A community member starts yelling at staff during a pop-up event. This person may appear angry, but this behavior could have resulted from a loud, busy environment triggering this person. To address this situation, staff could acknowledge the person’s frustration and suggest discussing their concerns at a different time or in a quieter location, if safe to do so. See the Conflict Management section for more.

A person may continuously email different City staff and ask for updates on when the results of a survey will be released. This may appear as entitled behavior, but this may be caused by the person’s trauma-based need for transparency and control, particularly if they have had difficulties reaching staff in the past. Staff can exercise patience and provide a prompt, clear answer on the expected timeline to reassure the person.

Without a trauma-informed approach, staff may view a person who is repeatedly late for an advisory group meeting as inconsiderate. However, this behavior may be a result of the person struggling with early meetings due to having constant disrupted sleep as a symptom of their trauma. Staff could work with the person to give them as much notice about meetings as possible and a helpful form of reminder.

Another example of applying trauma-informed engagement is working with a person who appears uninterested at a public engagement event. This behavior could be caused by a negative experience at a past engagement event. For example, if the person had previously submitted feedback about a project in their community but never heard back, they may be indifferent when asked to share input again. In response, staff can explain to the person how their input will be used and ask to include them in the contact list so they can stay informed as the project advances.

A participant at a workshop refuses to sign in or provide demographic information, which may appear uncooperative. This behavior could stem from fears about surveillance, immigration enforcement or mistrust in government. Staff should consider input options that allow for anonymous participation, such as comment forms, and clearly explain that providing demographic information is optional. Staff can explain that this information is used to understand who the City is reaching, who we may be missing and to measure progress toward creating participation opportunities for everyone.