Martinez, M. J., & Kawam, E. (2018). Historical trauma and social work: What you need to know. The New Social Worker, 15-16.

Introduction

To be effective in the work that we do as social workers at all levels, it is important to understand ecological and social context. One such context in particular, the historical realm, can provide further depth in appreciating antecedents to social and behavioral problems that have an impact on our communities and clients. Our previous article on trauma-informed care highlighted the fact that social workers often work with individuals who may have complex histories of abuse and violence alongside their biopsychosocialspiritual needs (Kawam & Martinez, 2016). Individual trauma histories are encapsulated within a larger trauma narrative; over time, this narrative may accumulate into a multigenerational shared account of events that have harmful effects on functioning and quality of life.