Mapping “Trauma-Informed” Legislative Proposals in U.S. Congress

Jonathan Purtle, Michael Lewis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Despite calls for translation of trauma-informed practice into public policy, no empirical research has investigated how the construct has been integrated into policy proposals. This policy mapping study identified and analyzed every bill introduced in US Congress that mentioned “trauma-informed” between 1973 and 2015. Forty-nine bills and 71 bill sections mentioned the construct. The number of trauma-informed bills introduced annually increased dramatically, from 0 in 2010 to 28 in 2015. Trauma-informed bill sections targeted a range of sectors, but disproportionally focused on youth (73.2%). Only three bills defined “trauma-informed.” Implications within the context of a changing political environment are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)867-876
Number of pages10
JournalAdministration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research
Volume44
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Phychiatric Mental Health
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Mapping “Trauma-Informed” Legislative Proposals in U.S. Congress'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this