Which statement describes a core principle of trauma-informed care?

• A. Safety and trust are the only principles.
• B. Peer support and collaboration.
• C. Safety, Trustworthiness, Peer Support, Collaboration, Empowerment, and Cultural/Historical Awareness guide care.
• D. Paternalistic decision-making based on clinician preference.

Answer: (C)

Trauma-informed care is built on multiple guiding principles that shape how care is delivered, recognizing how past trauma can affect treatment and engagement. The statement that safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural/historical awareness guide care captures the full approach. Safety ensures environments are physically and emotionally safe; trustworthiness and transparency create predictable, honest interactions; peer support leverages shared experiences to reduce isolation; collaboration and mutuality balance power between provider and patient; empowerment, voice, and choice help individuals regain control over their care; and cultural/historical awareness addresses how cultural backgrounds and historical trauma influence experiences with care and informs culturally responsive practices. Together, these principles work to reduce re-traumatization and improve engagement and outcomes. The other options are incomplete or oppose the trauma-informed approach, such as focusing only on a subset of principles or endorsing paternalistic decision-making.