lifetime (Kilpatrick et al., 2013), there is a critical need for integrating person-centered, trauma-informed approaches (PCTI) when providing home-based services. Leveraging learnings from Habitat for Humanity International’s two-year pilot programs to design and implement PCTI approaches to home repair in eight cities across the country, this session will share some learnings, best practices and outcomes from integrating a PCTI approach. The session will share key insights on the role of PCTI in navigating the intersection of disaster and socioeconomic inequality. The session will 1) discuss the importance of integrating PCTI approaches into programs for household members and service providers, 2) describe specific tools and steps to integrate PCTI approaches into home-based programs, and 3) share possible ways to evaluate the effectiveness of PCTI efforts. We will include time for audience participation and sharing challenges and application of PCTI principles in different contexts.