Our Mission
To raise awareness and understanding about the nature of trauma, improve systems and policies to better recognize and respond to trauma, and empower trauma survivors to experience healing and personal growth.
Raise Awareness
Increase compassion and understanding about the nature of trauma and post-traumatic stress.
Improve Systems
Help systems, organizations, and people better recognize and respond to trauma.
Empower Survivors
Support people who have experienced trauma to heal and channel their experience into growth and meaning.
Core Values
A trauma-informed organizational culture starts with adhering to a set of trauma-informed principles and core values. Our organizational values build on the Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Care and drive everything we do.
Safety
We strive for interpersonal interactions that create a sense of emotional safety and a work environment that supports open communication without fear.
Trustworthiness and transparency
We make decisions transparently and share our reasoning. When we make commitments to funders, partners, colleagues, and stakeholders, we keep them.
Collaboration and empowerment
We work together, share ideas, and leverage our strengths while empowering each other to grow, learn, and explore new areas of interest.
Compassion and empathy
We care about each other and the people we serve. We approach our work with a spirit of compassion and empathy for trauma survivors.
Value of lived experience
We believe people who have experienced trauma must be included in discussions about how best to respond to trauma.
Science and evidence
We promote proven interventions and trauma-informed approaches as well as research to explore the efficacy of novel strategies.
Inclusion and diversity
We believe that experiences of trauma and pathways to healing are influenced by historical, cultural, and community experiences and honor our differences while moving past stereotypes regarding race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion.
Listening to understand
We listen to our colleagues and stakeholders with an open mind and a desire to understand.
Servant leadership
Our leaders know their role is to support and assist our staff and partners to be successful.
Hope and healing
We approach our work with a spirit of hope for a healthier future and a deep desire to support the healing of people and communities from trauma.
Joy and warmth
We take joy from the opportunity to do the work we do, and we engage with each other and the world with warmth and kindness.
Trauma Informed's Executive Director Mark O'Brien discusses his own personal experience of trauma.
Our Founder
Mark O'Brien is the Founder and Executive Director of Trauma Informed. Mark has fifteen years of experience working on trauma, criminal justice, and behavioral health. His passion for this work comes from his personal experience with trauma, grief, and criminal justice involvement.
Board of Directors
Chris Pratt
Board Chair
"I am inspired by the stories of those that have suffered trauma and have been able to channel it into positive impact. I am excited for the opportunity to work with a leadership team that is compassionate, driven to implement change, and has a proven record of accomplishment of producing high impact programs. I think we have an opportunity to improve lives of those that have suffered trauma in the local DMV area and nationally, and I am honored to work in support of this mission."
Simone Greene
Board Member
"I recognize the enormous impact trauma has on our society. Many people are dealing with traumas on their own. Additionally, many don't recognize the trauma of others and unintentionally re-traumatize them. I am excited to play a role in an organization that wants to create change and raise awareness for a subject that too often goes unrecognized."
Chris Lindsey
Board Member
"There's a massive opportunity to support and educate those who have experienced or been exposed to various forms of trauma in their lives. There's often a stigma associated with seeking help in our society which can prevent people from receiving the care they desperately need. I believe in the Trauma Informed mission and am honored to serve as a Board Member to help create change and raise awareness on a topic that's often forgotten in our community."