Getting to Know Our Patients Through the Lens of Trauma Informed Care

It was not mandatory for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) to screen patients’ past or recent history of trauma until November 28, 2019, when CMS phase 3 required SNFs to participate in the initiation of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC). With the release of this requirement however, CMS did not provide specific guidance for implementation. The purpose of the TIC initiative was to obtain traumatic experiences, identify approaches to manage reoccurrences of certain triggers, if any, and to prevent re-traumatization thus providing a safer environment and more effective care.