Kadlec offers unique Trauma Support Program

People experiencing traumatic injuries often face significant challenges that may continue long after they are discharged from the hospital. To help them recover more fully, Kadlec has created a Trauma Support Program.

The Trauma Support Program may be the only one in the state to be integrated into routine trauma center care. It offers six months of advocacy and care coordination tailored to the unique needs of patients who have experienced traumatic injuries such as a car accident, work-related injury, gunshot wound or serious fall.

“We know that after a traumatic injury there is an increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance use and other issues,” said RoseAnne Droesch of Trauma-Informed Care Consulting, who is consulting with Kadlec on the project. “When you add therapeutic support and case management after an injury, it makes a big difference. It creates a different trajectory of healing.”

The program evolved from an earlier project to address depression and screening disparities encountered by the Hispanic/Latino community.

“We realized that we could not only impact depression screening but also could scale up our trauma services as Kadlec became a Level II trauma center,” Droesch said. “These hospital-based early interventions have also been shown to reduce reinjury and readmission rates and offer comprehensive support as patients navigate complex recoveries.”

At any given time, there may be 30 to 40 patients in the program as new patients enter and others graduate, said Laura Follett, manager of Care Management with Population Health at Kadlec. The intervention team at Kadlec is bilingual and bicultural, ensuring that patients receive support in their preferred language.

Patients are offered the program based on risk factors such as being low income, under or uninsured, or having language barriers. The cause and type of injury also is considered. The Trauma Support Program is not appropriate for every trauma patient, Follett noted. For example, patients with traumatic brain injuries have different needs so follow a different treatment path.

The Trauma Support Program is available to all ethnicities, and helps patients navigate care options for their recovery and access community resources. The intervention team monitors PTSD, depression, and substance abuse symptoms and provides brief treatments as indicated. For patients needing a higher level of mental health care, community referrals are made. The Trauma Support Program also assists with basic needs often encountered by people with traumatic injuries such as transportation to appointments and help filling out Workers Compensation claims.

“The program's success is a testament to Kadlec's commitment to addressing health inequities and providing comprehensive trauma care to the community,” Follett said.